When you hear people talk about pickles, most people will automatically think about cucumber pickles. The world of pickles reaches far beyond the dill spear, the sweet gherkins, and the bread and butter pickles commonly seen on relish trays and charcuterie boards. Let's go down the rabbit hole of pickles, and I will also share some of my favorite pickle recipes!
We have all seen the pickle isle at the local grocery store. The next time you are there, take a look at the top shelf or two. Often that is where the uncommon pickled items are kept. The pickled corn, okra, eggs, and mixed vegetables are typically found on the top shelf. Although some of these are required tastes, ( I have yet to be brave enough to try pickled eggs) many are surprisingly delicious! Whether you pick up a new variety of pickle at the market, or experiment with pickling some of your garden harvest, let's look at some of the different pickling methods, and the important ingredients, such as the variety of foods that can be pickled.
Pickling Methods:
- Fresh pack
- Brined or Fermented
- Refrigerator
Fresh Pack:
This method is described as pickling vegetables in a very short period of time. Some recipes that call for a fresh pack are only brined for an hour, while some are brined overnight. The pickled food can be jarred either hot or raw. For raw, the jar is filled with the prepared food and the brine is poured over the food, filling the jar. For the hot type, the food is cooked in the pickling mix and then the jars are filled from the stock pot. They are then processed in a water bath canner to make them shelf stable for storage.
Pickles make great additions to charcuterie boards
Brined or Fermented:
Brining cucumbers is one of the most traditional methods for making pickles. Vegetables are submerged in a salt and water brine for up to several weeks. This brine promotes microbes to grow that produce acid, which acts as a natural preservative for the pickled vegetables. This method also produces a type of probiotic that is very beneficial to the digestive and immune system. Vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage and carrots are some of the most commonly fermented vegetables. Saur Kraut is prepared this way. A successful brine must be kept in a cool dark place, and the brining strength must be maintained according to the recipe being used. The surface must be kept clean of any scum or mold. After the brining process is completed, additional spices can be added to create different flavor profiles for the pickles.
Refrigerator cucumber and green bean pickles
Refrigerator Pickles:
Refrigerator pickles are not fermented, or processed in a water bath canner. They are kept in the refrigerator for both the flavor building and for storage until they are eaten. The flavor building process can last 3-7 days, after which, the flavor will be the best. These can be done in very small batches, and are great for when your garden is not producing heavily. I have included my favorite refrigerator pickle recipe at the end of this blog.
Important Ingredients:
- Vegetables to pickle
- Vinegar with 5% acidity
- Salt
- Water
- Sugar (for some recipes)
Vegetables to pickle:
The most common vegetable to pickle is the cucumber, but let's look at some other tasty options. Carrots, green beans, onions, and bell peppers can be pickled together as "End-of-the-Garden Pickles". This recipe can be found in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving on page 79, and is a great way to use up some garden leftovers! Other ideas are pickled banana peppers, tomatoes, figs, peaches, melons, pears, beets, green beans, baby corn, green tomatoes, okra and even cauliflower and squash! With a variety of vegetables that can be pickled like that, there is bound to be one you will love! There are recipes to all of these in the afore mentioned book.
If you have ever been to an Amish store, or a really good natural food store, you have more than likely seen some of these uncommon pickle options. It doesn't stop at vegetables either, a very popular food to pickle is eggs, although I have yet to try them, pickled eggs is a staple in many pantries. Pickled sausage is a popular truck stop snack, and I have some friends who simply love pickled herring! (Herring is a type of fish) Meats, eggs, vegetables, or fruit, there is probably a pickling recipe for everything!
Pickling doesn't just create an amazing snack, it also acts as a preservation method. When I harvest my garlic, I pickle it. Not for adding it to a charcuterie board, but to preserve it for the year. By putting my garlic in a vinegar / water mix, it preserves it quite well. When I need fresh garlic for a recipe, I simply pull one out of the jar, give it a quick rinse, and use it like a fresh clove! This preservation method works great for me, since I do not have a huge garlic crop, and drying the garlic never has worked for me. As I use my home grown garlic from the jar, I can add store bought garlic to it if needed. This keeps the garlic from going soft, and sprouting while waiting for use while sitting on my counter!
To pickle garlic, simply clean your cloves, and put them in a jar. Bring 1/2 cup vinegar (5% acidity) and 1/2 cup of water to a boil. Allow the vinegar mix to cool, then pour over the garlic. Place the lid on the jar and store in the fridge. Sometimes the garlic will turn blue, this is a normal reaction with the garlic and it is still edible, and it does not effect the flavor of the garlic at all. Pickled garlic is not shelf stable, it is not safe to can (it would be mushy anyway), and must be stored in the fridge.
Vinegar with 5% acidity:
It seems silly to even have to mention the acidity of the vinegar. The old standard of vinegar has always been 5%, that is not true anymore. There are an increasing number of vinegars on the store shelves that only have a 4% acidity. These will not yield a safely pickled product. So, always double check your vinegar for the 5% acidity that is needed! I only wish I knew why standards change, or why some companies do not follow them.
Notice the vinegar on the left only has 4% acidity, always check your vinegar before purchasing for making pickles.
Salt:
Salt not only acts as a preservative, it also adds flavor and helps retain crispness to the vegetables being pickled. Choose a salt that does not contain iodine or anti-caking agents, as they can cause your pickles to discolor, soften, or cause the brine to become cloudy. You can find pickling salt in the canning section of most stores. This is the best option for your pickling use, as the granulation will measure the same as what the recipe calls for.
Water:
The type of water used in your pickles will have an effect on the final product. Soft water is recommended for the pickling brine. Hard water can contain mineral deposits than can cause darkened and discolored pickles. If soft water is not available, you can boil water for 15 minutes, then allow to sit for 24 hours. Remove the film from the surface and carefully ladle the water out, being careful no to disturb any sediment on the bottom of the pan. Another alternative is to use distilled water.
Sugar:
You will not find sugar listed in all pickle recipes, however, when it is listed, do not omit! Sugar, or other sweet agents, can help act as a natural preservative, and can help cut the acid taste of the vinegar while improving the flavor of the pickling spices. It is not advised to use artificial sweeteners, however, recipes may call for white sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Always use the sweetener recommended in the recipe to yield the best finished product.
There are a variety of sweet pickle recipes that use vegetables beyond cucumbers. Green tomato relish uses a brine mix similar to bread and butter pickles. When preparing sweet pickled recipes, be sure to follow the recommendations for what type of sweetener to use. The flavor pallet can be greatly effected by changes to this.
Recipes:
I wanted to include a few of my favorite pickle recipes. My family loves pickles, and I really experimented this year with different foods to preserve. Although the cucumber and green bean recipes are for the refrigerator, you can make them and store them for several weeks in the fridge, ours typically doesn't last very long because we eat them so quickly!
The tomatoes can be done with either cherry or grape tomatoes and it has the flavor of marinara sauce. This recipe can be done for the refrigerator, or they can be water bath canned (as I did) for longer shelf stable storage. After water bath canning, the tomatoes are rather soft, but the flavors are divine. If you want a firmer tomato, just put them in the fridge instead of canning them. These could even be blended for an amazing vinaigrette sauce, just drain the vinegar liquid (don't throw it out), add some olive oil and blend. Add some of the vinegar liquid back as desired for taste.
Feel free to print these recipes out and give them a try!
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