Pickling

  Pickling is preservation via lactobacillus fermentation. It is most famous for pickling cucumbers with a little dill, but honestly, almost anything can (and should) be pickled. Not only various fruits and vegetables, but even sauces can be pickled.



  The key to creating a good lactobacillus ferment for pickling is the brine. The vegetables already have lactobacillus and other mostly-harmless bacteria on the surface, and so an astounding amount of salt is used to kep the other bacteria from growing - about 30-50 grams per liter of water, or 3-5% salinity by weight.


  Once you have a good, dense brine, it is merely a question of packing the brine-filled jar with vegetables, spices, and any other goodies you want. While they do not keep forever, they are usually considered to keep for a couple years due to the selectivity of the brine for lactobacillus when kept in a cool, dark place, and the flavor is considered mature in a few days to a few weeks.

  As such, pickling can add moderately strong preservation and excellent flavor to your repitoire.


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