pickling

Pickling with vinegar likely originated in ancient Mesopotamia around 2400 BCE.{{Cite news |last=Trivedi-Grenier |first=Leena |date=2019-07-26 |title=A world tour of pickles in the Bay Area and how to make them |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/cooking/article/A-world-tour-of-pickles-With-recipes-14187446.php |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Pruitt |first=Sarah |date=August 7, 2019 |title=The Juicy 4,000-Year History of Pickles |url=https://www.history.com/news/pickles-history-timeline |website=HISTORY |language=en}} There is archaeological evidence of cucumbers being pickled in the Tigris Valley in 2030 BCE.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-pickles/|title=History in a Jar: The Story of Pickles|last=Avey|first=Tori|date=3 September 2014|website=pbs.org|publisher=PBS|access-date=3 October 2021}} Pickling vegetables in vinegar continued developing in the Middle East region before spreading to the Maghreb, Sicily, and Spain. From Spain, it spread to the Americas.{{Cite book |last=Davison |first=Jan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x15tDwAAQBAJ |title=Pickles : A Global History |date=May 15, 2018 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978-1-78023-959-0 |location=London, UK |language=en |oclc=1048925666}} Fermented salt pickling reportedly originated in China.

There is sufficient archaeological evidence that pickling was also practiced in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and throughout the Roman Empire.{{Cite web |last=Pruitt |first=Sarah |date=August 7, 2019 |title=The Juicy 4,000-Year History of Pickles |url=https://www.history.com/news/pickles-history-timeline |website=HISTORY |language=en}} The Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra was known to credit the pickles in her diet for her good health and beauty.{{Cite web |last=Pruitt |first=Sarah |date=August 7, 2019 |title=The Juicy 4,000-Year History of Pickles |url=https://www.history.com/news/pickles-history-timeline |website=HISTORY |language=en}} Roman emperors were also known to make pickles a part of their troops' diets, with the belief it would make them stronger and more fit for battle.{{Cite web |last=Pruitt |first=Sarah |date=August 7, 2019 |title=The Juicy 4,000-Year History of Pickles |url=https://www.history.com/news/pickles-history-timeline |website=HISTORY |language=en}}

Although the Ancient Greeks and Romans had been using dill for extensively longer periods, the use of pickling in Western Europe began around 900 AD when the herb arrived from its native Sumatra through trading routes.{{Cite web |last=Pruitt |first=Sarah |date=August 7, 2019 |title=The Juicy 4,000-Year History of Pickles |url=https://www.history.com/news/pickles-history-timeline |website=HISTORY |language=en}}

Pickling was used as a way to preserve food for out-of-season use and for long journeys, especially by sea. Salt pork and salt beef were common staples for sailors before the days of steam engines. Although the process was invented to preserve foods, pickles are also made and eaten because people enjoy the resulting flavors. Pickling may also improve the nutritional value of food by introducing B vitamins produced by bacteria.{{cite web|url=http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/pickles/history.html|title=Science of Pickles: Fascinating Pickle Facts – Exploratorium|website=Exploratorium: the museum of science, art and human perception|access-date=15 February 2018}}

The English term "pickle" first appears around 1400 CE. It originates from the Middle English pikel, a spicy sauce served with meat or fish, borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German pekel ("brine") but later referred to preserving in brine or vinegar.{{Cite web |title=pickle {{!}} Etymology, origin and meaning of pickle by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/pickle |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}}

{{Further|South Asian pickles}}

File:Indian_cultural_zone.svg cultural influence zone of Greater India for transmission of elements of Indian culture including food, e.g. pickle / atchaar / atchara / acar,]]South Asia has a large variety of pickles (known as achar (अचार, اچار) in Nepali, Assamese, Bengali, Hindi (अचार), Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu (اچار) uppinakaayi in Kannada, lonacha (लोणचं) in Marathi, uppilittathu or achar in Malayalam, oorukai in Tamil, pacchadi(పచ్చడి) or ooragaya(ఊరగాయ) in Telugu, which are mainly made from varieties of mango, lemon, lime, gongura (a sour leafy shrub), tamarind, Indian gooseberry (amla), and chilli. Vegetables such as eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, tomato, bitter gourd, green tamarind, ginger, garlic, onion, and citron are also occasionally used. These fruits and vegetables are mixed with ingredients such as salt, spices, and vegetable oils. The pickling process is completed by placing filled jars in the sun where they mature in the sun. The sun's heat destroys moulds and microbes which could spoil the pickles.

