Pickled Zucchini for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make pickled zucchini for winter? Gather your ingredients. It's nice to use zucchini of different colors — yellow and green together make for a brighter, more eye-catching jar — but using a single color won't change the flavor. Feel free to adjust the spices and seasonings to taste.

2. Step 2:

   

   This preserve comes together quickly, so get your jars ready ahead of time. Wash them with a baking-soda solution and sterilize them however you prefer. I like sterilizing in the oven — it's a tried-and-true method that's never let me down and gets a good batch of jars ready to seal in no time. See the end of the recipe for how to do it, plus plenty of other canning tips.

3. Step 3:

   

   Wash and dry the zucchini thoroughly. Trim off both ends. There's no need to peel zucchini — the skin is delicate and there's no real seedy core. Cut the zucchini into rounds no more than 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.

4. Step 4:

   

   Pack the zucchini rounds tightly into the sterilized jars. Tuck a few sprigs of parsley, the peppercorns, the cloves, and the bay leaves in between the layers. For extra aroma, you can add a couple of garlic cloves if you like.

5. Step 5:

   

   Make the brine. Pour filtered water into a saucepan, add the sugar and salt, set over the heat, and stir until they fully dissolve. Bring the brine to a boil, pour in the vinegar, and turn off the heat right away.

6. Step 6:

   

   Pour the boiling brine over the zucchini so it completely covers the vegetables and reaches the shoulders of the jars. Seal the jars immediately with sterile lids. Turn them upside down, wrap them in a towel or blanket, and let them cool to room temperature. Store the pickled zucchini in a cool place until winter — the refrigerator or a cellar. Enjoy!