Pickling kitchen arts and crafts - Back to Basics

Art Culinaire, Winter, 2002

A TASTE OF HOME AND HARVEST

Ask any true pickle connoisseur why they love pickled foods and you'll usually get the same answer: They're memory-evoking, comforting, and satisfying. We often wax nostalgic about our mothers, grandmothers or favorite aunts filling jars and crocks with tangy, spice-laden brines and just-picked vegetables.

PICKLE HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Civilizations long before ours knew that a simple pickling solution acted as a catalyst to transform a variety of ingredients into flavorful delights. As a result, we've seen evidence throughout history that many different cultures pickled fruits and vegetables in mixtures of spices, salt, brine, and vinegar, as well as immersing flavorful herbs in oils. As a matter of fact, pickling recipes date as far back as medieval Europe and the Ming Dynasty in China. Pickling and preserving was also an integral part of survival before the advent of refrigeration. The summer's harvest was stored to provide sustenance for the winters and lean times; we know of emigrants' deep appreciation for pickling and preserving via their careful recordings throughout their travels.

Asian cultures have always been passionate about their sour-tasting pickles and relishes which complement many a meal. It's been said that rice and pickles are to the Japanese what bread and cheese are to the English, and bread and wine to the French. Considered an integral part of the meal, a dish of pickles always has a place on the Japanese table, and people in the northern provinces of Japan even consume pickles at afternoon tea.

Chinese and Korean-inspired kimch'i was most likely the forerunner of sauerkraut as we know it. Spicy-hot and quite pungent, kimch'i is usually made of fermented cabbage or turnips but there are many versions of this Asian staple. Kimch' is are not only enjoyed on their own but are also added to stews, soups, and stir-fries. Traditionally, the vegetables are pickled before being sealed in ceramic pots, jars, or barrels and often placed underground to ferment. Providing vitamin C and niacin and billed as a purported aid in digestion, this simple dish plays a significant role in the dietary life of these Asian cultures.

Additionally, the sweet and hot chili peppers that come from South America and India have become an important part of the pickle mix. Brightly displayed in large bottles, jars, crocks, and barrels, they abound in specialty gourmet shops and upscale markets both here and abroad. Because of boundless variety and accessibility, there is no need for those less adventurous to journey from country to country to taste local specialties.

The melting pot of America has gleaned dishes and customs from different lands and this process, in turn, has contributed to our varied cuisine. Pickling was and is an integral part of our culinary heritage. Who would have thought that pickled items, which many of us consider condiments, could be the foundation upon which much creative cooking is based?

PICKLING RESURGENCE

Nowadays, since many restaurant kitchens barely have space for putting up pickled food, chefs often employ the quick-pickle or fresh-pickle process. The fruits and vegetables to be pickled do not go through a lengthy brining process; instead, ingredients are merely soaked in brine water or spicy concoctions just long enough to give them the proper "bite" and added flavor. This process bodes well for fruit pickles and some sweeter relishes because brining solutions may overwhelm or mask the inherent flavors of ingredients if they are kept in the solutions for a long period.

Current trends in the industry include serving pickled items as starters or serving them at the same time the patron's bread and butter is placed on the table. But you'll also find them making their way onto your entree plate, adding a tantalizing contrast to meat, poultry, and seafood whose flavors may be "rounder" and seem to cry out for something a bit unexpected.

Because commercially made, pickled food items are so plentiful these days, it doesn't always readily occur to us to preserve the vegetables and fruits from our own gardens for use throughout the long months of winter. But pickling allows us to capture spring's asparagus and summer's earthy-smelling tomatoes and sweet corn at the height of their tastes and textures. The pleasure of eating uniquely flavored and perfectly seasoned pickled fruits and vegetables that you've prepared yourself is one that you'll "relish" long past the tease of Indian summer.

PICKLING PROPERTIES

There are three basic types of pickles: those preserved in vinegar, those preserved in salt, and those preserved in oil.

Items pickled in vinegar are not fermented but a minimal amount of salt is usually added for flavor. These are known as vinegar pickles, fresh pickles, or quick pickles. Salt actually plays a vital part in both the fresh and fermented pickling processes as it aids in extracting the excess water from fruits and vegetables as well as unlocking flavorful juices, concentrating their flavors, and ultimately giving them the firm texture that we so love to bite into.