I am probably the last person to own a spiralizer in this world, okay at least in the healthy living blogger community. It’s not that I didn’t want it or anything but I was afraid that a spiralizer would end up collecting dust next to the waffle maker, pasta machine, and ice cream maker. Also, I live in a  apartment with very little storage space but recently OXO graciously sent me their spiralizer as a part of their Twist and Shout Spiralizer Campaign. Obviously, I could not turn down the offer (no one in their right mind would do that) and the first thing I made was Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons.

It’s a lovely side dish that is naturally vegan, gluten-free, sweet, salty, tangy and addicting.  PS. Even if you don’t own a spiralizer, you can totally do this in the form of thinly sliced coins. I grew up eating lots and lots of pickled seasonal fruits and vegetables in Nepal. It’s something almost every household does and they share their tastiest pickles with pride.

Pickling is kind of similar to canning but the pickles there have spices and oil as preservatives. Since pickling takes practice and time, I wanted to make something that’s quick and doable for everyone and I am happy to to say Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons is exactly that. It takes literally no time when compared to traditional pickling methods in terms of resources and of course the time. Besides zucchini, you can use other vegetables such as carrots, beets, cucumbers, and daikon radish to make quick pickles.

Can we talk about the spiralizer for a hot second please? This is the first spiralizer I have ever used in my life and I am happy with everything about it. From assembling to cutting and cleaning, everything was extremely simple and straight forward. If I can assemble it and spiral things with no issues, then trust me you can too. The spiralizer comes with three stainless steel blades to create spaghetti cut (1/8th inch), fettuccine cut (1/4th inch), or ribbon cut noodles, which is what I used for Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons. There is a removable blade box  that keeps blades clean, safe and organized when not in use. I don’t know if all spiralizers have a suction cup for stability but it was a sweet little feature to have. It made me feel safer than using a knife!

I have been eating Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons alone standing by the refrigerator, on top of rice + eggs, and just as a side but I could see this being great with sandwiches too. Contrary to popular belief, Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons are not a good source of probiotics like kimchi which uses fermentation for an extended period of time. The natural vinegar used for pickling  inhibits bacterial/yeast growth and preserves produce to last a very long time.

There are very limited studies that have shown eating vinegar reduces postparandial blood sugar spikes. If that method is working for you, keep up with it but I wouldn’t just rely on vinegar for controlling your blood sugar.

If you have vegetables in your fridge that needs to be used up or want to have a side of totally addicting veggies, I insist you make Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons, like NOW.

Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons

Author: Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 4-6 small zuchhini, cut into ribbons or thinly sliced coins
• 2 cups vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
2. Add zucchini ribbons into the bowl and toss to combine.
3. You can cover the bowl or a glass jar with lids and put it in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes before use.

Thank you OXO for the Spiralizer, however I was not compensated to write this post and all the opinions here are 100% mine!