The Art of Pickling

Jan 24, 2024 by Chef David

By Chef David

Pickles are becoming increasingly popular and sought-after as a low-calorie snack. Consumers are extolling the health benefits of fermentation and electrolytes instead of obsessing over the higher salt content. Dating back 4,000 years ago to ancient Mesopotamia pickling was a way to preserve foods. Aristotle praised the curative benefits of pickled cucumbers, which were rumored to have been one of Cleopatra’s beauty secrets, while Julius Caesar fed them to his soldiers for strength.

While we often think of pickled cucumbers, almost every vegetable can be pickled. This provides an almost limitless spectrum of taste profiles to experiment with. Pickling brings out a complexity of tastes from vegetables. We sampled Bubbies Pickles certified by the OU and Pacific Pickle Works certified by EarthKosher. Then we made our own ‘refrigerator pickles’  using the LeKue Pickling Kit.

We savored each bite packed full of incredible flavors.

Pacific Pickle Works

Our search to find nontraditional alluring pickled flavors led us to Pacific Pickle Works. They are a small company, started in 2001 in the kitchen of Pickle Principal, Bradley Bennett.

Their signature recipes blend California chiles and umami-rich aromatics with vinegar. They use no artificial preservatives, colors, stabilizers, refined sugar, or gluten. These pickled products are hand-packed and sealed in sustainable high-quality glass jars.

Pacific Pickle Works begins with local farm fresh produce, packed in bold and spicy brines at their Santa Barbara, California factory. These products are all-natural and artisan hand-crafted. They have created a robust “West Coast” style spicy pickle. Their range of tastes and vegetables raised the bar and tempted our staff to experiment on their own.

Unusual Tastes and Combinations

Pandemic Pickles, Carrots on Fire, Unbeetables, and Fenn Shui are each so different in profile. They are packed with incredible color and flavor with a crisp crunch. Pacific Pickle Works kicks up the flavor of vegetables.  Our favorites were the Carrots on Fire, which combines carrots, water, distilled vinegar, jalapeno pepper, and onion, with salt, organic raw sugar, and spices to create sweet-savory carrots with vibrant orange color, and crunch, and Unbeeetables with bold red color and complicated taste, from the inclusion of jalapeño pepper. Fenn Shui is pickled fennel root in rice vinegar, ginger, and Thai chile, while Pandemic Pickles turns up the heat on traditional pickles. Creating spicy caraway pickle halves by adding habanero, jalapeño, and garlic. The fire from these Hot & Spicy Pickle Halves packs a punch that gradually sneaks up, boosting your immunity and cleaning out your insides.

Pacific Pickles Work bold colors and tastes brighten any meal, with bold colors, and tastes. They also sell pickles with cleaver names including No Big Dill – baby kosher dills and ¡Ay Cukarambas! (pickled cucumbers) along with an expansive repertoire of pickled California vegetables including asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.

These wild, wacky, and wonderful flavors can be ordered online.

Bubbies Pickles

Bubbies is a more traditional brand known for their naturally fermented Kosher Dill Pickles which pack a crunch. We sampled Bubbies Kosher Dills, Spicy Kosher Dills, and their relish, but they also sell Baby Kosher Dills, Bread & Butter Chips, Horseradish Bread & Butter Chips, and Ginger Apple Bread & Butter Chips.

You will recognize Bubbies traditional dills by their signature cloudy brine which is made of water, salt, garlic, dill, spices, mustard seed, and calcium chloride. Bubbies traditional pickles contain no vinegar or sugar and are preservative-free. The Spicy Kosher Dills packs a punch,  using hot peppers to provide some heat. These were our favorites, we enjoyed these pickles with chutzpah. They add a nice touch to the Bubbies classic and make a welcome flavor profile.

Our favorite surprise was Bubbies Kosher Dill Relish, made of Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickles, this condiment is unlike store relish. This relish is actually made of tiny pickle fragments. Bubbies Kosher Dill Relish adds the flavor and taste of kosher dills to sandwiches, salads, or dressings.

History of Bubbies

Bubbies Pickles was founded in San Francisco, CA in 1982 when Leigh Truex (a Bubbie herself) began selling her homemade, naturally fermented Kosher Dill Pickles at local stores and farmers’ markets.

In 1989, John and Kathy Gray, two former bankers with an entrepreneurial spirit and a love of fermented foods, purchased the budding Bubbies of San Francisco.

Over their 33 years of ownership, the Gray family turned this small local pickle company into a household name with the picture of their Bubbie, Kathy Gray on the label. Bubbies recipes are all preservative-free, sugar-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, and Kosher certified. They are now part of Fermented Food Holdings.

Use the store locator to find Bubbies at your local supermarket.

How to Quick Pickle

Pickling refers to preserving food by anaerobic fermentation using either brine or vinegar. Making ‘quick pickles’ begins by creating a brine. Combine vinegar (white distilled or apple cider vinegar) with water, sugar, and salt. Then add spices and the cut vegetables.  Submerge the vegetables in the brine, and store them in the refrigerator.

For the best results leave a ½ inch of space from the top of the jar to the top of the vegetables. Gently tap your jars against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Seal the jars and refrigerate.

Lékué cover Pickling Kit

Pickling at home is easier than you think. Lekue Pickling Kit includes everything you need to make fermented or quick pickled vegetables.

The biggest challenge is keeping the vegetables submerged. Lékué’s innovative design an adjustable disk positioned inside the jar allows you to keep vegetables under the liquid.

The kit includes two stackable glass jars (24 fluid ounces) each with adjustable pressing disks. The kit includes tongs for adjusting the disks as well as for serving. The jars have a specially designed non-slip lid with silicone valves that allow the excess CO2 generated during the fermentation process to escape and a silicon cover for labeling and easy handling.

Lékué provides several pickling recipes.

About Lékué

Lékué designs and manufactures unique culinary solutions. Their products, gadgets, and utensils are high quality and durable.  We were impressed with their attention to detail, and consistently high-quality and smart designs. Their products are both practical and elegant.

Lékué Pickeling Kit is available online at Lékué.

Experiment and Enjoy

Pickling is forgiving, it does not require exact measures and therefore allows you to experiment with flavor combinations and vegetables.

Since you can pickle any vegetable, begin by selecting your favorite. Remember that the secret is in the spices you add to the brine. Personalize your pickles by experimenting with herbs and spices. Try dill, thyme, oregano, and rosemary.  Use garlic cloves,  if you like a milder flavor, smash the garlic flavor, for more kick, use sliced garlic you can also try ginger or peppers.  Play with the spices, try mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes (these can be added whole) for color add turmeric.

Have fun, while you snack healthier.

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Recipe – Pickled Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

• green tomatoes (about 4 or 5), thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño chile, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon dill seed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Evenly distribute the sliced green tomatoes, carraway, cumin seeds, peppercorns, celery seed, dill seed, and garlic into the jar.
2. In a saucepan, bring to a boil 1 cup of water – add the vinegar, and salt.
3. Pour the boiling vinegar mixture into the jar leaving the ½ inch empty.
4. Cover with lid. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.
5. They will be ready after 4 hours and will last for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.