In Pakistan, pickles are known locally as achaar (in Urdu اچار) and come in a variety of flavours. A popular item is the traditional mixed Hyderabadi pickle, a common delicacy prepared from an assortment of fruits (most notably mangoes) and vegetables blended with selected spices. Although the origin of the word is ambiguous, the word āchār is widely considered to be of Persian origin. Āchār in Persian is defined as 'powdered or salted meats, pickles, or fruits, preserved in salt, vinegar, honey, sugar or syrup.'{{Cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-humble-indian-pickle//|title=A Brief History Of The Humble Indian Pickle|date=28 November 2016|website=Culture Trip|access-date=1 January 2019}}

File:Indian-pickle.jpg

In Sri Lanka, a date and shallot pickle achcharu is traditionally prepared from carrots, chilli powder, shallots and ground dates mixed with garlic, crushed fresh ginger, green chilis, mustard seeds and vinegar, and left to sit in a clay pot.{{Cite book |last=Sivanathan |first=Prakash K. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/988577642 |title=Sri Lanka : the cookbook |date=2017 |others=Niranjala M. Ellawala, Kim Lightbody |isbn=978-1-78101-213-0 |edition=First |publisher=Francis Lincoln |location=London |oclc=988577642}}

Indian pickles are mostly prepared in three ways: salt/brine, oil, and vinegar, with mango pickle being most popular among all.{{cite web|title=A Brief History Of The Humble Indian Pickle|date=20 July 2016|url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-humble-indian-pickle/|access-date=28 November 2016|publisher=theculturetrip.com}}{{Cite news|last=Doctor|first=Vikram|title=Usha Pickles digest | From spiced mango to drumstick pith: How Usha Prabakaran's book changed the way we tasted pickles|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/meet-usha-prabakaran-the-reclusive-creator-of-the-smash-hit-ushas-pickle-digest/articleshow/70515948.cms|access-date=2023-01-02

|date=4 August 2019

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012181750/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/meet-usha-prabakaran-the-reclusive-creator-of-the-smash-hit-ushas-pickle-digest/articleshow/70515948.cms

|archive-date=12 October 2019}}

{{Further|acar}}Singapore, Indonesian and Malaysian pickles, called acar are typically made out of cucumber, carrot, bird's eye chilies, and shallots, these items being seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt. Fruits, such as papaya and pineapple, are also sometimes pickled. In Malaysia, it's common for pickles to be made in brine (usually made with sugar or starchy water to provide the best environment for fermentation). These pickles, known locally as jeruk, are made from unripe mango, papaya, pineapple and lime. Eaten with a meal, or on its own as a snack, jeruk is especially popular among children.

In the Philippines, pickling is a common method of preserving food, with many commonly eaten foods pickled, traditionally done using large earthen jars. The process is known as buro or binuro. Pickling was a common method of preserving a large variety of foods such as fish throughout the archipelago before the advent of refrigeration, but its popularity is now confined to vegetables and fruits. Atchara is primarily made out of julienned green papaya, carrots, and shallots, seasoned with cloves of garlic and vinegar; but could include ginger, bell peppers, white radishes, cucumbers or bamboo shoots. Pickled unripe mangoes or burong mangga, unripe tomatoes, guavas, jicama, bitter gourd and other fruit and vegetables still retain their appeal. Siling labuyo, sometimes with garlic and red onions, is also pickled in bottled vinegar and is a staple condiment in Filipino cuisine.{{Cite journal |last=Kumar |first=Dr. Anil |date=November 1, 2018 |title=Artificial Food Preservatives, Additives and Their Chemical Toxicity |url=https://ijarasem.com/admin/img/22_Artificial.pdf |journal=International Journal of Advanced Research in Arts, Science, Engineering & Management |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=3289 |via=IJARASEM}}

File:Dưa cải muối.JPG}}]]

In Vietnamese cuisine, vegetable pickles are called {{lang|vi|dưa muối}} ("salted vegetables") or {{lang|vi|dưa chua}} ("sour vegetables"). {{lang|vi|Dưa chua}} or {{lang|vi|dưa góp}} is made from a variety of fruits and vegetables, including {{lang|vi|cà pháo}}, eggplant, Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, carrots, radishes, papaya, cauliflower, and {{lang|vi|sung}}. {{lang|vi|Dưa chua}} made from carrots and radishes are commonly added to {{lang|vi|bánh mì}} sandwiches. {{lang|vi|Dưa cải muối}} is made by pressing and sun-drying vegetables such as {{lang|vi|cải xậy}} and gai choy. {{lang|vi|Nhút mít}} is a specialty of Nghệ An and Hã Tĩnh provinces made from jackfruit.

In Burma, tea leaves are pickled to produce lahpet, which has strong social and cultural importance.

