Pickling

Pickling, or corning, 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.

Pickling in brine often results in anaerobic fermentation, by either lactic acid bacteria or by yeast.

If the food contains sufficient moisture a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding dry salt. Some pickling forms, including 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 which includes fermentation requires that the food not be completely sterile before it is sealed. The acidity or salinity of the solution, the temperature of fermentation, and the exclusion of oxygen determine which microorganisms dominate, and determine the flavor of the end product.

When the salt concentration and the temperature is low, Leuconostoc mesenteroides dominates, producing a mix of acids, alcohol, and aroma compounds. When the temperatures are higher, Lactobacillus plantarum dominates, which produces primarily lactic acid. Many pickles start with Leuconostoc, and change to Lactobacillus with higher acidity.

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

East Asia

China is home to a huge variety of pickled vegetables, including radish, baicai (Chinese cabbage, notably suan cai, la bai cai, and pao cai, 泡菜), jar choy (zha cai), chili pepper and cucumber, among many others.

In Taiwan, popular pickled food includes: mei fruits, cucumber, cabbage, radish and eggs.

Japanese tsukemono (pickled vegetables) include daikon, ume, turnips, and hakusai (Chinese cabbage).

Korean kimchi is usually made from pickled Chinese cabbage.

South Asia

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.

Europe

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.

In Russia, popular pickled food includes: mushroom, various types of tomato, cabbage, cucumber, ramsons, garlic, aubergine (typically stuffed with julienned carrots), custard squash, and even watermelon.

Pickled herring and rollmops are pickled fish dishes popular typically in Scandinavia. Salmon may be brine-pickled.

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 hard-boiled 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.

Middle East

In Lebanon and Egypt, as well as other Arab countries, pickles (called mekhallel or torshy in Arabic) are served at almost every meal. They vary, but the most common are made from turnips, peppers, green olives, cucumber, beetroot, cabbage, and cauliflower.

North America

The United States pickle market is dominated by pickled cucumbers, olives, and sauerkraut, though many of the ethnically popular pickles from other nations are also available.

Other foods that are commonly pickled

Vegetables: ginger, peppers (chilli pepper: banana peppers, jalapeños, etc.), lotus root, garlic, okra, asparagus, onion
Capers and olives are almost invariably served pickled, rather than fresh.
Fruit: mango, kumquat, lemon, watermelon rind
Meat: beef (to make corned beef and pastrami), pork, ham
Fish
Eggs

Other home food preservation methods

External links

Fermented Fruits and Vegetables. A Global Perspective. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
National Center for Home Food Preservation: How do I...Pickle
Making Fermented Dill Pickles and Sauerkraut

References

Food preservation | Pickles

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