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Pickling is the process of preparing a food by soaking and storing it in a brine containing salt, acid (usually vinegar), or both, a process which can preserve otherwise perishable foods for months. The resulting food is called a pickle. Depending on the initial concentration of brine or vinegar, the pickled food may also undergo lactic acid fermentation.
If the food contains sufficient moisture a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding dry salt. Some pickling forms, most notably sauerkraut and Korean kimchi, salt the vegetables to draw out excess water, then allow natural fermentation to create a vinegar-like solution containing lactic acid. Other pickles are made by placing the vegetable in vinegar. Unlike the canning process, pickling does not require the food to be made completely sterile before it is sealed. The acidity or salinity of the solution makes it an environment in which bacteria or fungi do not easily grow.
Pickling began as a way to preserve food for out-of-season use and for long journeys, especially by sea. Salt pork and salt beef were common staples for sailors before the days of steam engines. Although the process was originally used to preserve foods, pickling is frequently done because people enjoy the resulting flavor.
Fruits are sometimes pickled in high-sugar or solutions with flavorings such as cinnamon, mustard, or dill seed.
Pickles popular in different places
The United States pickle market is dominated by pickled cucumbers.
In Lebanon pickles are served at every meal. They vary, but the most common are peppers, cucumber, beetroot, cabbage, and cauliflower.
In the United Kingdom, the most common type of pickle in British cuisine is the pickled onion. They are often sold in fish and chip shops, as are pickled eggs. Pickled beetroot and condiments such as Branston Pickle and piccalilli are typically eaten as an accompaniment to pork pies and cold meats or a ploughman's lunch.
China is home to a huge variety of pickled vegetables, including radish, baicai (Chinese cabbage, notably suan cai and la bai cai), jar choy (zha cai), chili pepper and cucumber, among many others.
Pickles form an integral part of various cuisines in India. Foods commonly pickled in India are raw mango, green chili, lemons, and a number of other foods including lotus stem. One can pick and choose from a whole assortment of pickles from most grocery outlets and superstores in India, and increasingly Indian pickles can be found in grocery stores around the world. They are known by different terms, commonly including achar from Hindi, or mixed pickle, or simply "pickle" when the context is known. Indian pickles consist of various pickled fruits and vegetables and spices (invariably including chile peppers) suspended in vegetable oil or other liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar.
In Taiwan, popular pickled food includes: mei fruits, cucumber, cabbage, radish and eggs.
In Bulgaria mixed pickles are known as turshiya. They are a very popular traditional appetizer for rakia. Very popular are also pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, egg plants and sauerkraut.
In Romania, common pickles are cucumbers, green tomatoes (gogonele), carrots, cabbage, bell peppers, melons, mushrooms and cauliflowers.
Japanese tsukemono include daikon, ume, turnips, and hakusai (Chinese cabbage).
In Russia, popular pickled food includes: mushroom, tomato, cabbage, and cucumber.
Korean kimchi is usually made from pickled Chinese cabbage.
Pickled herring and rollmops are pickled fish dishes popular typically in Scandinavia. Salmon may be brine-pickled.
Capers and olives are almost invariably served pickled, rather than fresh.
Other foods that are commonly pickled include:
- Vegetables: ginger, peppers (chilli pepper: banana peppers, jalapeños, etc.), lotus root, garlic, okra, asparagus
- Fruit: mango, kumquat, lemon, watermelon rind
- Meat: beef (to make corned beef and pastrami), pork, ham
- Fish
- Eggs
See also