Lahpet thoke (tea leaf salad) is a popular dish made with fermented tea leaves, garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, dried shrimp, and other seasonings. It is often served as a delicacy at social gatherings and plays a role in traditional ceremonies. The tradition of pickling tea leaves dates back centuries and is unique to Burmese cuisine. https://www.academia.edu/40725173/Processing_and_Analysis_on_Myanmar_Traditional_Laphet_Processing_Fermented_Pickled_Tea_Leaves_

File:Gimchi.jpg is a very common side dish in Korea.]]

{{Further|Chinese pickles}}

A wide variety of foods are pickled throughout East Asia. The pickles are often sweet, salty, and/or spicy and preserved in sweetened solutions or oil.{{cite web|last=Chou|first=Lillian|title=Chinese and other Asian Pickles|url=http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=426|work=Flavor and Fortune (Fall 2003 Volume)|publisher=Institute for the Advancement of the Science And Art Of Chinese Cuisine|access-date=6 December 2012|archive-date=13 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313160355/http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=426|url-status=dead}}

China is home to first documented origins of fermented salt pickles, based upon a poem written around 7th century BCE.{{Cite book |last=Davison |first=Jan |title=Pickles: A global history |date=May 15, 2018 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=9781780239590}} The practice of pickling then spread across Asia, consisting of a large variety of vegetables, including radish, baicai (Chinese cabbage, notably suan cai, pao cai, and Tianjin preserved vegetable), zha cai, chili pepper (e.g. duo jiao), and cucumbers, among many others.

Japanese tsukemono (pickled foods) are made from a variety of techniques, the oldest and easiest being Shio-zuke which translates to salt pickles. This method tends to be the most widely used, and a version of this method called ichiyazuke (overnight pickle) which as the name indiates is a sped-up pickling process (using salt) that can be completed overnight and ready to serve the next day.Reid, Libby (August 2008). TSUKEMONO: A Look at Japanese Pickling Techniques (PDF). Kanagawa International Foundation. p. 4. Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Umeboshi, another one of the salt-preserved tsukemono, is known as the Japanese plum but taste-wise is closer in comparison to an apricot. In Japanese, 'boshi' stems off the root verb meaning "to dry" because after the Umeboshi is pickled, it dries out in sunlight for 3-5 days (although some recipes recommend putting the fruit back into brine at night, to prevent molding).

In Korea one of the most notable pickled foods is kimchi, which is a Korean side dish made of pickled vegetables. Kimchi is primarily consists of napa cabbage (baechu ) but is also commonly mixed with radish, green onions, garlic, ginger and red chili powder.{{Cite journal |last=Hongu |first=Nobuko |last2=Kim |first2=Angela S. |last3=Suzuki |first3=Asuka |last4=Wilson |first4=Hope |last5=Tsui |first5=Karen C. |last6=Park |first6=Sunmin |date=September 27, 2017 |title=Korean kimchi: promoting healthy meals through cultural tradition |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618117301373 |journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=172-180 |via=Science Direct}}

{{Further|Tursu}}

File:Tursucu Sahne sokak beyoglu Istanbul_0644.jpg, traditional pickles in Southeast Europe, Turkey and the South Caucasus]]

File:PikiWiki Israel 39626 Cities in Israel.JPG sauerkraut in Israel]]

In Iran, Turkey, Arab countries, the Balkans, and the South Caucasus, pickles (called torshi in Persian, turşu in Turkish language and mekhallel in Arabic) are a pickled mix of cucumbers, and turnips, onions, carrots, olives or other regional vegetables. The Persian word torshi comes from the root word 'torsh' which translates in english to 'sour.'

Sauerkraut, as well as cabbage pickled in vinegar, with carrot and other vegetables is commonly consumed as a kosher dish in Israel and is considered pareve, meaning that it contains no meat or dairy so it can be consumed with either.{{cite web|url=https://www.chabad.org/recipes/recipe_cdo/aid/4052300/jewish/Sweet-Spicy-Pickled-Vegetables.htm|title=Sweet & Spicy Pickled Vegetables|publisher=chabad.org}}

File:Coriander Seed.jpg seeds are one of the spices popularly added to pickled vegetables in Europe.]]

