What’s the Best Vinegar for Pickling?

If you’re making pickles to preserve cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, or carrots, you know you need vinegar — but not just any vinegar. “If you’re going to be canning those pickles, the most important thing is to stick to a vinegar acidity,” says April McGreger, a fermenter at The People’s Kitchen of Philadelphia, chef, and author of Jam On!, noting that the correct acidity is important for ensuring your pickles will be safe to eat.

“The National Center for Home Food Preservation and most canning guidelines suggest a 5% acidity to ensure that your pickles have a finished pH that is below 4.6,” she says. Any acidity or acetic acid content below 5%, which is sometimes labeled as 50 grain, is unsafe for canning and can lead to botulism or other health conditions. 

If you’re making quick pickles, the vinegar’s acidity isn’t a safety concern since the refrigerator will ensure preservation, but you still want to keep acidity in mind so the flavors of your pickles are balanced. McGreger suggests home cooks choose an acidity level of around 5 to 6%. 

So, if you’re sticking to safety guidelines, can you use whichever vinegar you want? Sort of! But you’ll likely have more success with tried-and-true picks. Here are the vinegars McGreger recommends. 

Best for canning: distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

“When I’m making pickles for the pantry, I definitely use either white distilled vinegar or, particularly for relishes, apple cider vinegar,” says McGreger. 

Crisp and clean, distilled white vinegar is a classic for a reason. Canning usually calls for a high volume of vinegar to preserve your fruit or veggies, and it doesn’t get more affordable than distilled white vinegar. At 5% acetic acid, it has an ideal acidity for canning. Also, its clear color will preserve the vibrancy of your pickles — particularly lighter-colored produce like cucumbers and carrots — and its classic flavor makes it an easily customizable canvas for spices.

Beyond canned pickles, “I really like that sharp punch that you get from white distilled vinegar for certain things like a classic dill cucumber that I didn’t ferment, or for something like a bread and butter pickle,” says McGreger. She swears by Heinz Distilled White Vinegar, but notes that Spectrum is a good organic option. 

Made from fermented apples, lightly fruity apple cider vinegar is another common choice. “Apple cider vinegar has a deeper kind of flavor that works really well for relishes and chutneys and things like that,” says McGreger. “It has a nice bite to it and nice rounded flavor, but the color is always going to be just a little bit muddier [than distilled white vinegar]. So if presentation and that crisp little pop of turmeric really brings you joy, I’d recommend white vinegar.” For apple cider vinegar, McGreger likes classic Bragg’s and even Kirkland brand from Costco. 

Best for refrigerator pickles: white balsamic, white wine, or rice vinegar

“What’s so great about refrigerator pickles is that you can really allow the vegetable flavor to shine by dialing back that acidity so it’s not just this acidic bite,” says McGreger. Here, since safety isn’t a concern, you can use any kind of vinegar, including a homemade vinegar, but you’ll still want to think about flavor.  

“White balsamic has a lightly sweet taste that goes really well with some refrigerator pickles,” says McGreger. “Fruit pickles are a place that I definitely often reach for higher-quality, fancier vinegars, like a white wine vinegar or a white balsamic vinegar, because I’m generally not making fruit pickles in super-high volumes,” she adds. “I love white balsamic with a pickled sour cherry. I also often use white wine vinegar or even red wine vinegar because it works with the red color.” 

Mild-flavored, light-colored rice vinegar is another great option. “I do a fair amount of pickling that has an Asian inspiration to it, and I’m often pulling for rice vinegar,” says McGreger. Note that rice vinegar can show a wide range of acidity levels, from 3 to 7%, so if you’re using it for canning you’ll want to be sure it has an acidity level of at least 5%. 

Beyond classic white or apple cider vinegar, you can feel free to experiment with darker vinegars and even your favorite flavored vinegar. Malt vinegar is a classic choice for British-style chutneys, for example, while McGreger loves a fig-and-balsamic combination.