Why You Should Start Pickling Food
Why You Should Start Pickling Food
If you’re looking for something different to do with produce you might have left over from growing in the yard or because you bought too much at a farmer’s market, one great solution is pickling. Even if it’s never occurred to you before, once you realize what some of the great benefits of picking food are, you might be tempted to start the hobby for yourself. With that in mind, here are some of the reasons why you should start pickling food.
It Preserves Food
The main benefit of pickling is that it keeps food from going bad and greatly increases its shelf life. Before refrigerators were common in homes, pickling was a very important way to keep food from going bad. But even with refrigeration, many foods only last for a few days, weeks, or months. Foods that have been pickled, on the other hand, often last for years. Pickling is one of the best ways to keep food fresh and store it overall.
It’s Easy To Do
If people approximately 5,000 years ago were able to make pickles without any modern equipment, you can do it, too, in the 21st century. While the specifics of how to pickle a given fruit or vegetable will vary, most pickling recipes include nothing more complicated than putting the item in a brine made from salt, sugar, vinegar, and water. First, you heat the brine or vigorously whisk it without heat to dissolve the seasonings, and then you pour it over the vegetables in a container that can withstand extreme temperatures.
This basic method serves as the foundation for virtually any kind of pickle you can imagine, but some call for longer brining time or specific seasonings. You can look for online recipes for things like pickled garlic to give you all the finer details you’ll need.
It Saves You Money
How many times have you had to throw away fruit or vegetables because they were going to go bad before you could use them? Probably more times than you can count. Then you had to buy more when you needed to use them again. All added up, this is a big waste of money.
If you pickle anything that would otherwise have gone to waste rather than throwing it out, you can save money as you won’t have to buy so much to replace it. You can also buy in bulk with more confidence. Plus, there will be less wastage, and that’s better for the planet.
You Might Eat More Vegetables
If you don’t really enjoy eating vegetables, you might try to avoid them where possible. While this makes sense for your taste buds, it’s not good for your health; in reality, we should be eating more fruit and vegetables than anything else, including meat and carbohydrates. Pickling could be the answer.
Because many people find that the pickling process makes the vegetables taste a lot better than they do in their raw form, they are happier to eat pickled veg with their meals. The great thing is that since pickling doesn’t take away any nutrients from the food, you can enjoy picked vegetables in place of raw or cooked ones and keep to a healthy diet.