In Hungary, the main meal (lunch) usually includes some kind of pickles (savanyúság), but pickles are also commonly consumed at other times of the day. The most commonly consumed pickles are sauerkraut (savanyú káposzta), pickled cucumbers and peppers, and csalamádé, but tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, baby corn, onions, garlic, certain squashes and melons, and a few fruits such as plums and apples are used to make pickles too. Stuffed pickles are specialties, usually made of peppers or melons pickled after being stuffed with a cabbage filling. Pickled plum stuffed with garlic is a unique Hungarian type of pickle just like csalamádé and leavened cucumber (kovászos uborka). Csalamádé is a type of mixed pickle made of cabbage, cucumber, paprika, onion, carrot, tomatoes, and bay leaf mixed up with vinegar as the fermenting agent. Leavened cucumber, unlike other types of pickled cucumbers that are around all year long, is rather a seasonal pickle produced in the summer. Cucumbers, spices, herbs, and slices of bread are put in a glass jar with salt water and kept in direct sunlight for a few days. The yeast from the bread, along with other pickling agents and spices fermented under the hot sun, give the cucumbers a unique flavor, texture, and slight carbonation. Its juice can be used instead of carbonated water to make a special type of spritzer ('Újházy fröccs'). It is common for Hungarian households to produce their own pickles. Different regions or towns have their special recipes unique to them. Among them all, the Vecsési sauerkraut (Vecsési savanyú káposzta) is the most famous.{{Cite web |last=Rolek |first=Barbara |date=12 June 2010 |title=Sauerkraut: The Quintessential Eastern European Vegetable |url=http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/vegetables/a/sauerkraut.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116055455/http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/vegetables/a/sauerkraut.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-01-16 |website=About Food}}{{Cite journal |last=Nagy |first=Joelle |date=24 June 2024 |title=CSALÁDI |url=https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/6002 |journal=LSU Master's Theses |volume=6002}}

File:Jonjoli.jpg pickled flowers of bladdernut]]

File:Pomidor turshusu e-citizen.jpg.]]

Romanian pickles (murături) are made out of beetroot, cucumbers, green tomatoes (gogonele), carrots, cabbage, garlic, sauerkraut, bell peppers, melons, mushrooms, turnips, celery and cauliflower. Meat, like pork, can also be preserved in salt and lard.{{Cite web |date=7 November 2010 |title=Pickled Vegetables |url=http://easterneuropeancuisine.com/pickled-vegetables/ |website=Eastern European Cuisine}}

Polish cuisine is centered around pickled foods. Pickled gherkins are enjoyed in a multitude of ways; a snack, a sidedish, a 'chaser' for vodka, and also often used to pickled-gherkin soup.{{Cite web |last=Kasprzyk-Chevriaux |first=Magdalena |date=12 May 2020 |title=Polish Flavour: The Glory of Pickling |url=https://culture.pl/en/article/polish-flavour-the-glory-of-pickling |website=Culture.pl}}

Czech cuisine incorporates many pickled fruits and vegetables as a way to preserve produce that in their climate are mostly seasonal. A unique aspect of Czech cuisine is the dish 'beer cheese' which is cheese that is pickled in beer.{{Cite web |title=Czech Cuisine |url=https://www.restaurant-guide.cz/en/cuisine-types/czech-cuisine/ |website=Restaurant-Guide}}

In Slovak tradition, pickling practices are quite similar to ones used in the Czech Republic. June and July is prime pickling season in Slovakia, where most people are bottling up their fruits and vegetables to preserve for enjoyment in the wintertime.{{Cite web |last=Hlávková |first=Jarmila |date=July 21, 2020 |title=Pickled Green Peppers |url=https://cookslovak.com/2020/07/21/pickled-green-peppers/ |website=CookSlovak}}

North Caucasian, Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian pickled items include beets, mushrooms, tomatoes, sauerkraut, cucumbers, ramsons, garlic, eggplant (which is typically stuffed with julienned carrots), custard squash, and watermelon. Garden produce is commonly pickled using salt, dill, blackcurrant leaves, bay leaves and garlic and is stored in a cool, dark place. The leftover brine (called rassol (рассол) in Russian) has a number of culinary uses in these countries, especially for cooking traditional soups, such as shchi, rassolnik, and solyanka. Rassol, especially cucumber or sauerkraut rassol, is also a favorite traditional remedy against morning hangover.{{Cite book

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zf6tJnMjbi4C&pg=PA514|title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture

|editor1-last=Smorodinskaya|editor1-first=Tatiana

|editor2-last=Evans-Romaine|editor2-first=Karen

|editor3-last=Goscilo|editor3-first=Helena

|date=2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-32094-8|pages=514–515}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2021}}

File:GiardinieraSpicy.JPG|223x223px]]An Italian pickled vegetable dish is giardiniera, which comes from the root word "giardino" and translates in english to garden. Typical inclusions to giardiniera are carrots, celery, peppers, onions, cauliflower and whatever other vegetables were found in the garden.{{Cite web |last=Marchetti |first=Domenica |date=July 11, 2023 |title=Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Vegetables) |url=https://www.themediterraneandish.com/giardiniera-italian-pickled-vegetables/ |website=The Mediterranean Dish}}

