Brining Outside the Box: Unusual Things to Pickle

"When we think of a pickle, 99% of the time we conjure an image of a brined cucumber. But the technique of pickling is a dark horse in the kitchen, a method to bring new flavors and textures into otherwise one-note foods. Fruits can pop with sweet and sour complexity, overlooked vegetables can transform into crunchy snack heroes and proteins can take on another level of umami-packed flavor. Pickling isn't just preservation - it's creativity in a jar."

"The standard formula I prefer for fruit brine is 2 parts vinegar, 1 part sugar and 1 part water, plus light herbs and spices. The fruit formula contains more sugar than most brines, which preserves the fruit's natural sweetness while preventing the vinegar from overwhelming. The water tempers the acid, while light herbs and spices, like mint or tarragon, lift the flavors without masking the fruit's character."

Pickling transforms fruits, vegetables, and proteins by adding acidity, sweetness, and texture to create complex new flavors rather than only preserving. Fruit benefits from a sweet-and-sour brine that sharpens natural sweetness, masks underripe notes, and balances out-of-season produce. A practical fruit brine ratio is two parts vinegar, one part sugar, and one part water, with light herbs or spices such as mint or tarragon to lift flavors. Higher sugar preserves fruit sweetness while water tempers acidity. Pickled fruits brighten cocktails, cheese boards, desserts, and savory dishes. Vegetables become crunchy snacks and proteins gain added umami depth.

Read at InsideHook