Pickled Squash: How to Make and Use Squash Pickles

Pickled squash is a condiment of preserved fresh squash in a pickling mixture of vinegar, water, sugar, and spices that you either process in boiling water or leave in the refrigerator to pickle. You can serve pickled squash on a salad, on a sandwich, as a side dish, on a meat and cheese board, and even mixed into apple pie filling. Or you can eat pickled squash straight out of the jar for a sweet, tangy snack packed with briny flavor.

The pickling process for squash is fairly standard, although you can customize flavors depending on the vinegar and spices you use. Here are the general steps for making pickled squash:

1. 1. Choose your squash. You can use just about any type of squash for pickling. However, there are some types of squash, like pumpkins or butternut squash, that you must cook first. Steam or boil these squashes just until they become tender, then drain and dry them. You can pickle other types of squash, such as zucchini, summer squash (also called yellow squash or yellow summer squash), and pattypan squash, without cooking them first.
2. 2. Sanitize the pickling jars. Prepare the quart jars or other canning jars of your choice. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Submerge the jars in the boiling water and let them sit, completely covered by water, for at least ten minutes to sanitize them. The water must be boiling the whole time since a hot water bath won’t sanitize the jars. Sanitize the lids as well. Remove the jars from the water with a jar lifter or canning tongs and place them on a clean, dry cloth to air-dry.
3. 3. Prepare the squash. Slice the squash by hand or with a mandoline into thin slices or thick slices. If you’re using other veggies alongside the squash, such as cucumbers, bell peppers, green beans, or sweet onions, slice those as well.
4. 4. Make the pickling liquid. In a medium saucepan, combine the pickling liquid ingredients. Each pickled squash recipe varies, but the ingredient list is usually a combination of cold water, sugar, salt (Kosher salt or pickling salt), vinegar (white vinegar or apple cider vinegar), celery seed, mustard seed, whole peppercorns, or turmeric. Bread and butter pickles use turmeric to create their signature yellow-green color plus more sugar for added sweetness. Boil the pickling liquid on high heat for about ten minutes, making sure the sugar dissolves, then turn off the heat.
5. 5. Fill the jars. Place the thinly sliced squash in the jars, leaving room for the pickling liquid to surround each slice. Next, carefully ladle the hot pickling liquid into each one of the jars, leaving about an inch of headspace to account for air bubbles during the pickling process. To remove the whole spices from the pickling liquid, run the brine through a strainer or colander prior to filling the jars.
6. 6. Process the jars. Secure the lids on the jars tightly. Bring to a boil the same pot of water you used to sanitize the jars. Carefully lower the filled jars into the boiling water with jar lifters, designed with non-slip grips to fit around the rim of the jar. Leave the jars submerged in the boiling water bath for ten minutes. Then carefully remove the jars and store the squash pickles at room temperature for a couple of months and up to a couple of years unopened.

Pickling squash can add a briny flavor to squash, meaning pickled squash can pair well with a number of different flavors and dishes, depending on the seasoning in the brine. Here are a handful of ways you might use pickled squash:

1. 1. As a side dish: Grilled chicken and steak are both meaty and savory, so serving pickled squash on the side can add a bright flavor that breaks up the saltiness and charred elements of grilled meat.
2. 2. In a relish: Pickle relish finds its way onto hot dogs and other sausage sandwiches, but you can also consider adding pickled squash. Mix chopped pickled squash with chopped red pepper and minced onion. Combine the ingredients, stirring in a little of the pickling liquid. If you’ve pickled the squash with other vegetables, you can incorporate those, too.
3. 3. On sandwiches: Use pickled squash on sandwiches like you might use regular pickles (from cucumbers). Whether you’re serving a turkey sandwich or a tuna salad sandwich, the pickled squash can add a tangy flavor to offset the fattiness of the meat and mayonnaise.
4. 4. On salads: Make a salad out of the picked squash alone or chop up the ingredient to add to a leafy green salad with other veggies, like red onion and shredded carrot. Use some of the pickling liquid in the vinaigrette to balance the dish.

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