In the Middle East and Balkan Region, pickled vegetables (most commonly used are peppers, carrots and cauliflower) are known regionally as turshi, tursija, torshi or turshu.{{Cite web |last=Evlad |first=Fatimah |date=October 6, 2022 |title=Turshi - Pickled Peppers & Carrots |url=https://www.balkanbasics.com/blog/Turshi-pickled-peppers-carrots#:~:text=%E2%80%9CTurshi%2C%20tur%C5%A1ija%2C%20tur%C5%9Fu%2C,acidic%2C%20and%20packed%20with%20flavor. |website=Balkan Basics}} This dish can be enjoyed on its own, in sandwiches or salads, and as a side to popular dishes like Lahm Bi Ajeen.{{Cite web |last=Tarazi-Haman |first=Tamara |date=April 25, 2019 |title=Turshi |url=https://threeteaskitchen.com/turshi/ |website=Three Teas Kitchen}} In Greece, pickles, called τουρσί (pronounced toursi) are made out of carrots, celery, eggplants stuffed with diced carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, and peppers. {{Cite web |last=Staikopoulos |first=Kelly Salonica |date=July 17, 2019 |title=Pickling~Greek Island Style |url=https://www.kuklaskouzina.com/blog/picklinggreek-island-style |website=Kukla's Kouzina}}

In Spain, pickles, known as "encurtidos", are mainly made with olives, cucumbers, onions and green peppers ("guindillas" or "piparras"). "Banderillas" are small pieces of pickled cucumber and green pepper, along with olives and anchovies, mounted into toothpicks, and are very popular as Tapas.{{Cite book |last=Von Bremzen |first=Anya |title=The New Spanish Table |date=October 2005 |publisher=Workman Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7611-3994-2 |location=New York, NY}}

In Britain, pickled onions and pickled eggs are often sold in pubs and fish and chip shops. Pickled beetroot, walnuts, and gherkins, and condiments such as Branston Pickle and piccalilli are typically eaten as an accompaniment to pork pies and cold meats, sandwiches or a ploughman's lunch. Other popular pickles in the UK are pickled mussels, cockles, red cabbage, mango chutney, sauerkraut, and olives. Rollmops are also quite widely available under a range of names from various producers both within and out of the UK.Herbert, A. E., Bouchard, J. B., & Fine, J. (2024). Colonizing Condiments: Culinary Experimentation and the Politics of Disgust in Early Modern Britain. Global Food History, 11(1), 42–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/20549547.2024.2357928

Pickled fish, specifically herring and salmon, are popular in Scandinavia. Pickled cucumbers, beets and radishes are used as condiments for several traditional dishes. Pickled capers are also common in Scandinavian cuisine.Garden-Robinson, Julie, Dietetic Intern Alliana Houfek, and Alexandra Jones. "Scandinavian Cuisine."

{{More citations needed section|date=April 2021}}

In the United States and Canada, pickled cucumbers (most often referred to simply as "pickles"), olives, and sauerkraut are most commonly seen, although pickles common in other nations are also very widely available. In Canada and the US, there may be a distinction made between gherkins (usually smaller), and pickles (larger pickled cucumbers).

Sweet pickles made with fruit are more common in the cuisine of the American South. The pickling "syrup" is made with vinegar, brown sugar, and whole spices such as cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves. Fruit pickles can be made with an assortment of fruits including watermelon, cantaloupe, Concord grapes and peaches.Good Housekeeping, July 1907

Canadian pickling is similar to that of Britain. Through the winter, pickling is an important method of food preservation. Pickled cucumbers, onions, and eggs are common. Pickled egg and pickled sausage make popular pub snacks in much of English Canada. Chow-chow is a tart vegetable mix popular in the Maritime Provinces and the Southern United States, similar to piccalilli. Pickled fish is commonly seen, as in Scotland, and kippers may be seen for breakfast, as well as plentiful smoked salmon. Meat is often also pickled or preserved in different brines throughout the winter, most prominently in the harsh climate of Newfoundland.

