Pickles: The juicy, crunchy spears enjoyed at family cookouts

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Peter Piper turned out to be a rather pampered pepper pickle than today’s less privileged housewife or budding cook cum chef, who are expected to pick produce unpickled process it promptly ourselves. 

Pickling can be accomplished in several ways, some admittedly lengthy, although none of them difficult. Granted that an inordinate number of vitamins and minerals leach away into liquid reside during the pickling process, but it remains a spicy and important method of food preservation.

You may recognise pickles as the juicy, crunchy spears you enjoy at family cookouts and picnics. However, pickles are so much more than that.

Pickles can enhance meals, appetizers, sandwiches and side dishes. They can be sweet, sour or spicy, and they come in various flavors, sizes and colours.

A pickle’s flavour depends on the ingredients in which it soaks and that is why pickles have unique flavours. No matter what kind of pickle you prefer, there are endless possibilities for what you can do with pickles.

Pickles have an interesting history that dates back to ancient times and their local history in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, carries on today with beloved Pennsylvania Dutch traditions.

What most Americans simply call pickles are pickled cucumbers. Most people recognise pickles as the deliciously sweet and sour green food we eat with our sandwiches, on top of burgers or as a tasty snack.

However, many do not realise that pickles are made from cucumbers and that other vegetables, fruits and other foods can also be pickled.

Pickles are made of various vegetables, including asparagus, green beans, radishes, cauliflower, carrots, onions and cucumbers. Even sauerkraut is a type of pickled vegetable because it is made from fermented cabbage.

You can also pickle other food types, such as eggs. Most pickles are vegetables pickled in vinegar, brine or other solutions, but the most common type of pickled vegetable in the US is cucumber.

People today have the convenience of purchasing pickles in a jar and do not have to worry about preserving their own food as their ancestors did in years past. However, the sweet and tangy taste of pickled vegetables makes them a popular food, regardless.

The process of how pickles are made is quite fascinating. Some people love it so much that they pickle their own vegetables at home.

Pickles are made by soaking cucumbers and other vegetables in a brine solution, consisting of vinegar, salt and spices. Vinegar helps preserve pickles, and it contributes to the pickles’ slightly sour taste.

Sugars or other sweeteners can add a sweet taste to pickles, while ingredients such as dill weed, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, garlic and black pepper can create other unique flavours.

Store-bought pickle juice also contain other ingredients such as stabilisers, colourants and preservatives to maintain consistency and lengthen shelf life

Throughout history, pickles were soaked in a brine solution inside barrels, but today the process takes place using advanced machinery. Vegetables are boiled and rinsed to remove bacteria, and then they are placed in jars with different brine solutions to create different pickle flavors.

If you are making this particular homemade mixed vegetable pickle, use fresh turmeric, which is readily available from Nakasero Market. Trust me, it makes a world of difference in the colour and appearance of the finished product.

Titbits

Pickles are made of various vegetables, including asparagus, green beans, radishes, cauliflower, carrots, onions and cucumbers. Even sauerkraut is a type of pickled vegetable because it is made from fermented cabbage. You can also pickle other food types, such as eggs. Most pickles are vegetables pickled in vinegar, brine or other solutions.