Pickles are synonymous with summer. When I taste them, I think of barbeques and warm sunshine. And if you make your own pickles, that means you can use freshly picked cucumbers, seasonally grown, and direct from a summer garden. Whether you cultivate your own garden or visit a farmers’ market, those cukes you slice are at their peak.
And that means the best tasting pickles you can get!
When we think of pickles, many of us think only of cucumbers. But the term “pickle” actually refers to any fruit, meat, or vegetable prepared and preserved by one of the following processes.
- Fermented in brine (salt): The salt acts as a preservative and adds flavor and crispness to pickles. This soaking method creates the natural formation of the preservative lactic acid.
- Packed in vinegar to aid preservation: The vinegar gives pickled foods a tart taste and acts as a preservative. It is important to use a high-grade cider or white distilled vinegar of 5% acidity to achieve this process.
For food preservation for long term, the pickled items are then placed in jars and processed in a water canning bath. The boiling of the jars in water for 10 minutes or so (depending on the size of the jars) will kill microorganisms that cause food spoilage. Once they’re finished processing in the boiling water, the jars are removed, allowed to cool, and then stored away from heat and light for up to a year. Canning allows you to enjoy the taste of summer throughout those cold months ahead!
This is a quick pickling method when you’re ready to eat the pickles now! The cucumbers are packed in vinegar (method #2 above), but they don’t undergo the canning bath process. Instead, the vinegar allows them to last for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator.
The Pink Lily Pad and Two Tadpoles 