How Do I Make A Unique Pickling Brine With Herbs?

“I’ve been making pickles for a few years now and mostly stick to the same basic dill + vinegar brine. But this year, I have extra herbs growing—like rosemary, thyme, and basil—and I’d love to experiment with incorporating them. The problem is, I’m not sure how to properly adjust the brine to include these flavors without ruining the pickles. Also, will they add flavor to the actual pickle or just sit there doing nothing? What’s the right balance? Help, I don’t want to waste this veggie bounty I worked so hard on!” Thanks, Sharon, Portland, USA.

How Do I Make A Unique Pickling Brine With Herbs?

If you’ve been sticking to the same ol’ dill and vinegar brine year after year, like Sharon, trying something new can feel a little nerve-wracking but also super exciting! There’s so much you can do with fresh herbs, especially those ones you’ve got overflowing in your garden. Rosemary, thyme, and basil are lovely additions, and they can fully transform your pickles into something flavorful and truly unique.

Let’s look at the process of creating a custom pickling brine using herbs, how to balance flavors, and how to ensure those herbs don’t just end up floating around in your jar looking pretty but without impact.

Understanding What Makes a Good Pickling Brine

The backbone of any pickle recipe is the brine. But what exactly is a brine? Simply put, it’s a solution of water, vinegar, salt, and sometimes sugar, depending on the type of pickle you’re after. Balancing these components is key for flavor but also for safety if you’re looking to preserve the pickles long-term through canning.

• Vinegar: This is the acid that prevents bad bacteria growth. You usually want to use something with 5% acidity like white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Water: Cuts down the acidity of the vinegar to help make the pickle more palatable.
• Salt: Crucial for both flavor and helping create the right environment for preserving the veggies.
• Herbs and spices: This is where we can get creative! Fresh or dried herbs add aroma, flavor, and *interest* to your brine.

If you’ve got your basic brine recipe down well, tweaking it to incorporate new flavors like those wonderful herbs from your garden won’t be hard at all.

Not All Herbs Are Created Equal

As Sharon’s mentioning, working with rosemary, thyme, and basil is a great way to shake up the same-old dill routine, but these herbs all have different strengths. It’s important to remember that some herbs pack a powerful punch and can quickly overpower the delicate flavor of vegetables, while others might be a bit more subtle and need a little extra push to shine through.

Here’s a quick rundown of the herbs and how they might behave in a brine:

• Rosemary: Very fragrant and piney. A little goes a long way! Try just adding one sprig per jar. It pairs really well with stronger veggies like carrots or beets, but can overwhelm something like cucumbers.
• Thyme: More earthy and subtle. You can use 2-3 sprigs of thyme without fear, as it enhances flavor without overpowering. Try it with green beans, cauliflower, or cucumbers.
• Basil: Sweet and peppery. Basil doesn’t hold up well in long-term canning as the leaves can get limp, but if you’re making fridge pickles, it’s perfect for a brighter taste. Add a couple of leaves per jar for a fresh twist!

Really, you can use almost any herb work in your brine! Think dill, tarragon, oregano, cilantro—whatever you’re growing in abundance can fit perfectly.

What Herbs Complement Which Veggies?

Now, assuming you’re using a wide variety of veggies in your pickling endeavors—like cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, beans, cauliflower, beets—it’s important to match the herbs and veggies thoughtfully. Here’s a little cheat sheet:

As Sharon’s brimming with rosemary, thyme, and basil, it’s good to remember you should experiment to find your flavor preferences. That’s half the fun!

Adjusting Salt and Vinegar When Using Herbs

When adding herbs, you don’t need to worry about adjusting your core salt or vinegar ratio too much—especially if you’re adding them in small amounts (1-2 sprigs or a few leaves per jar). The brine won’t be thrown off balance by herbs, but if you’re packing the jar full with bunches of fresh herbs, you might want to dial back on salt just a tiny bit to account for the additional flavor.

A good starting point for a brine is:

• 2 cups vinegar to 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Herbs: 1-2 sprigs of your chosen herb or a handful of leaves

Then, tweak it to your preference. The herbs themselves typically don’t alter the safety of your brine, just the taste.

Getting the Most Flavor from Herbs in Your Brine

Sharon’s concern about whether the herbs will actually flavor the pickle or just sit there is a common one. It all depends on how fresh the herbs are, how long you plan to pickle, and even what method you’re using!

Here are some tricks to ensure the herbs infuse the pickle properly:

• Chop or bruise the herbs: For sturdier herbs like rosemary or thyme, give them a little crush before adding them to the jar. This releases the oils and helps the flavors seep into the brine faster. For softer herbs like basil, just tear the leaves a bit.
• Use fresh herbs for fridge pickles: Fresh herbs hold up well in quick pickling (fridge pickles). They’ll add bright, aromatic freshness to your brine. Store-pickled items will still absorb the flavors but may become more muted over time.
• Dried herbs work too: If you’ve harvested and dried some herbs, don’t worry! You can use them in pickling too. Just reduce the quantity a bit, as dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor—about 1 teaspoon of dried per sprig of fresh should do it.

Should Herbs Be Used For Long-Term Storage Pickles?

Now, if you’re planning to store your pickles long-term through the water bath canning method, keep in mind that fresh herbs might lose some of their potency over time. Rosemary and thyme do hold up well under heat, though basil could turn limp and dark as Sharon’s planning to use.

If going for a long-term canning approach, consider using whole sprigs and more robust herbs like rosemary (which stays piney), and layering the herbs behind stronger veggies like those beets and carrots.

How to Experiment with Flavor Combinations

Don’t be afraid to try something a little wild! I’m all for taste-testing different combinations to find out what works best. Start with small batches though, so you don’t end up using up your entire haul on one experiment!

Try these examples:

• Lemon thyme and garlic pickled green beans — a bit bright and zippy! Perfect for snacking with cheese.
• Rosemary and chili flake pickled carrots — a savory and slightly spicy twist; lovely for a snack plate.
• Basil and peppercorn pickle cucumbers — slightly peppery and fresh tasting, great with grilled meats!

Start with about 2-4 jars of each combo and see how the flavor develops. My trick to keeping it fun is to record what I’ve used and taste as I go along, adjusting accordingly for my next batch.

Common Troubleshooting in Herb-Infused Brines

Sometimes things don’t go perfectly, and that’s totally okay! Here are a few issues that can pop up:

• Overwhelming herb flavor: If the herb taste is too strong, try cutting back the quantity in future batches, or pair the herb with a veggie that has a more robust flavor to balance it out.
• Herbs turning brown or slimy: This is common with basil in long-term storage. If this happens, just remove the herb from the brine a couple of weeks in—don’t worry, the flavors will have already infused.
• The pickles aren’t absorbing the herb flavor: Bruise or chop the fresh herbs a bit before adding to release more oils, or try warming the brine before pouring it over the pickles.

Final Thoughts…

Sharon, you’ve already got a great foundation in pickling, and adding herbs is just that next wonderful step to taking your pickling game to new heights! It’s all about balance, not being afraid to try new combos, and—most importantly—celebrating the amazing produce and herbs you’ve nurtured in your garden.

Thanks again for the question—and don’t forget to send me a jar when you’re ready!