Enjoy mouthwatering low FODMAP pickles in as few as 40 minutes (ideally 24 hours) with this quick recipe! These garlic-free and onion-free refrigerator pickles are so easy to throw together (no cooking required!) when you are in a pickle...for pickles! Pickles make a healthy low FODMAP snack or add delicious bites of acidity to burgers (or my Low FODMAP Burger Bowls), sliders, pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, and more. In addition to being low FODMAP, these pickled cucumbers are Paleo, Whole30, Keto, low carb, and refined sugar-free and are vegetarian and vegan friendly.
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Are store-bought pickles low FODMAP?
As of the date of this posting, Monash University has not tested store-bought pickled cucumbers for FODMAPs. However, we can look at the ingredient labels of store-bought brands to determine if they're low FODMAP. If the ingredient label lists any high FODMAP ingredients like garlic or onion (many of them do), then the pickles are not low FODMAP. I have done some searching for Low FODMAP pickle brands but have not come across a brand that I'm 100% confident is low FODMAP.
Even if a particular brand of pickles is low FODMAP, some brands also contain refined sugar and other harmful additives, which can be unhealthy. My homemade version of pickles are low FODMAP as well as refined sugar-free, making them a healthier alternative with just 10 minutes of prep and as little as 30 minutes of refrigeration time.
Does this pickle recipe really only take 40 minutes?!?
Inspired by quick pickling of vegetables on the show Chopped, I wanted to develop a recipe that you can just quickly together and have pickles at the ready. If they can do it on Chopped, why can't I, I thought? Turns out, I can, and you can, too.
While these pickles taste good and will work as a condiment after only 30 minutes of refrigeration time, they taste the best after being in the refrigerator for 24 hours, especially if eating them as a snack. So, if you can make them a day in advance of needing them, that is ideal. I make them with just 30 minutes of refrigeration time often and they taste great in my Low FODMAP Burger Bowls.
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I use to make these low FODMAP pickles includes:
- Pint sized glass jar with lid
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Chopping board and knife
- Spoon (if needed, to push the cucumbers down in the brine)
That's it! So easy!
Ingredients
The ingredients I use in this low FODMAP pickle recipe include:
- Dried chives
- Kosher salt
- Whole black peppercorns
- Yellow mustard seeds (optional) - I like the flavor that these bring, but if you can't find them or don't care to buy them for one recipe, you can leave them out.
- Red pepper flakes (optional) - lessen or omit if you have problems with or dislike spicy food. These only bring a little bit of zip and don't make them particularly spicy.
- Distilled white vinegar (minimum 5% acidity)
- Water
- Sprigs of fresh dill - I've tested this with dill seed and dried dill, and while you could use these, whole sprigs of dill are easier and are way less messy on the pickles.
- Mini cucumbers, or your desired low FODMAP vegetable. I've only tested this with cucumbers, but other low FODMAP veggies could also work.
Instructions
As mentioned above, this homemade pickles recipe tastes best when allowed to refrigerate for 24 hours but will produce a decent condiment pickle after only 30 minutes. So, a minimum of 40 minutes but ideally 24 hours prior to using:
Add spices to a pint-sized mason jar.
Pour in water and vinegar.
Secure lid.
Shake jar until salt is mostly dissolved.
Remove lid. Lay dill springs vertically along the sides of the jar.
Wash cucumbers. Slice into your desired shape.
Add cucumbers to the jar.
If needed, push cucumbers down with a spoon until they are fully coated in brine.
Secure lid and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes but ideally for 24 hours before serving.
Serve
Serve as a snack or a condiment for hot dogs, sliders, pulled pork sandwiches, and burgers, like my Juicy Low FODMAP Turkey Burgers or my Low FODMAP Burger Bowls. Subscribe to be notified when this recipe hits the blog!
Store
Store these Low FODMAP Pickles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks, discarding them promptly when they become soft or smelly. As these are refrigerator pickles that are not canned, they will not last as long as canned or store-bought pickles. That's why I just make a small batch at a time so that no pickles go to waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. This recipe is for refrigerator pickles and is not intended for long-term storage.
I have only tested this recipe with mini cucumbers but believe it could work for other types of low FODMAP vegetables.
I have purposely set the serving size fairly small to 2 tablespoons or 28 grams, but one could potentially have a larger quantity for a low FODMAP serving. There is no easy answer to this as pickled cucumbers have not yet been tested in a lab for FODMAPs. Some varieties of cucumber have been tested by Monash University, have been found to contain the FODMAP fructose and have a low FODMAP serving size of ½ cup or 75 grams; however, its impossible to determine the impact of the brining process on the quantity of FODMAPs without lab testing. Here is a great article by a registered dietitian on how to test your FODMAP tolerance for untested foods.
Quick Low FODMAP Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, optional*
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional*
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, minimum 5% acidity
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon water
- 4 sprigs fresh dill
- ½ pound mini cucumbers, or your desired low FODMAP vegetable
Instructions
- A minimum of 40 minutes but ideally 24 hours prior to eating: add spices - dried chives, salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes - to a pint-sized jar. Pour in vinegar and water, secure lid, and shake vigorously until salt is mostly dissolved.
- Remove lid. Lay dill sprigs vertically along the sides of the jar (see post above for photo).
- Wash cucumbers well and slice into your desired shape. Add to the jar, pushing them down with a spoon if needed until they are fully covered in liquid.
- Secure lid and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes but ideally 24 hours before using. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks, discarding promptly when becoming soft.
- Serve as a snack or as a topping for hot dogs, sliders, pulled pork sandwiches, and burgers, like my Juicy Low FODMAP Turkey Burgers or Low FODMAP Burger Bowls.
Notes
- Refrigerator pickles vs. canned pickles: this recipe is for low FODMAP refrigerator pickles only and is not suitable for canning.
- Yellow mustard seeds: I enjoy the flavor these bring to the pickles but they are still tasty without them if you can’t find them or don’t want to buy them just for one recipe.
- Red pepper flakes: omit if you have problems with spicy food.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours for the most ideal flavor and texture; however, 30 minutes of refrigeration time still delivers a decent pickle!
- Make about 1 cup of pickles or eight, 2-tablespoon (or 28 gram) servings. See the "Frequently Asked Questions" section above for information regarding the maximum quantity for a low FODMAP serving.
- Inspired by Fun Without FODMAPs
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