What is Pickling and How Does It Work?

One of the oldest ways of food preservation is pickling. Pickling was the sole means to preserve certain foods for future use until the introduction of modern refrigeration. Pickling began as a way to preserve crops that were either unusual or seasonal, and whose availability was limited by nature and agriculture.

Pickling may be traced back to India, where it is thought to have begun around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Food output fell during the summer due to scorching temperatures and a shortage of water. As a result, there was a need to preserve excess food produced throughout the winter, and pickling was devised to solve this problem. Ingredients like salt, oil, and dried chilli powder mixed with condiments are used in the traditional Asian manner of making long-lasting pickles. These substances are combined in predetermined amounts. Nowadays, you can buy premium quality pickle online easily.

Pickles that are popular all across the world

Pickles from India

Unripe fruits such as mangoes, Indian gooseberries, unripe tamarinds, and lemons have long been utilised in India. Other vegetables that are pickled include gherkin, bitter gourd, carrot, cauliflower, ginger, garlic, onion, jackfruit, and citron. Pickling is often done with just one vegetable or immature fruit. However, a mixture of two or more vegetables or immature fruits is occasionally prepared. Pickles made from vegetables and immature fruits are generally prepared with extreme caution so that they do not rot and can be stored all year. Non-vegetarian pickles, such as those made with chicken, fish, or prawns, are also popular.

Chinese Pickles

Pickles are highly popular in Asian nations such as China, where they have been prepared for thousands of years. Cabbage, lettuce, bitter melon, cucumber, carrot, and shallot are among the vegetables used in Chinese pickles. These and other veggies are tossed in vinegar with sugar and salt. Aside from vegetables, eggs (especially duck eggs) are preserved by combining salt, earth, hay, and other materials in a sealed container and allowing them to mature for about a month. In certain pickling procedures, soy sauce is used instead of vinegar for fermentation, and seasonings like ginger, garlic, chile, or peppercorns are added for a spicy, distinct flavour.

Korean Pickles

Kimchi is a popular pickled product in Korea prepared from fermented spicy cabbage and a variety of vegetables such as soybeans, fish, oysters, and a variety of other ingredients. The Korean pickling method has Chinese origins, however unlike traditional Chinese cabbage pickles, the Korean pickling technique has its own modifications based on local flavour and ingredients. In Korea, there are two types of pickling processes: one in which the components are fermented with fiery chilli pastes, and the other in which milder variations are pickled in water.

Pickles from Japan

In a similar vein, the Japanese have their own pickle recipe that includes ginger, gingko nut, carrot, eggplant, radish, plum, green apricot, and soybean paste, as well as parboiled vegetables.

Pickles that are still fresh

Chutneys, either instant or fresh pickles, are also made. These quick chutneys are only meant to last a few of days. When it comes to making fast pickles, you have a lot of options. Chutneys are made with a variety of vegetables, herbs, and seasonings. Sauces and ketchup have a lot in common with chutneys.