Brine and Dine

The most underappreciated food in the world may just be the humble pickle. But when you think about the history, the cultural significance, the versatility and even the nutritional value of foods that are actually fermented or simply cured in vinegar, it’s hard to picture the culinary world without them.

While early chefs worldwide used vinegar and salt to preserve food, pickles are still as popular as ever, although refrigeration has reduced the need for chemical preservation. Some scholars believe that biblical references to cucumbers probably refer to pickles, yet many attribute the roots of pickling to India more than 4,000 years ago before becoming a common peasant food in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Notable pickle-lovers in history include Julius Caesar, King John and Queen Elizabeth I, Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Today hungry families around the world gobble up pickles because they taste great, are versatile and creative side dishes as well as traditional favorites for both everyday dining and holiday celebrations.

All varieties of pickles are celebrated annually in the Hudson Valley community of Rosendale, home of the Rosendale International Pickle Festival, where last year prizes were awarded in 13 categories before Jude Goldman, with an assortment of mangoed (sushi-inspired) pickles, tied for Best in Show with Spacy Tracy’s sweet mixed pickles. An event that began in 1998 as a party for visitors from Japan has flourished as an annual fair that has put that small town on the culinary map and raised funds for a local youth center, food pantry and other philanthropic causes.

“Almost 1,000 people came that first year,” recalls Bill Brooks, who co-founded the event with his wife Cathy. “It went over so big, we said, ‘Well, let’s do it again and again and again.’ Last year we had right around 7,000 people in a community of about 6,200. Now this November will be No. 14.”

While domestic pickles are best known as cucumbers turned into sour kosher spears, garnishing sandwich plates, sweet gherkins as relish tray staples or fat Polish dills bobbing in barrels, many other nations have their own favorite ethnic variations from German sauerkraut to Korean kimchee to Indian lemon pickles. “Over the last 14 years I’ve found out a lot about pickling,” Brooks declares. “Not just cucumbers—anything, you can pickle it. We’ve had pickled jams, pickled fruit, pickled garlic, pickled vegetables. It’s pretty remarkable. I was over in Japan and I got to eat a lot of their foods and they’re noted for pickled ginger, along with many other things. A lot of their food has pickled ginger in it and it’s good.”

Thought in many cultures to provide health and curative benefits, owing largely to helpful bacteria that inhibit the growth of harmful microbes in the intestines, vegetables like artichokes, cauliflower, carrots, grape leaves or the peppers famously celebrated in the classic tongue twister starring young Peter Piper retain some of their nutrients when pickled.

Likewise, many vitamin-rich fruits--think peaches, berries, melon, you name it--are ripe for taking a dip in briny marinades. Then there are such deli favorites as pickled herring, eggs or salmon and such exotic choices as pickled sausages, lettuce or even peanuts. Not only that, creative picklers can branch out from the classic sour style to sweet and even hot pickles, spiced up with the addition of hot sauce or fiery peppers.

It’s important to focus on using the right ingredients, starting with fresh, perfectly ripe vegetables or fruit. Temptation to salvage inferior veggies should be resisted; quality in means quality out. Likewise you’ll get superior results by using actual pickling salt, the proper cider or white distilled vinegar and even the right water. Soft water, which is filtered to reduce dissolved salts from such metals as calcium, iron or magnesium, or bottled water work best.

The canning process necessary to keep homemade pickles can be complicated, with sterilization of the jars and proper sealing of the rings and lids a tricky and labor-intensive ritual. But learning the basics can open the door for pickling just about anything that can be grown by the home gardener or purchased at the local farmers market.

It’s easier to buy than make pickles and there’s no shortage of sources. Gourmet shops and neighborhood groceries are often the best sources with ethnic specialty stores stocking the most unusual and exotic choices. You’ll find plenty of jars of pickled treats on the shelves of retailers that specialize in Polish, Asian, Middle Eastern or Jewish foods. Once pickled, your veggies, fruits or fish can be used in recipes, salads, nearly every kind of sandwich, as condiments or even—no kidding—grilled between two slices of bread slathered with peanut butter.

Locally, New York State Fair culinary competitions include several categories for pickles. But the big time for pickles pros means competing for the glory of winning a ribbon in Rosendale. Entry forms and complete information about the festival can be found on the website, picklefest.com. Judges have included authors of books on pickles Ari Yamaguchi and Beverly Alfeld and chef Patrick Wilson, a James Beard winner.

Patrons can also vie for prizes in pickleeating or -throwing contests. “All day long there’s some sort of entertainment,” Brooks says. “There’s {vendors selling} T-shirts, stickers, magnets. People hang around all afternoon waiting for the return of the judges. It’s a good variety of everything: the judging of the pickled goods, the different pickle companies, individuals who come and sell their goods and there are a lot of things that aren’t pickle-related so people who don’t care for pickles can still have a good day. We’ve got everything from cotton candy to fried dough.”

It takes considerable expertise to concoct a batch of pickles worthy of a ribbon at Rosendale, but there are easier introductions to the art. Simple starter recipes, like the accompanying salad recipe, don’t even require canning and sealing to get you pickling.

Try this recipe!

Pickled Carrot Salad
This recipe by Pat Walter is gleaned from allrecipes.com.
1 pound julienned carrots
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

In a saucepan, cook the carrots in a small amount of water until crisp-tender and drain. Transfer to a serving dish. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar with tight-fitting lid and shake well. Pour over carrots. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon.