Bradford - Beginner’s Guide to Pickling & Fermentation

There is nothing more satisfying than pickling your home-grown plant produce and enjoying it for months in or with different meals and entres. It is a great way to preserve all those extra veggies in your refrigerator which may end up in the waste. With this pickling guide, you can now pickle almost any vegetable. It is super simple and easy. Some people believe that pickling is only for cucumbers; however, you can pickle almost anything. Pickling is a method of preserving food that involves either anaerobic fermentation or through keeping the food in vinegar. You can call a food pickled if its pH gets to 4.6 or lower. That is why during pickling, the harmful microbes cease to exist in the food and the pickled food enjoys a longer shelf life.

What is Pickling Spice, and How Does it Work?

Any beginner's guide to pickling should contain information on the spices to pair with your pickled vegetables. You can either buy pickling spice or manufacture your own at home. During the pickling process, it will add flavor and seasoning to your pickled food. The types of herbs and spices used in each pickle recipe differ; however, they commonly include:

• Bay leaves
• Mustard seeds
• Peppercorns
• Dried chili peppers

While pre-made pickling spices are available, it's far easier to make your own. Doing that, you can adjust its seasonings as per your preferences.

What Exactly Can I Pickle?

Pickling works well with a wide range of meals, but vegetables are the most popular. Vegetables with thick skin are the best. This helps the pickle keep its shape and remain crisp as a finished product. Some of my favorite pickled foods include:

• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Peppers
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Onions
• Fruits
• Eggs
• Herring
• Sausage

Because they have thicker skin and are shorter in length, certain cucumber varieties, such as the Kirby, are excellent for pickling. If you didn't cultivate your own vegetables, look for them at a farmers' market. Vegetables grown commercially may have a waxy layer that interferes with the pickling process. If you must use supermarket vegetables, make every effort to thoroughly clean them. Although it's best to pickle produce that has just been gathered fresh, you may also use purchased vegetables that are about to ripen. Pickling is an excellent preservation and flavor alternative to traditional canning for homesteaders who have an overabundant harvest this fall.

Pickled foods give a lot of flavors to meals and snacks. Spices, sugar, and vinegar are expertly blended with fruits and vegetables to produce a crisp, firm texture and a pungent, sweet-sour flavor. Although food shops today provide a broad selection of pickles and relishes, many homemakers choose to produce their own pickled items when fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful.

Types of Pickles

Depending on the ingredients used and the techniques of preparation, several varieties of pickled items can be manufactured. There are four different types of classes:

Brined or fermented pickles

These are the pickles that have been cured for one or more weeks in a brine (salt and water) solution. Curing alters the product's color, flavor, and texture. If the product is fermented, the lactic acid created during the fermentation process aids in its preservation. The acid in the form of vinegar is mixed in to preserve brined items that are cured but not fermented.