Pickled eggs are common in many regions of the United States. Pickled herring is available in the Upper Midwest. Giardiniera, a mixture of pickled peppers, celery and olives, is a popular condiment in Chicago and other Midwestern cities with large Italian-American populations, and is often consumed with Italian beef sandwiches.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country has a strong tradition of pickled foods, including chow-chow and red beet eggs. In the Southern United States, pickled okra and watermelon rind are popular, as are deep-fried pickles and pickled pig's feet, pickled chicken eggs, pickled quail eggs, pickled garden vegetables and pickled sausage.{{cite web | last = Zeldes | first = Leah A. | title = Eat this! Southern-fried dill pickles, a rising trend | work = Dining Chicago | publisher = Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide, Inc. | date = 2009-12-02 | url = http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/12/02/eat-this-southern-fried-dill-pickles-a-rising-trend/ | access-date = 2010-08-02 | archive-date = 2020-01-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200106125013/http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/12/02/eat-this-southern-fried-dill-pickles-a-rising-trend/ | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/pickled-pigs-feet-recipe.html|title=Pickled Pigs Feet Recipe – Real Authentic Pigs Feet Recipes|access-date=15 February 2018}}

Various pickled vegetables, fish, or eggs may make a side dish to a Canadian lunch or dinner. Popular pickles in the Pacific Northwest include pickled asparagus and green beans. Pickled fruits like blueberries and early green strawberries are paired with meat dishes in restaurants.

Pickles were part of Thanksgiving dinner traditions as early as 1827. The first mention of pickles at Thanksgiving comes from Sarah Josepha Hale's novel Northwood. (Hale is best known for her successful campaign to have Thanksgiving recognized as a national holiday in the United States.) Pickled peaches, coleslaw and other mixed pickles continue to be served alongside cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner in present times.{{cite book |last1=Davison |first1=Jan |title=Pickles: A Global History |publisher=Reaktion Books}}

In Mexico, chili peppers, particularly of the Jalapeño and serrano varieties, are pickled with vegetables such as, onions, carrots and herbs form common condiments. Pickled peppers are canned and sold in supermarkets under the name "en escabeche."Jaramillo-Flores, M.E., Dorantes-Alvarez, L., García-Barrientos, R. and Welti-Chanes, J. (2010). Mexican Pickled Jalapeño Pepper. In Handbook of Fruit and Vegetable Flavors, Y.H. Hui (Ed.). https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470622834.ch49

In the Mesoamerican region, pickling is known as encurtido or "curtido" for short. The pickles or "curtidos" as known in Latin America are served cold, as an appetizer, as a side dish or as a tapas dish in Spain. In several Central American countries it is prepared with cabbage, onions, carrots, lemon, vinegar, oregano, and salt. In Mexico, "curtido" consists of carrots, onions, and jalapeño peppers and used to accompany meals common in taquerías and restaurants.{{Cite book |last=Elbad |first=Adam |title=Fermenting Food Step by Step: Over 80 step-by-step recipes for successfully fermenting kombucha, kimchi, yogurt |date=2015 |publisher=Penguin |year=2015 |isbn=9781465450265}}

{{More citations needed section|date=April 2021}}

File:Vase by Bat Trang ceramic for pickling 2.JPG vessel for pickling]]

In traditional pickling, fruit or vegetables are submerged in brine (20–40 grams/L of salt (3.2–6.4 oz/imp gal or 2.7–5.3 oz/US gal)), or shredded and salted as in sauerkraut preparation, and held underwater by flat stones layered on top.{{cite web|first = Holly|last = Howe|date = 8 November 2018|url = http://www.makesauerkraut.com/fermentation-weights/ |title = 3 Key Items for Keeping Your Ferments Safe|website = MakeSauerkraut.com}} Alternatively, a lid with an airtrap or a tight lid may be used if the lid is able to release pressure which may result from carbon dioxide buildup.{{Cite web

|first=Sandor |last=Katz | date=8 May 2012

|title=Aerobic vs Anaerobic Fermentation Controversy

|website=Wild Fermentation|url=https://www.wildfermentation.com/aerobic-vs-anaerobic-fermentation-controversy/|access-date=2023-01-02|publisher=(blog)}} Mold or (white) kahm yeast may form on the surface; kahm yeast is mostly harmless but can impart an off taste and may be removed without affecting the pickling process.{{Cite web

|date=2015

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828151103/http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/natural-fermentation/fermentation-equipment-choosing-the-right-supplies

|archive-date=28 August 2016

|title=Fermenting Jars | How To Choose The Right Fermentation Containers?|url=https://culturesforhealth.com/blogs/learn/natural-fermentation-fermentation-equipment-choosing-the-right-supplies|access-date=2023-01-02|website=Cultures For Health|language=en}}

In chemical pickling, the fruits or vegetables to be pickled are placed in a sterilized jar along with brine, vinegar, or both, as well as spices, and are then allowed to mature until the desired taste is obtained.

The food can be pre-soaked in brine before transferring to vinegar. This reduces the water content of the food, which would otherwise dilute the vinegar. This method is particularly useful for fruit and vegetables with a high natural water content.

In commercial pickling, a preservative such as sodium benzoate or EDTA may also be added to enhance shelf life. In fermentation pickling, the food itself produces the preservation agent, typically by a process involving Lactobacillus bacteria that produce lactic acid as the preservative agent.

