Homemade Pickling Spice

Pickling spice was a standard feature of any household before refrigeration and freezing became common, but even today it’s worth making your own pickling spice recipe for canning, pickled vegetables or just elevating the dishes you prepare regularly.

This is the kind of recipe that all chef’s use but that requires no cooking skill at all. Our pickling spice recipe includes the essential spices, herbs and aromatics you need to infuse vinegar or brine, but there many uses and customizations to try.

Ingredients for Pickling Spice

• Mustard seed: This ingredient infuses any pickling mix with a deep, warm flavor.
• Allspice: Use it whole for the delicate aniseed flavor.
• Coriander seeds: The seeds have a whole different character to the fresh leaves.
• Cloves: This is another spice that gives a menthol-y aroma and a numbing mouthfeel.
• Ginger: Use ground ginger (fresh root will spoil) for the distinctive fragrance.
• Red pepper flakes: Crush them to release the oils and give any pickling spice some heat.
• Bay leaf: Crumble it to release the flavors. Its strong fragrance is universal in cooking.
• Cinnamon: Choose a good quality stick (they look great) rather than the powder, which can turn dusty.

Directions

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients and store

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Combine all the spices and dry herbs.

Editor’s Tip: When you’re ready to add the pickling spice to a brine, toast the spice to release the essential oils and wake up the ingredients.

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Store the mixture in an airtight jar or container, ideally in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.

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Recipe Variations

• Add Asian flavors: You can prepare a pickling spice for every type of international cuisine. For an Indian pickling spice, for example, include cardamom, fennel and dry juniper berries.

How to Store Pickling Spice

The aroma and flavor in this pickling seasoning come from the oils locked away inside. Our pickling spices recipe is fairly stable, so you can store it for up to six months as long as it is kept dry and cool. Any longer, however, and the spice will lose flavor and potency.

Can you freeze pickling spice?

It’s a myth that you can’t freeze spices. In fact, freezing spices locks in the oils’ flavors for even longer. However, you must keep the pickling spice mix dry and airtight, so wrap the mixture tightly.

Pickling Spice Tips

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What is pickling spice used for?

The pickling spice recipe we’ve shared here is only a beginning. The goal is to store the spices until you’re ready to use them for pickling vegetables; flavoring soups, stews and brines; or enhancing dressings. The dry mix here could also be ground up and toasted for curries or stews.

Which vinegar is the best for pickling?

The most popular pickling vinegar is distilled white vinegar because it is clear and has a mellow flavor. It’s also widely available and normally affordable. However, you can use any type of vinegar, including apple cider or red wine vinegar. As long as it has 5% acidity, vinegar will preserve foods safely.

How can you personalize your pickling spice?

Depending on what you’re intending to preserve, you might want to customize the above spicy pickling spice recipe. If you want more spice, for example, add sliced jalapeno or serrano peppers. For classic pickled cucumbers, dill is essential, whereas nutmeg goes well with pickled beets.