Neon Night Pickles Fruits (Printable version)

A vivid platter featuring pickled veggies, beet-dyed eggs, and fresh fruits on a dark board.

# What You Need:

→ Pickles

01 - 1 cup sliced mini cucumbers
02 - 1 cup sliced rainbow carrots (bias cut)
03 - 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
04 - 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup white vinegar
06 - 1 cup water
07 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
08 - 1 tbsp kosher salt
09 - 1 tsp mustard seeds
10 - 1 tsp whole peppercorns

→ Beet-Dyed Eggs

11 - 6 large eggs
12 - 1 medium cooked beet, peeled and sliced
13 - 1 cup apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 cup water
15 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
16 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ Fruits

17 - 1 cup fresh blueberries
18 - 1 cup fresh blackberries
19 - 1 cup peeled and sliced kiwi
20 - 1 cup peeled and sliced mango
21 - 1 cup cubed dragon fruit

→ Garnishes

22 - Microgreens or edible flowers
23 - Flaky sea salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine white vinegar, water, sugar, kosher salt, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Heat until sugar and salt dissolve and the mixture simmers gently.
02 - Place cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and red onion into a heatproof container. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or preferably overnight for optimal flavor.
03 - Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer eggs immediately to ice water to stop cooking, then peel once cooled.
04 - In a jar, combine sliced cooked beet, apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Add peeled eggs to the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until eggs acquire desired pink hue.
05 - Arrange pickled vegetables, halved or sliced beet-dyed eggs, and fresh fruits artistically on a large black serving board.
06 - Top the display with microgreens or edible flowers and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. Serve chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but it's genuinely just 30 minutes of hands-on work.
  • Every element can be made ahead, which means you're actually relaxed when guests arrive.
  • The colors are so vivid and unexpected that it becomes a conversation starter before anyone even tastes it.
  • It works for vegetarians, gluten-free diets, and looks fancy enough to impress without being fussy.
02 -
  • Never skip the ice bath for your eggs—warm eggs are slippery and tear when you peel them, and you'll lose that pristine surface where the beet dye sticks.
  • The pickling liquid needs to cool before the vegetables go in, or they'll turn mushy and lose their snap in about an hour.
  • Fresh fruit oxidizes and looks dull within 30 minutes, so cut everything as close to serving time as possible—I've learned this the hard way during parties.
03 -
  • Taste your pickling liquid before you pour it over the vegetables—it should be balanced between tangy and slightly sweet, not aggressively sour.
  • If your beet eggs aren't turning the color you want, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the jar; it changes the pH and deepens the dye dramatically within a few hours.
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