Balkan Pickling Brine: No-Nonsense, All Flavor
In the Balkans, pickling isn’t a hobby, it’s survival, tradition, and flavor all packed in a jar. Fresh veggies, a sharp brine, and bold spices turn the simplest harvest into crunchy, tangy deliciousness that lasts all year. Your baba knew it, and now you will too.
Why the Brine Rules
The brine is the boss (just like your balkan mother-in-law) it preserves your vegetables, kicks in the flavor, and makes sure your pickles slap with that Balkan bite. Get the brine right, and everything else follows.
How to Use The Spicy Balkan Pickling Spice Mix
Forget guessing. Our pickling spice blend does the heavy lifting. Toss in a tsp or more into your vinegar-and-water brine and boom, you’ve got quick pickles that taste like they’ve been passed down through generations.
Fast or slow, mild or fiery, pickle it your way, the Balkan way.
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Start with equal parts vinegar and water. Ingredients required: White vinegar and water equal parts at 1:1 with 2 tablespoons of kosher or pickling salt per cup of liquid. Use a combination of vinegar for best flavor. For a more complex flavor, you can add apple cider vinegar to your white vinegar.
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Add the Spicy Balkan Pickling Spice (1 tsp or more) to your jars, then the liquid brine. Bring the vinegar and water to a boil with the salt and cook until dissolved. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pickling spice to a 32 ounce glass jar with lid, add the vegetables, then pour over brine. Place lid on top and let the brine cool completely before refrigerating.
- Refrigerate: Pour the hot brine over the vegetables and spices, allowing the flavors and aromas to infuse. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours+. The longer you wait, the more intense the flavors become.