Pickled Ramps, Rhubarb and Radishes, aka Spring, Preserved

My affinity for all things pickled remains constant, whether pregnant or not. But, being pregnant, my cravings for pickles are borderline obsessive — frantic, even. Yes, it’s very cliche. And very real! I am also obsessed with spring produce, so I merged two of my loves by pickling some of my favorite seasonal vegetables. Why not hang on to these fleeting delicacies a little longer?

I pickled ramps, radishes and rhubarb, but this quick-pickling recipe would work for any fruit or vegetable conducive to pickling. I love having these tangy pickles on hand to garnish sandwiches, toasts and salads. The pickled ramps are particularly good with ramp pesto and any sort of fresh cheese, such as burrata or goat cheese. You only pickle the white parts of the ramps, so after pickling you will have all those delicious ramp greens leftover. They are perfect for pesto. I love putting the pickled rhubarb in salads. It lends a tangy bite that goes really well with goat cheese and walnuts. The pickled radishes are extremely versatile, equally at home atop avocado toast or any sort of taco. You could even combine all three on toast for a pickle extravaganza.

As we shift from spring to summer (perhaps the shortest spring there ever was!), I’m stretching out the last of this beautiful spring produce with these pickles and easing into summer mode. These pickles are the perfect transition. I hope you enjoy! xo Maggie

Pickled Ramps, Rhubarb and Radishes, aka Spring, Preserved

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 minutes
• Total Time: 23 minutes
• Yield: 3 pint jars

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Ingredients

 Pickling Solution:

• 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1.5 cups water
• 4 tbsp raw unrefined sugar or honey
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• Optional aromatics: bay leaf, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves

  Vegetables:

• 1 bunch ramps, cleaned and ends and leaves trimmed (save those leaves for another use, like pesto!) — about 3/4 cup
• 1 bunch radishes, cleaned and thinly sliced — about 1 1/4 cups
• 3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces — about 2 cups

 Aromatics: bay leaf, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, red pepper flakes 

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Instructions

 

1. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar or honey. Remove from heat.
2. Pack vegetables into pint-size jars (you may need a larger jar for the rhubarb), along with any aromatics you desire. Pour pickling solution over the vegetables to cover.
3. Allow jars to cool — at least 15 minutes. Serve right away or seal jars and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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Notes

1. If you don’t want to pickle three different vegetables, feel free to cut the pickling solution by half. 
2. For aromatics, you can get creative! I used cardamom pods for the rhubarb, mustard seeds for the radishes and bay leaves and fennel seeds for the ramps.