Pickled Pattypan Recipe
Our pickled pattypan squash is a must-try! With a simple brine and a wholesome mix of aromatic herbs and spices, this canning recipe transforms the often-overlooked vegetable into a tangy yet sweet pickled delight, perfect for salads, sides, and sandwiches.
Ingredients
The amount of brine aromatics you'll need depends on how many 32 oz. (1-litre) Mason jars you're using, not on the weight of the pattypans. Below, we provide the ingredients for filling one 32 oz. Mason jar. To get the amount of brine and aromatics needed for your specific canning project, multiply these amounts by the number of jars you plan to fill with pattypans.
- 1 ½ pounds small, young pattypans (650 g) or more as needed to fill one 32 oz. (1-litre) jar
- 32 oz water (1 liter)
- 1 ½ tbsp. pickling salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. 7% pickling vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup young dill
- ¼ cup curly or Italian parsley
- 8 whole black peppercorns
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables and Herbs:
- Thoroughly wash the pattypans. Use a vegetable brush if needed.
- Trim the ends of the pattypans and remove any blemishes. Better yet, discard any pattypans with blemishes.
- Depending on the size of pattypans you plan to can and your preference, you can keep pattypans whole or cut them in halves or quarters.
- Wash the dill and parsley, remove the tough stems, and roughly chop them. Set chopped herbs aside.
- Peel the garlic cloves and slice or quarter them.
Fill the Jars:
- Clean and sterilize the jars before starting.
- Divide the sliced garlic, black pepper, chopped dill, and parsley equally among the jars. Use less for smaller jars.
- Place the garlic, pepper, dill, and parsley at the bottom of each jar.
- Pack the pattypans tightly into the jars to minimize space.
Prepare the Pickling Brine:
- Measure 1 litre (32 oz.) of cold, clean water for each 1-litre jar filled with pattypans. Pour the measured-out water into a pot used for making a pickling marinade.
- Measure out the salt, sugar, and vinegar based on the proportions described in the recipe for one 32 oz. (1 liter) jar. To get the required amount of these ingredients, multiply the amounts specified for a single jar by the number of 32 oz jars you plan to use.
- Add the measured salt and sugar to the pot with water.
- Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Do not boil for less than 5 minutes. Just before turning off the heat, add the pickling vinegar and immediately turn off the heat. This is your pickling brine.
Final Steps:
- Carefully pour the brine into the jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Cover with the lids and tighten the lid bands.
- Process the jars in a hot water bath or atmospheric steam canner. For best results we recommend pasteurizing this preserve for 30 minutes.
Notes
Processing time guidelines for hot water bath or atmospheric steam canners
Style of Pack: Raw (in Hot Brine)| Process Time at Elevations of: | |||
| Jar Size | 0 - 1,000 ft | 1,001 – 6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
| Pints (16 oz) | 10 min | 15 min | 20 min |
| Quarts (32 oz) | 15 min | 20 min | 25 min |