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Revision as of 19:31, 19 January 2003 by 24.200.223.130 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Pickling is the process of preparing a food by soaking and storing it in a brine (salt) or vinegar solution, a process which can preserve otherwise perishable foods for months. If the food contains sufficient moisture a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding dry salt. Some pickling forms, most notably Korean Kim Chi, salt the vegetables to draw out excess water, then allow natural fermentation of the vegetable to create a vinegar-like solution. Unlike the canning process, pickling does not require the food to be made completely sterile before it is sealed. The acidity or salinity of the solution makes it an environment in which bacteria or fungi do not easily grow.
While the process was originally used to preserve foods, pickling is frequently done because people enjoy the resulting flavor.
The term pickle is often used to refer to specifically to pickled cucumbers, of which dill and sweet pickle are varieties. Many other vegetables and fruits are commonly pickled, especially in Asian cuisines, including onions, cabbage, cauliflower, mango, plum, ginger, garlic and lotus root.
- See also : Food preservation, examples in Kumquat and Preserved Lemon.