Spices For Pickling

All sorts of spices can be used in pickling.

The term pickling often makes people think of standard cucumber pickles. But pickling is a process that creates chutneys, relishes, tapenades, chili sauces and salsas. Even pickles have variety and can be made from various fruits and vegetables. What food you are choosing to pickle can determine which spices to use.

Fruit and Vegetable Pickles

Pickling salt, also called canning salt, is a key spice in all pickling recipes. Salt helps allow the pickling brine to be absorbed by the fruit or vegetables being pickled. Dill and mustard are spices used for dill cucumber pickles, while mustard, allspice, celery seeds and cloves make delicious sweet cucumber pickles. Bread and butter pickles use curry powder. You can spice up pickles by adding crushed pepper flakes. The dill, spicy, even sweet pickle spices can be used to pickle other vegetables such as asparagus or peppers. For fruit pickles, use spices such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger, bay leaves, anise and allspice. Fruits that are good for pickling include cantaloupe, figs, watermelon rind and apples. Use spices sparingly as the taste grows stronger the longer the pickles sit.

Chili Sauces

Chili sauces blend sweet and hot spices to create a perfect balance. The spices used help to pickle tomatoes, onions and peppers. Among the spices commonly used are cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cayenne pepper, hot pepper flakes and cumin. Chili sauces are similar to salsas, however, where a salsa focuses on the individual ingredients (hence the chunky nature), chili sauces focus on the overall flavor (and are smooth in consistency). Salsas are also not pickled because they can be ready immediately while chili sauces need to pickle overnight. This process of preserving vegetables is also a method of pickling.

Chutneys

Chutneys combine tangy, sweet and savory flavors. The chutney can focus on a couple fruits and vegetables or add several for a complex taste. Mango, lime, tomato, green tomato and onion are some examples of fruits and vegetable that can be used in chutneys. Feel free to experiment. Basil, mint, cinnamon, ginger and hot pepper flakes are good spices to use when making chutney.

Relish

A relish, at its core, is chopped sweet pickles. Pickles, of course refer to any fruit or vegetable that has been pickled and in this case with a sweet taste. Knowing this means you can use a wide variety of fruits or vegetables to make a relish. Spices used in relishes include nutmeg, mustard seeds, thyme, turmeric, paprika, ginger and dill.

Tapenades

Tapenades, made from olives primarily, are a variation on relishes.While olives remain your base ingredient, you can create different tastes by adding figs, artichokes, capers, red peppers or banana peppers. Tapenades are spreadable, such as on baguettes and pair well with meat. Basil, rosemary, thyme and oregano are good options when choosing spices for a tapenade.

Basic Pickling Mixture

Try this simple pickling spice mixture that can be stored and used as needed. You can also use the spices to make a spice vinegar to use as a vegetable dressing. Combine 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of cloves, 3 dried red chilies, a 1 inch piece of dried ginger root, a 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick and 3 dried bay leaves. Mix the spices and tie them in a cheesecloth to use when pickling fruits or vegetables.

Tags: fruits vegetables, cinnamon ginger, cucumber pickles, pepper flakes, Chili sauces