What is Pickling?

Pickling involves the addition of acid to foods to prevent growth of spoil- and illness-causing micro-organisms. The high acidity is what prevents spoilage. There are many varieties of pickled and fermented foods, classified by their ingredients and method of preparation. The basics are:

Pickled Product Types

Brine - fermented, used for regular dill pickles and sauerkraut, requires several weeks of curing
Quick - not fermented, brined for several hours or days, also called fresh-pack
Fruit - prepared using the quick process with fruit pieces simmered in a spicy, sweet and sour syrup
Relish - prepared using fruits and vegetables, acidified, seasoned and cooked

How Do I Pickle?

Steps

Explanation

1. Choose your guide

Publicatons: Making Fermented Pickles and Sauerkraut Guide and Pickling Vegetables Guide
Book: Pickles and Relishes: From Apples to Zucchinis, 150 recipes for preserving the harvest

2. Select product and
recipe

Cucumbers		Fruit	Relish
Bread and Butter Gherkin Pickles, sweet 14-Day Pickles, sweet Quick Pickles, sweet Pickles, quick dill Other Vegetables Artichoke Pickles Pickled Asparagus Pickled Dilled Beans Pickled Beets Brussel Sprouts Pickled Carrots Pickled Cauliflower Pickled Corn	Green Tomatoes, dill Green Tomatoes, spiced Green Tomatoes, sweet Pickled Jalapeño Rings Jicama, bread and butter Mushrooms, marinated Pickled Okra Pickled Dill Okra Pickled Peppers Pickled Peppers, bell Pickled Peppers, hot Pickled Peppers, marinated Pickled Vegetables, mixed Yellow Pepper Rings Pickled Zucchini Zucchini, bread and butter Sauerkraut	Apple Chutney Cranberry-Orange Chutney Tomato-Apple Chutney Cantaloupe Pickles Fig Pickles Pear Pickles Spiced Apples Rings Spiced Crabapples Spiced Crabapples II Spiced Plums Watermelon Rind Pickles	Sweet Apple Relish Dill Pickle Relish Dill Cucumber Relish Three-Bean Salad Pickled Corn Relish Pear Relish Pickled Pepper Relish Pickle Relish Jicama Relish, spicy Tomatillo Relish Green Tomato Relish Fall Garden Relish

3. Store properly

Recommended storing practices