Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (2024)

Published: / Modified: by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / Leave a Comment

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If you’re wondering about preserving kohlrabi, you have to try this pickled kohlrabi recipe! It’s crunchy and zesty with tons of flavor in each spear. Plus, it keeps for a while in the refrigerator so you can enjoy kohlrabi for weeks.

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (1)

Pickling vegetables is one of my favorite methods of preserving them for later use, especially if I have too much of something on hand and want to avoid food waste. Some of my favorites include my Quick Pickled Red Onions and Pickled Celery, but this new pickled kohlrabi is already climbing the ranks!

It turns out that kohlrabi has the perfect texture for pickling. It’s refreshingly crisp and becomes even more so after soaking in a quick vinegar brine. Plus, you can cut kohlrabi into spears — the ideal pickle shape!

So if you find yourself with a lot of kohlrabi in your CSA share box or if you just picked it up at the farmers market for the first time, this recipe is for you. Enjoy it as a snack or use it in recipes like salads and slaws. Whatever you do, remember to report back and let me know! For another way to try kohlrabi, see the Sautéed Kohlrabi.

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  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Instructions
  • Storage
  • Serving
  • More Kohlrabi Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments
Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (2)

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Kohlrabi: You can use purple or green. If you have a lot of bulbs, double or triple the recipe. Just remember that you’ll need more or bigger jars!
  • Vinegar: I used white wine vinegar, but you can substitute red wine or apple cider vinegar.
  • Water: Use equal parts water and vinegar for the brine.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar works best in pickled vegetable recipes IMO, but you can sub other types of sugar.
  • Salt: Table, kosher, or sea salts all work.
  • Dried dill: Substitute fresh (1 to 2 teaspoons instead of ½ teaspoon dried) if that’s what you have.
  • Whole peppercorns: Omit these if you don’t want a little spice. Whole peppercorns are preferred, since they infuse the brine with flavor, but you can use a few shakes of ground black pepper if that’s what you have.
Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (3)

Variations

Pickled kohlrabi is so easy to customize! Keep the main brine ingredients the same (vinegar, water, salt, and sugar), but feel free to play around with the other seasonings you add. You can add mustard, celery, or fennel seeds, red pepper flakes (for some heat), garlic, or fresh herbs.

Instructions

The full recipe card with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (4)

Peel and cut the kohlrabi into thick matchsticks/spears. See How to Peel Kohlrabi for tips. If you don’t want spears, you can also pickle kohlrabi in cubes or thin, slaw-like pieces.

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (5)

Combine the brine ingredients, except the dill, in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the salt and sugar dissolve.

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (6)

Stuff the spears into a wide mouth glass jar, at least 16 ounces. I like to use these Ball mason jars. If you only have smaller jars, you can divide the ingredients into 2 of them.

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (7)

Stir the dill into the prepared brine, then pour it over the kohlrabi spears. Seal the jar and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to cool. Then, transfer the jar to the refrigerator.

Storage

Pickled kohlrabi lasts for at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator (and likely longer, if you don’t eat it all first). Remember that this recipe is not intended for making canned kohlrabi that’s shelf-stable. It is a quick/refrigerator pickle recipe.

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (8)

Serving

If you’re wondering what pickled kohlrabi tastes like, it’s similar in texture to broccoli stems and tastes like a cross between broccoli and pickled cabbage. The dill provides a hint of that signature pickle taste too. I like to eat pickled kohlrabi straight from the jar, but you can also cut it up into thin matchsticks for a kohlrabi slaw or use it in salads (even egg or chicken salad!) and on charcuterie boards.

More Kohlrabi Recipes

  • Sautéed Kohlrabi (with the greens)
  • Lemon Dill Kohlrabi Fritters
  • How to Peel Kohlrabi (with Video)
  • Whole Roasted Kohlrabi with Pomegranate Reduction

See more Kohlrabi →

I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

📖 Recipe

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (13)

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi

Refrigerator pickled kohlrabi is a delicious way to preserve this unique vegetable! Vinegar, dill, and peppercorns contribute a ton of flavor to every spear.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Resting Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Servings: 8 ¼-cup servings

Calories: 25kcal

Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Equipment

  • Wide mouth glass jars (at least 16 ounces)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound kohlrabi - about 1 medium bulb
  • ½ cup white wine vinegar - can sub red wine or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill - can sub 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh

Instructions

  • Peel and slice the kohlrabi into spears/thick matchsticks. See How to Peel Kohlrabi for more tips.

  • In a saucepan, combine the white wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat.

  • Stuff the kohlrabi spears into a wide mouth glass jar, at least 16 ounces. If you only have smaller jars, divide the kohlrabi across 2 or 3 of them.

  • Mix the dill into the brine. Pour the brine over the kohlrabi spears. You may have a little extra brine.

  • Seal the jar(s). Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to cool before transferring to the fridge.

