Pickling
Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called a pickle, or, if named, the name is prefaced with the word "pickled". Foods that are pickled include vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meats, fish, dairy and eggs.
Pickling solutions are typically highly acidic, with a pH of 4.6 or lower, and high in salt, preventing enzymes from working and micro-organisms from multiplying. Pickling can preserve perishable foods for months, or in some cases years. Antimicrobial herbs and spices, such as mustard seed, garlic, cinnamon or cloves, are often added. If the food contains sufficient moisture, a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding dry salt. For example, sauerkraut and Korean kimchi are produced by salting the vegetables to draw out excess water. Natural fermentation at room temperature, by lactic acid bacteria, produces the required acidity. Other pickles are made by placing vegetables in vinegar. Unlike the canning process, pickling does not require that the food be completely sterile. 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 both salt concentration and temperature are low, Leuconostoc mesenteroides dominates, producing a mix of acids, alcohol, and aroma compounds. At higher temperatures Lactobacillus plantarum dominates, which produces primarily lactic acid. Many pickles start with Leuconostoc, and change to Lactobacillus with higher acidity.
History
Ancient history
Pickling with vinegar likely originated in ancient Persia and Mesopotamia around 2400 BCE. There is archaeological evidence of cucumbers being pickled in the Tigris Valley in 2030 BCE. Pickling vegetables in vinegar continued developing in the Middle East region before spreading to the Maghreb, Sicily, and Spain. From Spain, it spread to the Americas. Fermented salt pickling reportedly originated in China.There is sufficient archaeological evidence that pickling was also practiced in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and throughout the Roman Empire. The Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra was known to credit the pickles in her diet for her good health and beauty. Roman emperors were also known to make pickles a part of their troops' diets, with the belief it would make them stronger and more fit for battle.
Age of Exploration
Pickling was used 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 invented to preserve foods, pickles are also made and eaten because people enjoy the resulting flavors. Pickling may also improve the nutritional value of food by introducing B vitamins produced by bacteria.Etymology
The English term "pickle" first appears around 1400 CE. It originates from the Middle English pikel, a spicy sauce served with meat or fish, borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German pekel but later referred to preserving in brine or vinegar.In world cuisines
Asia
South Asia
South Asia has a large variety of pickles in Nepali, Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu uppinakaayi in Kannada, lonacha in Marathi, uppilittathu or achar in Malayalam, oorukai in Tamil, pacchadi or ooragaya in Telugu, which are mainly made from varieties of mango, lemon, lime, gongura, tamarind, Indian gooseberry, and chilli. Vegetables such as eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, tomato, bitter gourd, green tamarind, ginger, garlic, onion, and citron are also occasionally used. These fruits and vegetables are mixed with ingredients such as salt, spices, and vegetable oils. The pickling process is completed by placing filled jars in the sun to mature. The sun's heat destroys moulds and microbes which could spoil the pickles.In Pakistan, pickles are known locally as achaar and come in a variety of flavours. A popular item is the traditional mixed Hyderabadi pickle, prepared from an assortment of fruits and vegetables blended with selected spices. Although the origin of the word is ambiguous, the word āchār is widely considered to be of Persian origin. Āchār in Persian is defined as 'powdered or salted meats, pickles, or fruits, preserved in salt, vinegar, honey, sugar or syrup.'
In Sri Lanka, a date and shallot pickle, achcharu, is traditionally prepared from carrots, chilli powder, shallots and ground dates mixed with garlic, crushed fresh ginger, green chilis, mustard seeds and vinegar, and left to sit in a clay pot.
Indian pickles are mostly prepared in three ways: salt/brine, oil, and vinegar, with mango pickle being most popular among all.
Southeast Asia
, Indonesian and Malaysian pickles, called acar are typically made out of cucumber, carrot, bird's eye chilies, and shallots, these items being seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt. Fruits, such as papaya and pineapple, are also sometimes pickled. In Malaysia, it's common for pickles to be made in brine. These pickles, known locally as jeruk, are made from unripe mango, papaya, pineapple and lime. Eaten with a meal, or on its own as a snack, jeruk is especially popular among children.In the Philippines, pickling is a common method of preserving food, with many commonly eaten foods pickled, traditionally done using large earthen jars. The process is known as buro or binuro. Pickling was a common method of preserving a large variety of foods such as fish throughout the archipelago before the advent of refrigeration, but its popularity is now confined to vegetables and fruits. Atchara is primarily made out of julienned green papaya, carrots, and shallots, seasoned with cloves of garlic and vinegar; but could include ginger, bell peppers, white radishes, cucumbers or bamboo shoots. Pickled unripe mangoes or burong mangga, unripe tomatoes, guavas, jicama, bitter gourd and other fruit and vegetables still retain their appeal. Siling labuyo, sometimes with garlic and red onions, is also pickled in bottled vinegar and is a staple condiment in Filipino cuisine.
File:Dưa cải muối.JPG|thumb|left|Dưa cải muối made from Brassica juncea
In Vietnamese cuisine, vegetable pickles are called dưa muối or dưa chua. Dưa chua or dưa góp is made from a variety of fruits and vegetables, including Solanum macrocarpon, eggplant, Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, carrots, radishes, papaya, cauliflower, and Ficus racemosa. Dưa chua made from carrots and radishes are commonly added to bánh mì sandwiches. Dưa cải muối is made by pressing and sun-drying vegetables such as Brassica juncea and gai choy. Nhút mít is a specialty of Nghệ An and Hã Tĩnh provinces made from jackfruit.
