Written by Since a young age, I’ve really enjoyed pickles. Dill pickles were always the clear winner, where bread and butter made me want to run screaming (I know, fighting words.. still not a fan of those or sweet gherkins). I’ve come to appreciate them, though, as well as the burgeoning artisan fermented foods. These small “craft brewers” of pickles and other vegetables are great—often local—options. We were lucky enough to meet Number 1 Sons (a local DC area operation) when Russ had his book release party, along with the Paleo Parents and Primal Palate.
That being said, I was inspired to try my own hand at this cuisine. Brussels sprouts seemed like a great candidate for pickling, and when we saw some pickled brussels sprouts at a local store, I decided it was our fate. These have a great pickle flavor, and still have the awesome crunch of brussels sprouts.
Ingredients
3 C brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh dill
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp yellow mustard seed
1 C water
1 C apple cider vinegar
Method
Place the garlic, dill, cloves, allspice, mustard seed, and pepper flakes into a 1-quart Mason jar.
Clean and halve your brussels sprouts.
Add brussels sprouts to Mason jar.
In a measuring cup, mix kosher salt into equal parts water and apple cider vinegar.
Seal container and allow to ferment. We allowed ours to ferment for a week, but you could easily dig in after 48 hours, or wait as long as a few weeks.
Pickling is an awesome hobby (right in line with my love of making homemade cider and beer [still need to crack the gluten-free home-brew]), and we hope you’ll also give it a try. Let us know in the comments what you’ve pickled!
PS, if you’re really into fermentation, you’ll need to go pick up Jill Ciciarelli’s book Fermented. You probably know her from her blog, First Comes Health. We met her at a halloween party a ways back (again, at Matt & Stacy’s house), and her book is a fantastic tomb to add to your collection.
Method 1. Place the garlic, dill, cloves, allspice, mustard seed, and pepper flakes into a 1-quart Mason jar. 2. Clean and halve your brussels sprouts. 3. Add brussels sprouts to Mason jar. 4. In a measuring cup, mix kosher salt into equal parts water and apple cider vinegar. 5. Seal container and allow to ferment. We allowed ours to ferment for a week, but you could easily dig in after 48 hours, or wait as long as a few weeks.
3 C brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh dill
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp yellow mustard seed
1 C water
1 C apple cider vinegar
that paleo couple 
This is the best way to eat brussels sprouts if you’re not usually a fan…pickling them gets rid of ALL of the bitterness! 😀 I’ve only ever bought pickled brussels sprouts and they’re pricey! THANK you for the recipe!
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Tara,
Thanks for the note. We agree–although we love the little guys, having them pickled definitely removes the bitterness many dislike. Let us know how this turns out for you!
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Lovely post. I am going to try this for sure. We have been pickling persian cucumbers and radishes these past few weeks. Do you put them in the refrigerator after you seal the jar? Sounds fantastic!
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I have pickled jalapenos and garlic cloves too. The jalapenos were halved and seeded…very convenient for cooking. And I always have ‘fresh, pickled garlic’ on hand as well.
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Do you cook the Brussels sprouts before placing them in a mason jar? Do you refrigerate after opening?
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Hi Betty, the answer is no to the first and yes to the second question. We hope you enjoy it!
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I love to pickle just about anything, I’ve even pickled cheese, (it has to be a very hard cheese), and I’ll be giving this a shot some time next week. I’d never thought of pickling Brussels sprouts, thank you!!
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