Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called a pickle, or, if named, the name is prefaced with the word "pickled". Foods that are pickled include vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meats, fish, dairy and eggs. Pickling solutions are typically highly acidic, with a pH of 4.6 or lower, and high in salt, preventing enzymes from working and micro-organisms from multiplying. Pickling can preserve perishable foods for months, or in some cases years. Antimicrobial herbs and spices, such as mustard seed, garlic, cinnamon or cloves, are often added. If the food contains sufficient moisture, a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding dry salt. For example, sour cabbage, sauerkraut, and kimchi are produced by salting the vegetables to draw out excess water. Natural fermentation at room temperature, by lactic acid bacteria, produces the required acidity. Other pickles are made by placing vegetables in vinegar. Unlike the canning process, pickling (which includes fermentation) does not require that the food be completely sterile. The acidity or salinity of the solution, the temperature of fermentation, and the exclusion of oxygen determine which microorganisms dominate, and determine the flavor of the end product. When both salt concentration and temperature are low, Leuconostoc mesenteroides dominates, producing a mix of acids, alcohol, and aroma compounds. At higher temperatures Lactobacillus plantarum dominates, which produces primarily lactic acid. Many pickles start with Leuconostoc, and change to Lactobacillus with higher acidity.
History
Ancient history Pickling with vinegar likely originated in ancient Persia and Mesopotamia around 2400 BCE. There is archaeological evidence of cucumbers being pickled in the Tigris Valley in 2030 BCE. 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. Fermented salt pickling reportedly originated in China. Textual and archaeological evidence shows that food preservation by salting and pickling was practiced in the Greek and Roman world.
Age of Exploration 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.
Etymology 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. The Persian term "torshi" (Persian: ترشی) applies to pickled vegetables in many Middle Eastern, Caucasian, Slavic, and Balkan cuisines. The term is ultimately derived from Persian torsh 'sour' (Persian: ترش). This Persian word is borrowed with minor variants in many languages: Kurdish ترشى Tirşîn, tirşî, trshin; Turkish and Azerbaijani turşu; Greek: τουρσί, romanized: toursí; Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian turšija/туршија/туршия turshiya; Albanian: turshi; Judeo-Spanish trushí.
In world cuisines
Asia
Western Asia In Iran, Armenia, Turkey, Arab countries, Northern Africa, the Balkans, and some other countries in West Asia, pickles that are called torshi, or mekhallel are a pickled mix of cucumbers, and turnips, onions, carrots, olives or other regional vegetables. Toursi is a traditional appetizer (meze) to go with arak, rakı, ouzo, oghi, tsipouro, and rakia. In some regions, notably in Turkey (turşu suyu), the pickle juice or torshi water is a popular beverage. In 2021, Turkey's pickle exports reached the level of $300 million. Iran has hundreds of types of torshi (Persian: تورشی), according to regional customs and different events. In some families, no meal is considered complete without a bowl of torshi on the table. In Armenia and Armenian cuisine, it is called t’tu (Armenian: թթու) often eaten as an appetizer. Vegetables used include cabbage, cucumber, tomato, carrot, cauliflower, beetroot, eggplant, bell pepper, garlic, onion and turnip, often preserved in brine or vinegar and spiced with garlic, herbs, or chili. It is served alongside other Armenian appetizers like topik, lavash, aboukh/basturma, sujukh and matsoon. It is also often used in wraps such as the brduch.
In Egypt, pickled vegetables are referred to as both torshi (طرشي) and mekhalel (مخلل). Both terms refer to all varieties of pickled vegetables, including carrots, cucumbers, turnips, garlic, onions, cauliflower, and hot peppers, preserved in a vinegar-based brine infused with spices such as nigella seeds, black pepper, and bay leaves. It is ubiquitous on Egyptian tablespreads, especially for breakfast.Cabbage, carrots, and bell peppers pickled in vinegar are commonly consumed in Israel. Pickled vegetables are considered pareve, meaning they contain no meat or dairy and can be eaten with either while adhering to Jewish dietary laws.
South Asia
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