In Burma, tea leaves are pickled to produce lahpet, which has strong social and cultural importance.
Lahpet thoke is a popular dish made with fermented tea leaves, garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, dried shrimp, and other seasonings. It is often served as a delicacy at social gatherings and plays a role in traditional ceremonies. The tradition of pickling tea leaves dates back centuries and is unique to Burmese cuisine.
East Asia
A wide variety of foods are pickled throughout East Asia. The pickles are often sweet, salty, and/or spicy and preserved in sweetened solutions or oil.China is home to first documented origins of fermented salt pickles, based upon a poem written around 7th century BCE. The practice of pickling then spread across Asia, consisting of a large variety of vegetables, including radish, baicai, zha cai, chili pepper, and cucumbers, among many others.
Japanese tsukemono are made from a variety of techniques, the oldest and easiest being Shio-zuke which translates to salt pickles. This method tends to be the most widely used, and a version of this method called ichiyazuke which as the name indiates is a sped-up pickling process that can be completed overnight and ready to serve the next day. Umeboshi, another one of the salt-preserved tsukemono, is known as the Japanese plum but taste-wise is closer in comparison to an apricot. In Japanese, 'boshi' stems off the root verb meaning "to dry" because after the Umeboshi is pickled, it dries out in sunlight for 3-5 days.
In Korea one of the most notable pickled foods is kimchi, which is a Korean side dish made of pickled vegetables. Kimchi is primarily consists of napa cabbage but is also commonly mixed with radish, green onions, garlic, ginger and red chili powder.
Western Asia
In Iran, Turkey, Arab countries, the Balkans, and the South Caucasus, pickles are a pickled mix of cucumbers, and turnips, onions, carrots, olives or other regional vegetables. The Persian word torshi comes from the root word 'torshSauerkraut, as well as cabbage pickled in vinegar, with carrot and other vegetables is commonly consumed as a kosher dish in Israel and is considered pareve, meaning that it contains no meat or dairy so it can be consumed with either.
Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
In Hungary, the main meal ' usually includes some kind of pickles ', but pickles are also commonly consumed at other times of the day. The most commonly consumed pickles are sauerkraut ', pickled cucumbers and peppers, and csalamádé, but tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, baby corn, onions, garlic, certain squashes and melons, and a few fruits such as plums and apples are used to make pickles too. Stuffed pickles are specialties, usually made of peppers or melons pickled after being stuffed with a cabbage filling. Pickled plum stuffed with garlic is a unique Hungarian type of pickle just like csalamádé and leavened cucumber '. Csalamádé is a type of mixed pickle made of cabbage, cucumber, paprika, onion, carrot, tomatoes, and bay leaf mixed up with vinegar as the fermenting agent. Leavened cucumber, unlike other types of pickled cucumbers that are around all year long, is rather a seasonal pickle produced in the summer. Cucumbers, spices, herbs, and slices of bread are put in a glass jar with salt water and kept in direct sunlight for a few days. The yeast from the bread, along with other pickling agents and spices fermented under the hot sun, give the cucumbers a unique flavor, texture, and slight carbonation. Its juice can be used instead of carbonated water to make a special type of spritzer '. It is common for Hungarian households to produce their own pickles. Different regions or towns have their special recipes unique to them. Among them all, the Vecsési sauerkraut ' is the most famous.File:Jonjoli.jpg|thumb|upright|Jonjoli Georgian pickled flowers of bladdernut
Romanian pickles are made out of beetroot, cucumbers, green tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, garlic, sauerkraut, bell peppers, melons, mushrooms, turnips, celery and cauliflower. Meat, like pork, can also be preserved in salt and lard.
Polish cuisine is centered around pickled foods. Pickled gherkins are enjoyed in a multitude of ways; a snack, a sidedish, a 'chaser' for vodka, and also often used to pickled-gherkin soup.
Czech cuisine incorporates many pickled fruits and vegetables as a way to preserve produce that in their climate are mostly seasonal. A unique aspect of Czech cuisine is the dish 'beer cheese' which is cheese that is pickled in beer. The popular bar snack, utopenec, is sausage pickled with onions. Other vegetables, such as peppers and cucumbers, are also found pickled with utopenec.
In Slovak tradition, pickling practices are quite similar to ones used in the Czech Republic. June and July is prime pickling season in Slovakia, where most people are bottling up their fruits and vegetables to preserve for enjoyment in the wintertime.
North Caucasian, Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian pickled items include beets, mushrooms, tomatoes, sauerkraut, cucumbers, ramsons, garlic, eggplant, custard squash, and watermelon. Garden produce is commonly pickled using salt, dill, blackcurrant leaves, bay leaves and garlic and is stored in a cool, dark place. The leftover brine has a number of culinary uses in these countries, especially for cooking traditional soups, such as shchi, rassolnik, and solyanka. Rassol, especially cucumber or sauerkraut rassol, is also a favorite traditional remedy against morning hangover.