What the Instant Pot can and cannot do for pickles
An Instant Pot is a handy way to heat a pickling brine without heating up the whole kitchen. You put the vinegar, water, salt, and spices in the pot, run a short pressure-cook cycle, let the brine cool, and pour it over cucumbers in jars. The result is a refrigerator pickle: ready in a day or so, stored in the fridge, and not shelf-stable.
What it does not do, as far as tested guidance goes, is replace a canner. More on that next.
Can you can pickles in an Instant Pot?
We suggest not. Home canning safety relies on tested processes for a specific kind of equipment. Instant Pot’s own guidance has said its multicookers are not intended for pressure canning, and a multicooker that does not hold a full canner of water and jars is not a boiling-water canner either. We are not aware of NCHFP or USDA testing that supports processing jars of pickles in a standard Instant Pot. High-acid foods like pickles are processed in a boiling-water canner (or, where its manufacturer and a tested recipe allow it, a steam canner), not a pressure canner.
If you want shelf-stable pickles, follow a tested recipe, such as the ones in our guide to easy pickle recipes for canning. If you want an easy pickle, use the Instant Pot for the brine and keep the jars in the fridge.
Ingredients
For about 2 pint jars of dill pickles:
- 1 pound small pickling cucumbers, cut into spears, chips, or rounds
- 1 cup white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon canning or pickling salt (or about 2 tablespoons kosher salt, which is less dense)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dill seed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- Optional: black peppercorns, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a bay leaf
You can scale up as long as the cucumbers stay covered with brine.
Method
- Prep the cucumbers. Wash them, trim the blossom end, and cut them to fit your jars. For crunch, soak them in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes and drain.
- Heat the brine. Add the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and any whole spices to the Instant Pot. You can use the sauté function to bring it to a simmer and stir until the salt dissolves. Some recipes use a one-minute pressure cook instead; follow your model’s manual if you do. Quick-release or natural-release steps vary by recipe.
- Cool the brine. Remove the inner pot and let the liquid cool. Pouring hot brine over cucumbers can soften them.
- Pack the jars. Put garlic, dill, and mustard seed in clean jars and pack in the cucumbers.
- Pour and chill. Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers so they are covered. Cap the jars and refrigerate.
- Wait. They are ready in about 24 hours and better after 3 to 5 days.
Is it worth using the Instant Pot?
Honestly, a small saucepan does the same job. The Instant Pot version is mainly about convenience and keeping heat out of the kitchen in summer. The step that helps crunch is cooling the brine and keeping the cucumbers cold, not the pressure cycle.
What is a dirty dill pickle?
A “dirty” dill pickle is generally a dill pickle with plenty of garlic and extra seasonings such as pepper flakes or other spices, which cloud the brine. To make one, add more garlic cloves and a pinch of pepper flakes to the jar. For a spicy variation, see jalapeno garlic dill pickles.
How long do dill pickles last in the refrigerator?
Published times vary, from a few weeks up to a few months. For best texture and safety margin, we suggest eating refrigerator pickles within about a month or two. Keep them in the brine and use a clean utensil. Discard them if you see mold, notice an off smell, or the brine turns slimy.
Steam canning pickles
Some readers ask how long to steam can pickles. Steam canning is safe only with recipes that have been tested for it (NCHFP or USDA), used with the canner manufacturer’s instructions. A steam canner is a different appliance than an Instant Pot, and an Instant Pot is not a canner of any kind. Processing time depends on the recipe, jar size, and your altitude, so use the time given by a tested source rather than a general number. Do not apply that time to an Instant Pot.
FAQ
What is the 3-2-1 rule for pickles? A popular shorthand for a sweet refrigerator brine of 3 parts vinegar, 2 parts sugar, and 1 part water. It is not a tested canning formula and not what we use for dill pickles.
Can I pickle other vegetables this way? Yes, for refrigerator pickles: peppers, carrots, onions, and green beans are popular. For other ideas, see easy refrigerator pickled okra and pickled cauliflower, carrots and celery. For a larger batch in a bucket, see ice cream pail pickles.
Does the pressure step make the pickles safer? For refrigerator pickles, the pressure step mainly heats the brine. Safety comes from refrigeration, the vinegar, and clean handling.