How to Make Mustard Pickles

A deliciously sweet and tangy mustard pickles recipe is perfect for the end of summer and fall seasons. This cross-over between a fermented pickle and a mustard pickle takes some work but is straightforward and completely worth the effort.

I have never said no to a pickle. I earn that honestly from my Grandma Conrad. She loved pickles and always made a “pickle plate” for any event. Her plates of pickles were not just a dill or bread and butter. No, they included sweet, lime, cinnamon, and other various pickled vegetables. Her attention to detail always impressed me. If I would swing by during cucumber season, her house always smelled of a sweet and tangy brine. Upon walking in, she immediately asked me to taste a few different pickles and give my thoughts. Sometimes, the only change was a teaspoon or two of salt. To her, that could make all the difference in the balance of a good pickle. She was right.

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There are two types of pickles

Let’s go over the two types of pickles and what defines each one:

• Canned pickles are often made with slices or spears of raw cucumber packed into canning jars with a hot vinegar brine poured over the top. Sealing lids and rings are added, followed by a variable amount of cooking time in a hot water bath. After a few weeks, they’re ready to eat and are shelf-stable for at least one year.
• Fermented pickles are an earlier form of preserving. The cucumbers are cleaned, often soaked in salt water for 24 hours, and then placed in a crock or fermentation vessel. It’s important to note that no vinegar is used in fermentation. A brine of water, salt, spices, and sugar (at times) is poured on top of the cucumbers. Over the coming days, the cucumbers ferment with the brine and create flavor. The brine needs to completely cover the cucumbers to prevent spoilage. After a certain amount of days, when the pickles gain the desired flavor, they’re jarred up and kept in the refrigerator in a stable state for at least one year.

What type of pickle are mustard pickles?

These mustard pickles are a hybrid pickle, acting as a combination of both canned pickles and fermented pickles. Classic pickling spices flavor the brine with an added boost of mustard powder. Now, it’s not a strong or astringent mustard flavor. Nope, just the right amount of balance, which Grandma tested and perfected over her years of experimentation.

The unique part of this recipe is the sugar added daily for eight days, making these an eight-day pickle. The sugar sweetens these, but not to the point that you would assume. Instead of becoming a sweet pickle, much of the sugar is “eaten” in the fermentation process by good bacteria in the brine.

The result is a perfectly balanced pickle with an amazing sweet and tangy flavor.

Everything you’ll need to make this mustard pickles recipe.

• Cucumbers
• Ground mustard is made from mustard seeds ground into a fine powder. While it may sound similar, you do not want to use dry mustard in this recipe. Dry mustard powder is ground mustard that has been further formulated, sometimes with flour or other additives. Search for ground mustard when preparing these mustard pickles. I prefer McCormick Ground Mustard (affiliate link) and avoid Colman’s Mustard Powder.
• Pickling spice
• Sugar
• Vinegar
• Canning salt

What size works of cucumber works best for this recipe?

The size of the cucumber is very important in this recipe. A cucumber that is too small will not hold up to the eight-day fermentation process, and one that is too large will be too seedy. You want to select cucumbers that are 1 to 3 inches in length, as they will provide the best end result.

Here’s how to make this mustard pickle recipe.

1. Soak the pickles. In a large crock, place the cleaned cucumbers in the bottom. In a separate container, stir together the 1 gallon of water and canning salt until the salt has dissolved. Pour over the cucumbers, covering them fully. Let sit for 24 hours, then remove the cucumbers and rinse them.

2. Prepare the brine. In a large bowl, add the vinegar, mustard powder, sugar, kosher salt, and pickling spice. Whisk until combined.

3. Add the brine to the pickles. Add the pickles back to the crock, layering them tightly. Pour the brine overtop. Place weights or a plate overtop to submerge the cucumbers in the brine.

4. Add sugar. Each day for eight days, remove the pickles from the crock using a spider. Place in a large bowl. Add ½ cup of additional sugar to the brine and whisk together until dissolved. Add the pickles back in and add the weights. After 8 days, let the pickles sit for an additional week.

5. Jar the pickles. Add the pickles to a jar. Strain the brine into the jar, fully covering the pickles. Seal the lid so it is airtight and place in the refrigerator to store.

These pro tips will make this recipe a success.

• Choose cucumbers that are the correct size. They should be bite-sized and easy to fit in a quart jar. Ones that are 1 to 3 inches in length are ideal. See the chart earlier for sizing.
• Weigh down the pickles with a plate. This is essential for the fermentation process. It pushes the pickles below the brine, allowing them to fully soak. If a pickle doesn’t stay below this, it can spoil quickly.
• Wipe down the inside of the crock after the pickles have sat in the salt water and before adding the brine. Foam can occasionally form, and this removes the excess.
• Once the mustard pickles are ready to be placed in jars for long-term storage, shaking/agitating the jar while adding the pickles will help them settle, pushing them together more tightly. This allows the brine to cover them fully.

You’ll love these other preserving recipes.

• How to can pickled beets
• How to can green beans
• How to can bread and butter pickles
• How to can hot pepper mustard
• How to can spicy dill pickles
• Bread and butter quick pickles
• Canned grape juice concentrate
• How to can tomato juice

Watch how to make these mustard pickles.