  • You can enjoy the kohlrabi right away after 30 minutes or let it chill in the fridge overnight before eating.

  • Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!

Notes

  • Keep the sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Pickled kohlrabi can often last longer than 2 weeks, but inspect it for any signs of mold or soiling before eating. Keep in mind that this is not a canning recipe and is not intended to make shelf-stable kohlrabi, so you have the store the jar in the refrigerator.
  • Enjoy the spears on their own as a snack, sliced into thin matchsticks for a slaw, or added to charcuterie boards.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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  • Quick Pickled Red Onions (No Cook)
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Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Quick Pickled Kohlrabi Recipe? ›

Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.

How do chefs quickly pickle vegetables? ›

Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.

What is the difference between pickling and quick pickling? ›

Traditional pickle making includes canning, which uses high temperatures to sterilize and create an airtight seal that further preserves the contents from spoilage. Quick pickling uses the same basic ingredients as traditional pickling but you skip the canning process and store them in your refrigerator.

What is the best way to eat kohlrabi? ›

It may not look like the most delectable or visually stunning vegetable, but kohlrabi is nutrient-dense, subtly tasty, and worth adding to stews, curries, soups, pickles, and salads. Oh, and you can even eat it on its own — take a smaller springtime kohlrabi, peel back the leaves, and just bite it like an apple.

Do I need to peel kohlrabi? ›

Whether you're cooking kohlrabi or serving it raw, you will need to completely peel and discard the thick, tough outer layer (you may need a sharp knife for this; the skin is quite tough and indigestible).

What is the quick pickle method? ›

The technique—a version of vinegar pickling that doesn't require a full canning process—produces briny, crunchy pickled vegetables in just a couple hours. Heat the brine until sugar and salt dissolve, then pour it over the vegetables and let them cool in the jar—voila, pickles.

Can you speed up the pickling process? ›

Time: Quick pickles are ready to eat when you think they're ready to eat. Some may take longer based on their size and density. Others might just need a few hours. You can even speed up the process by using a brine made entirely of vinegar.

Which vinegar is best for quick pickling? ›

You want to choose a milder rice or white wine vinegar when pickling pears or pineapple but could use something bolder such as red wine vinegar to pickle onions or cauliflower. One quick thing to caveat is that if you use red wine or sherry vinegar, it can give a soft pink hue to your pickles.

What is the 321 method of pickling? ›

An easy pickling recipe to follow is the 3-2-1 method; three parts water, two parts vinegar, and one part sugar. This 3-2-1 pickle brine is on the sweeter side, making it great for bread and butter pickles or spicy pickled beets. For a more savory pickle, use less sugar.

What is the ratio of sugar to vinegar for pickles? ›

For our base Epi pickle brine, we wanted a solution that could be used with virtually any vegetable to create a simple but satisfying snack. This liquid uses a ratio that's easy to remember: Add equal parts water and vinegar, one-quarter part sugar by volume, and one-sixteenth part kosher salt.

How do Germans eat kohlrabi? ›

Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw kohlrabi is delicious and refreshing shredded with a vinaigrette dressing or added to a salad.

Can you eat too much kohlrabi? ›

Kohlrabi is a healthy ingredient, and it's low in calories. Eating too much of any cruciferous vegetable can cause gas that can make you uncomfortable. Moderate your portion sizes to help ensure that you are able to enjoy the benefits of kohlrabi without negative digestive effects.

Is kohlrabi a laxative? ›

Like other cruciferous vegetables, the rich dietary fibre in kohlrabi improves digestive health and helps move your bowels. As a result, it reduces constipation, cramping and bloating. With nearly 5 grams of fibre in every cup, kohlrabi supports your gastrointestinal health while maximising nutrient uptake efficiency.

Should I refrigerate kohlrabi? ›

Kohlrabi can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. Storage life can be extended if kohlrabi is placed in sealed perforated plastic bags. To prevent cross-contamination, keep kohlrabi away from raw meat and meat juices. Wash hands before and after handling fresh produce.

How do you know when kohlrabi is done? ›

Fast growth without heat or moisture stress results in a good crop. Harvest kohlrabi when the bulb is two to three inches in width.

How do you pickle vegetables in vintage story? ›

Pickling vegetables requires a barrel, a bucket, salt, water, and the vegetables to preserve. Water and salt are mixed in the barrel to make brine before adding the vegetables. Otherwise, the process of pickling is very similar to salt curing.

How long does it take to pickle vegetables? ›

Mix the pickling liquid and fill each jar to the top. Screw the lid on tight and let your veggies pickle in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. But, the longer you let them marinate the better. You can store these quick pickled veggies in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Are quick pickled vegetables healthy? ›

While quick pickles do have some of the blood sugar and healthy gut benefits of regular pickles, they don't undergo the full fermentation process to form lactic acid, and so they have fewer of the probiotics.

References

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