Alum, short for aluminum sulfate, is used in pickling to promote crisp texture and is approved, though not recommended, as a food additive by the United States Food and Drug Administration.{{cite news | title = Where the Humble Pickle Finally Earns a Place of Honor | last = Fabricant | first = Florence | date = 5 May 1993 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/05/garden/where-the-humble-pickle-finally-earns-a-place-of-honor.html | newspaper = The New York Times}} {{subscription required}}{{cite web | title = Food Additive Status List | website = US Food and Drug Administration | date = 25 August 2022 | url = https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=FoodSubstances | access-date = 24 November 2022}} Another common crisping agent is calcium chloride, which evolved from the practice of using pickling lime.{{cite web |title=Crispy Pickles |url=https://extension.psu.edu/crispy-pickles |website=Penn State Extension |language=en}} See also firming agent.

"Refrigerator pickles" are unfermented pickles made by marinating fruit or vegetables in a seasoned vinegar solution. They must be stored under refrigeration or undergo canning to achieve long-term storage.{{Cite web| title = All Pickle Types| work = thenibble.com| access-date = 2015-01-22| url = http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/condiments/pickles/pickle-glossary5.asp}}

Japanese Tsukemono use a variety of pickling ingredients depending on their type, and are produced by combining these ingredients with the vegetables to be preserved and putting the mixture under pressure.

In 1993, the World Health Organization listed traditional Asian pickled vegetables as possible carcinogens,{{Cite web |title=List of Classifications – IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans |url=https://monographs.iarc.who.int/list-of-classifications |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=monographs.iarc.who.int}} and the British Journal of Cancer released an online 2009 meta-analysis of research on pickles as increasing the risks of esophageal cancer. The report, citing limited data in a statistical meta analysis, indicates a potential two-fold increased risk of esophageal cancer associated with Asian pickled vegetable consumption. Results from the research are described as having "high heterogeneity" and the study said that further well-designed prospective studies were warranted.{{cite journal|last=Islami |first=F |year=2009|title=Pickled vegetables and the risk of oesophageal cancer: a meta-analysis |journal=British Journal of Cancer |volume=101|issue=9 |pages=1641–1647|doi=10.1038/sj.bjc.6605372|pmid=19862003 |pmc=2778505 }} However, their results stated "The majority of subgroup analyses showed a statistically significant association between consuming pickled vegetables and Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma".

Consuming pickled vegetables is also associated with a 28% increase in the risk of stomach cancer.{{Cite journal |last1=Poorolajal |first1=Jalal |last2=Moradi |first2=Leila |last3=Mohammadi |first3=Younes |last4=Cheraghi |first4=Zahra |last5=Gohari-Ensaf |first5=Fatemeh |date=2020 |title=Risk factors for stomach cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Epidemiology and Health |volume=42 |pages=e2020004 |doi=10.4178/epih.e2020004 |issn=2092-7193 |pmc=7056944 |pmid=32023777}}

The 2009 meta-analysis reported heavy infestation of pickled vegetables with fungi. Some common fungi can facilitate the formation of N-nitroso compounds, which are strong esophageal carcinogens in several animal models.{{cite journal|last1=Li|first1=MH|last2=Ji|first2=C|last3=Cheng|first3=SJ|title=Occurrence of nitroso compounds in fungi-contaminated foods: A review|journal=Nutrition and Cancer|date=1986|volume=8|issue=1|pages=63–69|doi=10.1080/01635588609513877|pmid=3520493}} Roussin red methyl ester,{{Cite journal | last1 = Liu | first1 = J. G. | last2 = Li | first2 = M. H. | doi = 10.1093/carcin/10.3.617 | title = Roussin red methyl ester, a tumor promoter isolated from pickled vegetables | journal = Carcinogenesis | volume = 10 | issue = 3 | pages = 617–620 | year = 1989 | pmid = 2494003}} a non-alkylating nitroso compound with tumour-promoting effect in vitro, was identified in pickles from Linzhou, Henan (formerly Linxian) in much higher concentrations than in samples from low-incidence areas. Fumonisin mycotoxins have been shown to cause liver and kidney tumours in rodents.

