Pickles are food preserved in an edible liquid. Microorganisms / enzymes in food cause it to spoil fast. The goal of all pickling is to retard the microbial / enzyme actions.
Dry Pickles : Foodstuff is mixed with pickling powder. Salt in pickling powder draws out moisture from food stuffs, reducing spoilage. Anti bacterial and antifungal mustard, fenugreek and chili powders are often added, which retard the spoilage even further. Often, foodstuffs are sun dried for a few days before being pickled, which makes them last longer.
Pickling with salt / sugar Foodstuff is mixed with salt, which draws water from the inside of food. The increased salt concentration also inhibits microorganism activity.( E.g. Tamil Vadumanga Jap Shio-zuke ). Sugar acts in the same way.( E.g. Gujarati Chundo, Relish).
Pickling with acids. Foodstuffs are steeped in acids like soy sauce/ wine/ vinegar / lemon juice / tamarind/ miso , which slow down the action of microbial / enzyme actions ( E.g. Most western pickles, Japanese shouy-zuke , Shouy : Soy ; Zuke : Pickle).
Pickling by fermentation. Foodstuffs are mixed with salt, which draws out the liquids. This liquid is allowed to ferment under controlled conditions, which acts as a preservative. (E.g. Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Japanese Nuka-zuke).
Pickling in oil. Oil seals out air and prevents the entry of micro organisms. But, there is a class of microorganisms which thrive in the absence of air. So, anti microbial powders like mustard / fenugreek / turmeric are usually mixed in. (E.g. Most Indian Pickles). Honey / alcohol also serve as preservatives.( E.g Gulhkand : Rose petals pickled in honey)
Various combinations of these five methods are used across the world for pickling.
By following a few simple rules listed below, you can easily prepare fool-proof pickles. 1. Use fresh, unblemished vegetables. |
The more rules you break, the less time your pickles will last. Following all of them would result in a pickle which stores well.
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