Pickling 101 - Pickling refers to a specific process of preserving food through a brine or vinegar solution. The resulting product is protected from bacteria, and the vinegar helps slow the spoiling process. This keeps the pickled food good for a much longer period of time, a major advantage before refrigeration. The technique of pickling to preserve food

Pickling refers to a specific process of preserving food through a brine or vinegar solution. The resulting product is protected from bacteria, and the vinegar helps slow the spoiling process. This keeps the pickled food good for a much longer period of time, a major advantage before refrigeration. The technique of pickling to preserve food is as old as time itself. There are many variations, and everyone’s Grandma has their own pickling recipe they swear by. This method of food preservation can be used on anything from beets to berries and gives a distinct flavor we have come to love.

Pickling Basics

Pickling requires very few ingredients, and will preserve whatever you put in it. The base of pickling liquid is white distilled vinegar. Many recipes call for combinations of white distilled and other vinegars to add more flavor, just be sure to steer clear of balsamic vinegars and dark vinegars, and you really can’t go wrong! Standard pickling calls for equal parts water and vinegar. Standard recipes also call for herbs & spices of choice, as well as a pinch of sugar. You can even find premixed pickling spices sold in the store that have the most common ones in them. Just be sure to check that the ingredients are SCD compliance. Speaking of which, swap your sugar for honey to make your pickling liquid for SCD pickling. Now that we are familiar with our ingredients, let’s take a look at pickling methods.

Hot vs. Cold Pickling

There are two main types of pickling methods used, hot and cold. Hot requires you to boil your vinegar mixture, and then pour it over the food in the jar you intend to use for pickling. After it cools down, seal and refrigerate for long-term storage. I prefer this method, as it results in a more ‘traditional’ pickle with a slightly softer texture. Cold pickling, often referred to as ‘quick pickling’, is a bit faster in the making process as the name would suggest. However, this method will take longer to actually pickle, and requires a few days in the refrigerator before they are ready. Simply fill your jar and pour in your vinegar mixture. Cover, and refrigerate for 2-4 days before using.

Refrigeration vs. Self-stable

Now, some of you may be wondering why both these methods call for refrigeration when your grandma’s jars were shelf-stable. This is because to make something pickled shelf-stable it must be canned. So, what’s the difference? You will be able to can anything you pickle, but not everything you pickle will be canned. To make your pickle shelf-stable you will need to use either the water bath method or the pressure canning method.

Let’s start with the water bath canning method as it will more than likely be the one you choose as it is better for pickled items. This method, just like pickling, is very old and has had no real need for improvement in the process over all these years. Water bath canning involves low heat over a long period of time to destroy enzymes and bacteria that promote spoilage, while simultaneously creating a vacuum seal and can be made with equipment you probably already have. Pressure canning, on the other hand, requires special equipment and is a bit more dangerous because of the pressure-cooking equipment itself. It ‘cooks’ at a much higher temperature than the water bath method and is better for meats and vegetables without high acid content.

The more modern, less labor-intensive method of refrigeration pickling will produce virtually the same product without all the extra work of canning. The only exception of course is its ability to be shelf-stable. The hot pickling method will allow for the completion of the pickling process to occur before that of the cold or ‘quick’ method. This is because the high temperature of the vinegar solution will ‘cook’ the produce skins more, making the final product softer. The cold or ‘quick’ method will also give you the same results, it will just take much longer to get there. I recommend 2-4 days for pickles in particular, but to match the softness of the hot method it will take a week or so.

So, there you have it! Pickling 101. Now that you realize how easy and tasty home pickling can be, you’ll never want to buy anything pickled from the store again! Pickling at home not only allows you to control the ingredients, but allows for you to put your own spin on things. Experiment with different vinegars and spices until you find what you like. I pickle everything from peaches and strawberries for salads, to cucumbers and carrots for spring rolls. Have fun and get creative with this tried-and-true process. Happy pickling!

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