What are Quickles?
Quickles are yet another family recipe made by my sweet Aunt Nancy.
Ok, she doesn’t call them quickles. I made that up… quick + pickles = quickles! She refers to them as Vinegar Cucumbers and Onions. This recipe is so simple and easy to make, low in calories, and super addictive. She claims these as her “summer snacking staple.”
I remember walking into my Aunt’s house as a child and going straight to her pantry. She always carried the BEST snacks and treats. She almost always had a bag of peanut M&M’s stashed way up high and would give my sister, brother and I a few if we were good.
But one of my favorite snacks was waiting patiently inside of her fridge. On the top shelf was a clear tupperware with a white snap on lid. The light from the fridge would shine through the clear dish full of sliced cucumbers and onions swimming in a golden bath of apple cider vinegar. Little flecks of black pepper would linger throughout the cucumbers and occasionally sink to the bottom.
A quick stir would bring the black pepper specks to life just like a snow globe.
I loved sticking my fingers in the cold vinegar and pulling out slices of cucumbers to munch on. Looking back, that probably wasn’t the most sanitary thing to do (yet my Aunt let me happily eat away).
These cucumbers are a tasty treat. You really have to love vinegar though, because that first bite can be pretty strong. But trust me, you’ll be going back for more and more. It’s like that bag of salt and vinegar chips… so good!
I’ve had so much fun sharing some of my favorite family recipes this week. If you missed the Shrimp Pasta Salad or Monkey Meat, be sure to check those out too!
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Quickles (Quick Pickled Cucumbers and Onions)
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water, or more if desired
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper, a couple turns
Instructions
- Place your cucumbers and onions in a tupperware or large jar and fill with the vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Monkey Meat… it’s not what you think
Anne
My mother made this when I was young but she had peeled and ran a fork deep down the sides to release the gas she said then soaked them in white vinegar ,water, white pepper ,teaspoon sugar a good pinch of table salt and very fine sliced white onion and spring onion. My father loved them mostly with corned silverside .
CHARLES PRIVARA
I slice 3 cucumbers with a mandolin, real thin, then slice 1/2 of a large onion. Sprinkle thw sliced cucumbers with salt, this brings out the water that is in the cucumbers. I add 2 tablespoons of sugar to 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and mix until dissolved. Pout this over the cucumbers and onion. refrigerate until cold.
Eleanor
I have been making Cuke salad for.Years and my.mom before me. We never added water and.salt we.stopped. due to.high blood pressure. Make.it often in summer with.fresh cukes from.the garden. Making them.tonigjt.
Crimson Tide
What are your thoughts on canning these? Maybe similar procedure to dill pickles? I don’t think you could ever pressure can these, but maybe a boiling water bath for 20-30 minutes? I have so many cukes this year and I love your recipe. I really want to try this.
Janet
I know it’s been a couple of years, but did you ever try canning pickles using this recipe?
Ella
I just made my first jar. Our family love pickles.
Shawn
Fantastic! So glad you all enjoyed them Ella!
Janie Harris
My mom and grandmother both made these with a couple of changes that may well be just a matter of individual adjustment according to personal taste.
They used 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water, approximately. Really, they did the taste test and adjusted to personal taste. My grandmother used pepper, though not as much. My mom didn’t use pepper and neither do I since I’m not a great lover of pepper. Both added a bit of sugar – again, personal taste taste.
As for me, I still use approx. half and half water and white vinegar (except for a few times when I only had cider vinegar on hand). For years, I added sugar but now I add a 0 or low calorie sweetener because i struggle with weight and blood sugar. The disadvantage of this is that real sugar is a preservative so if you use the substitute, they don’t last as long. Then again, they never last long at my house, anyway. Finally, I avoid the pepper but add dill. I know that dill is not something everyone likes, but I do and it is wonderful in this dish, imo. I eat it plain, as a side dish or snack or with cottage cheese. I’m definitely going to try it with cream cheese, as someone suggested. Also, if you use a metal lid (I use old mayonnaise or Prego spaghetti sauce jars), you can put wax paper over the jar and then screw them on to avoid metal contamination. I don’t use plastic anymore, even if it is supposed to be food grade. There’s too much plastic waste in the world (not intending to insult those who use it, just explaining my point of view. And I find things last longer when stored in glass. My only exception to this rule is my food saver for meat. I wrap in freezer wrap or wax paper and then seal in the plastic bags.
