Quick! Pickle Something ... the newest technique

[Gifted Gourmet]

Summertime fairly begs for pickled fruits and vegetables ...

article from the Washington Post

In the classic sense, to pickle is to preserve. And pickling may bring to mind an arduous, perhaps daylong, process of cooking the fruits or vegetables, then putting them in sterilized jars and boiling-water baths.  "It's meant to be quick," the chef says as he pours a pungent brine seasoned with cloves, juniper berries and coriander seeds over balls of yellow and red watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew. "And the smaller and more porous the surface area, the quicker the pickling time."

Don't miss the great recipes in this article!

Because this article makes the new version of pickling appear so simple and almost effortless, I, who have yet to pickle anything, think it is high time to try this ... but what to pickle?

Upon which foods might you want to try this technique?

[jsolomon]

Which wines go best with quick-pickled foods? Think light. Avoid tannic red wines. Morales and McBride recommend a Riesling or pinot grigio.

Gotta disagree here. With quick-pickled foods? Think pink. Rose`...

[Gifted Gourmet]

In going back and rereading the article, I looked at what is being "quick pickled":

Sweet potatoes

Pickled Farm-stand tomatoes

Pickled peppers (yeah, the rhyme! )

Pickled melon balls

Pickled corn kernels

All are delicate and, therefore, good choices for this process ...

Has anyone tried pickling any of these?

[jsolomon]

Pickled peppers are a joy on a cold roast beef sandwich.

I'm very curious about the prep for the pickled potatoes. Sounds really interesting. I'd also try pickled parsnips.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I'm very curious about the prep for the pickled potatoes.  Sounds really interesting.

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the recipe: Sweet potato: pickled

[Miriam Kresh]

Melissa,

Thank you for pointing out this article. The quick-pickled tomatoes and sweet corn are particularly intriguing; think I'll try them next week. I pickle peppers of different colors together. They make a nice sharp accent in just about any sandwich, and a small quantity, chopped, does the same for a leafy tossed salad.

I also like to put them on the table next to dishes of fat green and black olives and a salad of sliced, lightly salted tomatoes generously sprinkled with finely-cut chives and olive oil. Usually I serve this with roast chicken and a simple rice, but it goes very well with a cheese omelette and fresh bread.

My recipe is much less sophisticated than the one in the Washington Post article. Also, it's quick only preparation: the peppers need 1 month to mature. Here it is (passed along from a friend, edited by me):

Pickled Sweet Peppers

Choose several colors of peppers for an attractive display (not purple peppers, they turn green in cooking).

White wine or apple cider vinegar

Salt

Sugar

Remove stems and seeds from peppers.

Cut lengthwise into strips about 1 centimeter wide.

Pack the pepper strips into canning jars.

Add 1 Tblsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt to each jar.

Make a brine of equal parts water and vinegar. Bring this to a boil.

Pour the brine over the peppers.

Cover and store the fridge, or process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Allow the peppers 1 month to develop flavor before opening.

Miriam

[Luckylies]

what about celery... I do it all the time. cut it small.

boil rice wine vinegar, a bunch of sugar and some salt let it cool only slightly then dump it over the celery. let it sit for a few hours. crunchy and tasty. try asian pear, jicama or ginger this way too.

[The Old Foodie]

Quick pickled red cabbage is fantastic.

[andiesenji]

I love the slightly spicy pickled peppadews which have a much thinner skin than bell peppers.

The local produce market carries a pimento/poblano cross, grown locally, which matures rapidly and has the sweet/spicy flavor one would expect with this combination, not too hot, just right.

I use the same pickling mixture that I use for my bread and butter pickles which can also be made in small batches and stored in the refrigerator or canned in larger batches.

I use a slightly sweeter mixture for pickled watermelon and honeydew melon rind pickles.

A couple of years ago I began pickling jicama sticks. They stay quite crunchy even without an alum bath.

[tsquare]

Had pickled grapes in two different restaurants of late. One was very good.

[The Old Foodie]

Had pickled grapes in two different restaurants of late. One was very good.

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I used to make a recipe called "Persian Pickled Grapes" - no idea why it was called "Persian" as it had Golden Syrup in it - which seems to be a peculiarly British thing. They were good with cold meat, or on cheese platters. Haven't made it for ages - eGullet threads are reminding me of so many things I haven't cooked for ages.

I can post the recipe if anyone wants it.

Pickled cherries are good too, and pickled orange slices with Christmas ham - but they are more traditional pickles, not quick pickles.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I used to make a recipe called "Persian Pickled Grapes"

I can post the recipe if anyone wants it.

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Recipe Gullet would love to have this addition, Janet!

[Jensen]

Sliced onions are fabulous done up as quick pickles. They make a great condiment or are super used in a salad.

[MagFoodGuy]

I have been making the pickled cauliflower from the Bouchon cookbook for several months after trying a similar preparation at a local restaurant. The restaurant also does a great selection of other seasonal vegetables. I am going to try the pickled tomato recipe today with some of the tomatoes I picked up this morning at the farmers market.

[The Old Foodie]

Recipe Gullet would love to have this addition, Janet! 

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Done.

My first foray into Recipe Gullet. There is some good stuff there! [why am I surprised???]

[Gifted Gourmet]

Done.

My first foray into Recipe Gullet. There is some good stuff there! [why am I surprised???]

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As we Americans are wont to say "A piece of cake!"