Attention avocado lovers! If you’re looking to up your avocado game, you need to get these avocado pickles into your meal prep recipe rotation. Packed full of flavor (love that tang!), nourishing fats, and fiber, these 15 minute quick pickles are the perfect way to add a little zest onto your plate.
I have been a big fan of avocados for most of my life and that obsession has definitely been passed on to both of my kids. What’s not to love? They have the creamiest texture, add a beautiful green color to any dish, and are so versatile. You can add them to a salad or bowl for an extra boost of nutrition, mash them up into a delicious guacamole, and even make them into pickles.
I know what you might be thinking – avocado pickles!? How does that even work? But trust me – these are just as easy to make as my apple cider cucumber pickles or my tangy homemade red onion pickles.
The dietitian in me loves that they’re a great way to add more nutrition to your plate (more on that here). And the foodie in me loves that they’re an insanely delicious flavor hack that can take any bland dish and transform it into a delicious meal you won’t forget.
Whether you’re new to quick pickling or are an expert quick pickler, you’ll want to add a mason jar of these into your fridge!
What You Need
Avocados: You’ll want fresh avocado for this recipe sliced approximately a ½ inch thick. The buttery avocado slices will soak up all the flavor from the pickling brine, taking on a zesty tangy flavor.
Vinegar: I like to use white vinegar for this recipe. White vinegar has a higher acidity than other vinegars which equates to more tang. You can experiment with using other vinegars or a combo of different ones.
Warm water: The warm water helps speed up the pickling process. The salt and sugar dissolve faster in warm water and the warm water helps soften the avocado a little bit so the pickling solution can be soaked up.
Salt & sugar: I love how salt can enhance the flavor of veggies. If you’ve ever salted tomatoes or cucumbers, you know what I’m talking about. The salt in this recipe enhances the flavor of the avocado while the sugar helps balance the acidity of the vinegar creating a delicious pickling brine.
How to Make Quick Pickled Avocados (That Aren’t Mushy!)
Pick your avocados wisely. The first time I made avocado pickles, I made the mistake of using overly ripened avocados resulting in… a less desirable pickle (aka mushy). Learn from my mistakes! Making quick pickled avocados is actually similar to making my sweet and tangy mango pickles. You want to use fresh avocados that are not yet fully ripened and are firm to touch. The avocado will soften in the pickling liquid and will reach the desired texture.
Place the avocados, water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a mason jar, with a minimum volume or 2 cups / 500ml.
Screw the lid on and shake gently to combine ingredients and dissolve the salt and sugar.
Allow to cool at room temperature then store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutritional Benefits (Nutrition by Addition)
Avocados are one of those fruits that you can use in just about anything. Their subtle flavor and versatility make them a great ingredient to practice nutrition by addition. This is a dietitian philosophy I am passionate about and something that I teach all my Make Food Feel Good clients about.
It’s the idea of looking at what you can add to your plate instead of diet culture’s outdated practice of telling you what you should cut out. It’s a skill that takes time to master but once you do, you will notice that you feel empowered around food.
It all starts by asking yourself 3 simple questions: What would taste good? What would feel good? And what would be satisfying?
What exactly does nutrition by addition look like with avocado? Well, let’s look at a smoothie as an example. If I add in half an avocado, I know I’ll be adding to the creamy texture of the smoothie. I also know that avocado doesn’t have an overpowering flavor but I love the buttery flavor it adds when paired with fruits like blueberries or strawberries.
Plus avocado is packed full of vitamins and nourishing fats that will keep me feeling energized and satiated long after eating. Let’s get a little nerdy about nutrition and see what else avocado can add to your plate.
Fiber: A medium avocado has approximately 15 grams of fiber. Fiber helps support our gut health, maintains our blood sugar levels, and keeps us feeling full longer after eating.
Vitamins: Avocados are rich in vitamins C, E and K. In fact a medium avocado provides us with nearly 25% of our daily requirement (DV) of vitamin C, 30% of our DV of vitamin E, and 35% of our DV of vitamin K. These vitamins help our body’s function by supporting our immune and blood health. They also have antioxidant properties that may help protect our body’s from free radicals and disease.
Nourishing fats: Diet culture has taught us to fear fats in food but in reality fats play an important role in our diet. Nourishing fats add what us nutrition nerds call the satiety factor to a dish. This is what keeps us feeling not just full but satisfied after eating.
Also, including nourishing fats in your diet can help you increase your body’s absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. That’s right – fats can further unlock the nutrition potential of other foods that are rich in vitamins A, D, E and K!
My Fave Ways to Eat Pickled Avocado
You’ve made a big jar of avocado pickles. Now what? Here are some of my favorite recipes to either add these to or use in place of fresh avocado. If you try any of these or use them in other ways, let me know in the comments below – I love hearing about your creations!
As a snack: Toss a couple avocado spears onto a plate with some nice cheeses, crackers, and meats and enjoy a mini charcuterie plate with a little extra tang.
Salads: Add them to my Famous Kale Caesar Salad or my 10 Minute Prawn Ceviche, Mango and Avocado Salad for a delicious twist on these classic recipes.
Tacos: These are so dang good in tacos. I have quite a few taco recipes on the blog and I think avocado pickles go perfectly with almost all of them. Here are a few of my fave combos:
- Roasted White Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
- 15 Minute Blackened Fish Tacos with Slaw
- Shrimp and Dragon Fruit Street Tacos
If you make these Avocado Pickles, it would make my day if you would leave a comment and/or star rating below— I love hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @lindsaypleskot.rd so I can see your versions! It makes me so happy to see these recipes come to life in your kitchens! Xo
PrintQuick Pickled Fresh Avocados in a Mason Jar
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
Attention avocado lovers! If you’re looking to up your avocado game, you need to get these avocado pickles into your meal prep recipe rotation. Packed full of flavor (love that tang!), nourishing fats, and fiber, these 15 minute quick pickles are the perfect way to add a little zest onto your plate.
Ingredients
1 cup of sliced avocado
¾ cup (175 ml) hot or boiling water
¾ cup (175 ml) white vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Instructions
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Place the avocado, water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a mason jar, with a minimum volume or 2 cups / 500ml. Screw the lid on and shake gently to combine ingredients and dissolve the salt and sugar.
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Allow to cool at room temperature then store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
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