Janie Harris
I had never thought of putting them with cream cheese! Sounds yummy and I’m going to try it!
Gabrielle Falk
I notice that your picture shows you putting the pickles into a glass jar, with a ‘tin’ lid. Wouldn’t the vinegar react with the lid? Also; did you steralise the glass jar? Is it better to put the pickles into a plastic container (Tupperware etc.), or a glass jar – need to steralise. TKU, from Sydney, Australia
Shawn
The lids with these mason jars have a coating on the underside so vinegar does not react to them. You should always use clean jars, but no need to “sterilize” these ones in boiling water as this is just a quick pickling and not a shelf stable recipe. Tupperware would also work just fine for this. 🙂 Enjoy!
Shannon
My grandma made these with lemon cucumbers, red onions and red wine vinegar. I love them and miss them. Now I need to grow some lemon cucumbers!
Shawn
I love memories like that! Thanks for sharing!
Tracy
My boyfriend loved these. My question is have you tried this with other vegetables other than cucumbers. I was thinking of carrots and was wondering if they should be cooked first.
Shawn
I’ve never tried this with carrots, but I’m thinking that would be good! I would use sliced carrots and I don’t think you would need to cook them first.
Mike Smith
I remember my Grandmother and my mother making this now I do .Love it. It is delicious on cream cheese sandwiches. They also made their own cream cheese..
Shawn
Ohhh… cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches are my FAVORITE!! I bet homemade cream cheese would take that over the top! Sounds wonderful.
Ines
Do these pickles ferment for a week before eating or the pickles have to be eaten in a week?
Shawn
These aren’t a fermented pickle, so you’ll want to eat them in that first week.
Resa Moran
Good ole cucumber salad and then canned?
Katie
Are these more like sweet pickles? Or dill? I only love dill! But if they’re more vinegary I might like it. Just as long as they aren’t “sweet pickles” thanks for sharing! 🙂
Terri
My Mom calls these “Indigestion”! I always loved them!
Shawn
Haha! Love it!
Karen
My mom would always soak the cucumbers in salt water all morning before putting the vinegar on them. Took a little of the bite out of the cucumber.
Shawn
I’ll have to try that!
Melissa
These remind me of a marinated cucumber salad that I learned from my grandmother. It’s super good as a side dish with dinner on a hot summer day.
Laine
What are the net carb count for this?
Celia
I would cut the vinegar to a cup and add some fresh dill and a couple cloves of garlic!
Carolyn Dillard
Please text if you have A Sweet Recipe like this one..Thanks..Going to make the Ones you gave here tomorrow..thanks again♀️
Renee
Too much vinegar for our liking. Didn’t enjoy. Won’t make again. Though I see a lot of people like them. To each their own. We found another recipe that works better for us. It was worth a try. You never know until you try. Thanks for posting!
Shawn
You could definitely try adding a tablespoon of sugar to cut down the vinegar taste. 🙂
Cathie
Or dilute a with the little water, maybe 1/4 cup.
Gloria Barr,
Sounds good
KMP
We just made these!! Can’t wait to try them! Hubby loves this recipe! Happy 4th of July Y’All!!!
Chris Jensen
We always called these pioneer pickles, because my pioneer great-grandmother made these and passed down a love for these to her family. Can’t wait for fresh cucumbers. I also use the small cukes found in the grocery store, wash well and slice into the vinegar mix.