A 2017 study in Chinese Journal of Cancer{{cite journal |last1=Yong |first1=SK |last2=Ha |first2=TC |last3=Yeo |first3=MC |last4=Gaborieau |first4=V |last5=McKay |first5=JD |last6=Wee |first6=J |title=Associations of lifestyle and diet with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Singapore: a case-control study. |journal=Chinese Journal of Cancer |date=7 January 2017 |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=3 |doi=10.1186/s40880-016-0174-3 |pmid=28063457|pmc=5219694 |doi-access=free }} has linked salted vegetables ({{ill|pickled mustard green|zh|咸菜 (潮汕)}} common in Chinese cuisine) to a fourfold increase in nasopharynx cancer. The researchers believe possible mechanisms include production of nitrosamines (a type of N-nitroso compound) by fermentation and activation of Epstein–Barr virus by fermentation products.{{cite web|url=https://tnp.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/health/eating-salted-veggies-linked-cancer|title=Study: Salted vegetables increase risk of nose cancer|date=16 January 2017|access-date=15 February 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://health.asiaone.com/health/health-news/eating-salted-veggies-linked-cancer|title=Health|access-date=15 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423022036/http://health.asiaone.com/health/health-news/eating-salted-veggies-linked-cancer|archive-date=23 April 2017|url-status=dead}}

Historically, pickling caused health concerns for reasons associated with copper salts, as explained in the mid-19th century The English and Australian Cookery Book: "The evidence of the Lancet commissioner (Dr. Hassall) and Mr. Blackwell (of the eminent firm of Crosse and Blackwell) went to prove that the pickles sold in the shops are nearly always artificially coloured, and are thus rendered highly unwholesome, if not actually poisonous."

Reduction of suspected carcinogens from pickled products is a subject of active research.

• Fungi are of interest both for spoilage prevention and reduction of mycotoxins. Some pickle cultures are said to contain bacteria producing natural antifungals.{{cite journal |last1=Leyva Salas |first1=M |last2=Mounier |first2=J |last3=Valence |first3=F |last4=Coton |first4=M |last5=Thierry |first5=A |last6=Coton |first6=E |title=Antifungal Microbial Agents for Food Biopreservation-A Review. |journal=Microorganisms |date=8 July 2017 |volume=5 |issue=3 |page=37 |doi=10.3390/microorganisms5030037 |pmid=28698479|pmc=5620628 |doi-access=free }}
• Nitrites, responsible for the creation of N-nitroso compounds, are reduced by low pH and/or high temperature.{{cite journal |last1=Ding |first1=Zhansheng |last2=Johanningsmeier |first2=Suzanne D. |last3=Price |first3=Robert |last4=Reynolds |first4=Rong |last5=Truong |first5=Van-Den |last6=Payton |first6=Summer Conley |last7=Breidt |first7=Fred |title=Evaluation of nitrate and nitrite contents in pickled fruit and vegetable products |journal=Food Control |date=August 2018 |volume=90 |pages=304–311 |doi=10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.03.005|s2cid=90307358 |doi-access=free }} Inclusion of a porcini enzyme (or the whole mushroom) also reduces nitrite content.{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Weiwei |last2=Tian |first2=Guoting |last3=Feng |first3=Shanshan |last4=Wong |first4=Jack Ho |last5=Zhao |first5=Yongchang |last6=Chen |first6=Xiao |last7=Wang |first7=Hexiang |last8=Ng |first8=Tzi Bun |title=Boletus edulis Nitrite Reductase Reduces Nitrite Content of Pickles and Mitigates Intoxication in Nitrite-intoxicated Mice |journal=Scientific Reports |date=December 2015 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=14907 |doi=10.1038/srep14907|pmid=26446494 |pmc=4597360 |bibcode=2015NatSR...514907Z }}

File:Ogórki w trakcie kiszenia.jpg|Pickled cucumbers

File:Aringa-marinato.jpg|Pickled herring

File:Pickled mushrooms....jpg|Pickled mushrooms

Jonjoli bladdernut flower pickles.jpg|Pickled bladdernut flower

File:Aceitunas en plato.jpg|Pickled olives

File:Pickled Vegetables.JPG|Pickled vegetables

File:Pickled fruits and veggies.jpg|Fermented homemade pickled cucumber, chili pepper, garlic, and apple in the hot climate of Indonesia

{{Portal|Food}}

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• {{annotated link|Brining}}
• Curing (food preservation)
• {{annotated link|Fermentation in food processing}}
• {{annotated link|Home canning}}
• {{annotated link|List of pickled foods}}
• {{annotated link|Marination}}
• Mixed pickle
• {{annotated link|Pickling salt}}
• Smoking (cooking)

{{div col end}}

{{reflist|28em}}

{{Commons category|Pickling}}

{{Cookbook|Pickling}}

• [http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0560e/x0560e00.htm Fermented Fruits and Vegetables: A Global Perspective]—Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• [http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can6b_pickle.html National Center for Home Food Preservation: How do I...Pickle]
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3100168 Pickles] at h2g2

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{{Food preservation}}

{{Food preparation}}

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