I’m a big fan of pickles in general. I love the taste (and crunch!) of a good pickle. A good pickle is salty, briny, and complex. Plus, pickles are a fantastic way to preserve summer crops.
But pickled fruit? This is entirely new territory for me. I’ve always limited my pickling to vegetable varieties: cucumbers, carrots, beets, jalapenos, onions, and more.
However, thanks to the PDX Food Swap, I’ve come to love pickled fruits. At the last few swaps I’ve come home with a number of jars of pickles fruits or berries – apples, figs, apricots, rhubarb, etc – and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with them all. Pickled fruit is a delightful mix of sweet and salty, bright and briny. It’s balanced and complex.
I’ve been eating these pickled blueberries straight out of the jar. (That’s how good they are.) But, if you’d like a few suggestions on how to use these little gems, I’d suggest trying them with crackers and goat cheese. Or, toss them on a wedge salad. Let me tell you, the blue cheese dressing and the briny blueberries are a match made in food heaven.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup agave syrup (or 1/4 cup honey)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 lb blueberries
- 1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole dried allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Clean and sterilize your jars and lids. Set on a rack to dry while you prepare the pickling liquid.
- In a small pot, mix together the vinegars, agave, salt, and spices. Heat over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Pack each jar with blueberries and red onion slices. Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the blueberries. Use a spoon to distribute the spices evenly into each jar.
- Cap each jar and allow the jars to cool to room temperature before moving them to the fridge. The blueberries should keep in the fridge for 30 days.
Notes
Adapted from Of Agates and Madelines
Wow, I have never had any pickled fruit before. What an interesting idea! I can definitely see the appeal.
Ok, this is the 2nd pickled fruit recipe I’ve seen today. I guess I really need to try this out!
Ok, this is the 2nd pickled fruit recipe I’ve seen today. I guess I really need to try this out!
Can you actually put these in a water bath to preserve longer?
How original, I’ve never heard of the idea of pickled fruit! And this looks easy with just a fresh pickle, no worries about going through the full canning process.
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Can your pickled blueberry recipe be canned rather than refrigerated?
I haven’t tested the salt/vinegar/etc ratios for water bath canning. Try this recipe for canned pickled blueberries: http://www.mrswages.com/page/Food_in_Jars_Pickled_Blueberries.aspx?nt=619
very, very excited to try this on a rainy afternoon…!