It’s the latest trend in nutrition and (almost) every vegetable can be pickled. Learn how.
Pickled vegetables make every dish more colorful and flavorful. They’re not just tasty though, they are also super healthy. The fermentation process adds probiotics, useful enzymes, and vitamins to already healthy foods.
First, make the brine. Start with a mixture of two parts water, two parts white vinegar and one part sugar. Then add herbs and spices like pepper, mustard and dill seeds or coriander and paprika. For vegetables with a tougher texture, boil the brine first. Next, add your vegetables. Depending on their width (thin slices vs. larger pieces), leave them in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 day.
Play with flavors. You may wish to start with the most popular and common choices, like cucumbers. But you can also try many more vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkin and brussel sprouts.
Combine them. Pickled vegetables add a kick to salads, sandwiches, and burgers. They are also excellent for balancing otherwise heavy dishes that are difficult to digest. The magic comes in the limitless combinations – carrots become more flavorful with coriander, ginger, turmeric, and thyme. Squash comes alive with onion and garlic, while green beans with garlic and dill. But don’t stop there. You can choose any combination and cut them up in creative ways to make the presentation even more impressive.
How to enjoy them
Add to cheesy dishes: these go well with pickled watermelon, green tomatoes, and sweet peppers.
In salads: cucumbers and peppers taste a bit sweet and sour.
Baked meats and intensely flavored cheeses: fruit like grapes and peaches go well, as well as the classic pickled cabbage.
Pickling vegetables is a great way of preserving extra vegetables that would otherwise not get eaten. Without canning, you can easily store them in mason jars in your refrigerator for two months.