Pickles and Pickling

Pickling isn’t simply an ancient means of food preservation—with its variety of salty, sour, sweet, and hot flavors, these intensely flavored foods are almost universally appealing. And almost anything, from cabbage to peppers to watermelon rind to hard-cooked eggs, can be pickled.

In America we usually associate the word pickle with cucumbers, but that’s starting to change with the popularity of kimchi and other fermented foods.

Acidity can inhibit the growth of harmful microbes in food. There are two basic ways to get acid into foods: by directly using vinegar, or by salting, using straight salt or a saltwater brine. Vinegar penetrates by replacing the natural water in the food. Salting is a less direct and more complex process where the salt draws out the food’s natural water and allows just enough good bacterial growth to produce lactic acid, which pickles the food. Salt is also used when pickling with vinegar, to draw out water and crisp the vegetables so the vinegar that permeates the vegetable or fruit remains undiluted.

Though vinegar and salt help create pickles, seasonings—spices, herbs, garlic, onions, and other aromatics—are often added as flavorings. Dill is a favorite with cucumbers in the United States, as are garlic, mustard, black peppercorns, and chiles or red chile flakes.

You can use any spice or herb you like; spice mixtures like five-spice powder or jerk seasoning add even more intensity.

There are a few guidelines: Use the freshest foods for pickling; food that has blemishes or soft spots will start with more of the harmful microbes you want to avoid. Consider the size and density of the fruit or vegetable; smaller and softer pieces pickle more quickly than larger pieces.