Quick Broccoli Stem Pickles (Sweet & Sour Style)

Don’t throw away your broccoli stems! With this simple recipe, you can turn them into delicious broccoli stem pickles that are crunchy, tangy, and packed with flavor. These pickled broccoli stems are quick to prepare, perfect for reducing food waste, and a great addition to sandwiches, salads, cheese boards, or grain bowls.

If you’ve never tried broccoli stem pickles before, this recipe is the perfect place to start. Ready in just a day, these pickled broccoli stems deliver big flavor with minimal effort.

Why Pickle Broccoli Stems?

Broccoli stems are often overlooked, but they’re firm, mildly sweet, and ideal for pickling. Once pickled, broccoli stems become crisp, refreshing, and incredibly versatile. Making broccoli stem pickles is also a smart way to use the whole vegetable and embrace a zero-waste kitchen mindset.

Ingredients for Broccoli Stem Pickles

Broccoli stems – approx. 300 g (peeled, cut into sticks or coins)
Garlic – 1 clove, sliced (optional)
Chilli – ½ small chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Vinegar – 120 ml (white, apple cider, or rice vinegar)
Water – 120 ml
Sugar – 1–2 tbsp (adjust to taste)
Salt – ½–1 tsp
Optional aromatics: mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf

How to Make Pickled Broccoli Stems

1. Prepare the Broccoli Stems

Peel the broccoli stems if the outer layer is tough. Remove any woody parts and slice into sticks or ½–1 cm thick coins to ensure even pickling.

Sliced broccoli stems ready for pickling

2. Add spices and aromatics

Place the broccoli stems in a bowl or directly into the jar. Add peppercorns, garlic, chilli, or other aromatics if using.

Seasoning broccoli stems with spices for pickled broccoli stems

3. Make the Pickling Brine

In a small saucepan, combine water and vinegar.

Measuring water for pickling brine for broccoli stem pickles

Add salt and sugar and heat gently until fully dissolved. Do not boil.

Adding salt to the pickling brine for pickled broccoli stems

Measuring sugar for sweet and sour broccoli stem pickles

Once dissolved, remove from heat.

3. Pack the Jar

Place the broccoli stems into a clean 500 ml jar. Add sliced garlic, chilli, and aromatics if using.

4. Pour the Brine

Pour the warm (not hot) brine over the broccoli stems until fully submerged. Leave about 1–2 cm of headspace at the top of the jar.

Pouring brine over pickled broccoli stems

5. Seal and Store

Close the jar and allow it to cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to the refrigerator.

Finished broccoli stem pickles in glass jar

Pickling Time & Storage

Quick pickles: Ready after 12–24 hours
Best flavor: After 2–3 days
Storage: Keep refrigerated for up to 2–3 weeks

These pickled broccoli stems stay crisp and flavorful, making them an easy homemade staple.

Tips for Perfect Broccoli Stem Pickles

For extra crunch, soak the sliced stems in ice water for 30 minutes before pickling.
Adjust the sugar-to-vinegar ratio to suit your taste.
Add ginger, red pepper flakes, or coriander seeds for a flavor twist.

Once you’ve made them once, broccoli stem pickles will quickly become a regular in your fridge.

Ferment & Store with Confidence

To get the best results when pickling or fermenting vegetables, using the right jar makes all the difference. The Original Sunny Cap is designed to make fermenting and pickling safer, cleaner, and easier by allowing gases to escape while keeping unwanted air out.

👉 Upgrade your pickling setup and discover the Original Sunny Cap here:
https://www.pearljars.com/collections/fermentation/products/original-sunny-cap-jar

Your homemade pickled broccoli stems deserve the perfect jar!