Pink Pickled Cucumbers
Colorful and delicious, these Pink Pickled Cucumbers are a vibrant, tangy, and crunchy addition to sandwiches, cheese platters, and more!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These all-natural Pink Pickled Cucumbers are crisp, tangy, and infused with beets, garlic, and spices.
Inspired by Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips, we use beets to naturally dye the cucumbers pink while adding a mild, slightly earthy flavor.
These are quick pickles, otherwise known as refrigerator pickles. They are prepared with a vinegar brine then kept in the fridge for storage.
These pink pickles are a delicious addition to burgers, antipasto boards, sandwiches, and more! Whatever you add them to, they’re sure to be the star of the show!
You can find this recipe and more in my 20+ Cucumber Recipes collection.
Ingredients needed (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Cucumbers – Persian, snacking, or Kirby
- Garlic
- Beets
- Pickling/Canning salt
- Water
- White vinegar (5% acidity)
- Seasonings – black peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds
📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
To give you an idea of pinkness, in the before and after photos below, the pink cucumbers were 4 days old.
how to make pink pickled cucumbers
- Bring water, vinegar, and pickling salt to a boil.
- Add the spices to the pickling jar.
- Add the cucumbers, garlic, and beets to the jars with the spices.
- Pour the brine over the vegetables and let come to room temperature. (Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
How to serve pink pickles
These pink pickles can be used anywhere you use regular pickles, but they add a gorgeous pop of color!
- Beautiful on charcuterie boards or antipasto platters
- On sandwiches, wraps, and burgers
- Perfect for pink-themed baby showers
- On pickle boards with crackers and cheese
- Serve with BBQ and coleslaw, mac & cheese, or baked beans
- Snack plates (adult Lunchables) with crackers, cheese, mustard, and these pickles
💡Tips & Tricks
- Cucumbers: use super fresh cucumbers for the best texture. Old cucumbers will result in soggy pickles and will go bad too soon. Don’t use regular salad cucumbers as they have thick skins and more seeds/water than other cucumbers.
- Pink: the less beet you add, the paler pink the pickles will turn.
Looking for more pickle recipes? Here are our favorites:
- Garlic Dill Pickles
- Habanero Garlic Pickles
- Horseradish Pickled Green Beans
- Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots
Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Pink Pickled Cucumbers
Equipment
- OR 2 (16 oz.) canning jars
- liquid measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling/canning salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns or tri-color peppercorns
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 4-6 garlic cloves slightly smashed
- 2 small beets peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 pound cucumbers (Kirby, snacking, or Persian)
Instructions
- Either in a microwave or on the stove, bring water, vinegar, and pickling salt to a boil, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Set aside.
- Add the coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, and beets to your canning jar/jars. Use a mandolin to slice your cucumbers to your desired thickness, then place them in the jars.
- Using a liquid measuring cup, pour the pickle brine into the jars. Let the jars come to room temperature, then put the lids on. I like to put a piece of tape on top of the lid with the date I made them.
- The beets will start to release their pink color right away, but after a day or two, they'll be much more pink!
- Store the pickles in the fridge. They should last up to 1-2 months. Enjoy!
Notes
- Persian, snacking, and Kirby cucumbers have thinner skins and less water and seeds than traditional slicing cucumbers, so they’re ideal for pickles.
- To prevent contamination, be sure to use a clean utensil when getting pickles out of the jar, not your fingers.
- If your pickles aren’t covered with the pickle brine, add white vinegar until they are.
Fun pickles!