Pickling and curing.
Originating as a
means to prevent
food from spoiling in
prerefrigeration days,
curing and pickling
techniques create
distinctive
characteristics in all
manner of produce
and meats. Consider
classic bread-and-
butter pickles , which
gain a sweet-savory-
tangy taste from
soaking in a vinegar
brine, or Swedish
gravlax , a dish where
a salt-sugar cure
creates buttery, melt-
in-your-mouth paper-
thin slices of fish.
While traditional
canning for pickled
foods requires
sterilized jars and
steam pots, here we
offer a simpler
refrigerator method
that doesn't use any
special equipment.
Nor do our cured fish
and poultry recipes,
which involve only
salt and time. With
our streamlined
techniques, you can
preserve brilliant
summer produce and
create classic cured
meats.
A few words about
salt
Salt is essential to
cured and pickled
foods―to wilt the
vegetables, inhibit
bacterial growth, or
to create the
characteristic
texture―so these
items are naturally
high in sodium. The
sodium content of
our pickles and cured
foods is comparable
to or lower than their
commercial
counterparts.
Balance these
higher-sodium foods
with minimally
seasoned ones.
Curing, defined
Curing is a method of
preserving food
(usually meat or fish)
to prevent spoilage.
Food can be cured by
brining (soaking food
in a saltwater
solution), smoking, or
salting (packing food
in salt)―we focus on
salting here, which is
easy to do at home.
Curing has long been
a way to make
perishable, protein-
rich foods last from
barn to market, as in
the case of bacon
and prosciutto, or
from shore to home,
as in the case of salt
cod or kippered
herring.
What salt-curing
does
The salt works on at
least three fronts.
First, it inhibits
bacterial growth,
thereby preserving
foods like duck
breasts or salmon for
moderate lengths of
time. That said, the
salt doesn't inhibit all
bacterial growth.
Instead it allows for a
moderate amount of
fermentation―and
thus the meat ends
up with a mild,
somewhat sweet
twang, usually no
more than a hint in
the overall taste.
Second, salt breaks
down protein in
muscle fibers so the
meat or fish is more
tender―as is
evidenced in gravlax,
corned beef brisket,
or kosher chickens.
Finally, salt can be
used as a
dehydrating agent,
which creates dense
and chewy but
nonetheless tender
meat or fish―the
signature texture of
ham, lox, or bacon.
Best bets for curing
In general, meat and
fish are the best
options, particularly
those cuts and
varieties that are
relatively high in fat:
brisket, duck, ham,
and salmon, to name
a few. Already-tender
cuts or fillets like
tenderloin or shrimp
would gain little from
the salt cure, no
more than a strange
aftertaste. Plus these
would quickly turn
too soft from the
salt's action.
Most vegetables
benefit little from a
salt cure―except for
those with very high
water concentrations
like cabbage,
cucumber, and
eggplant. Once these
foods are salted, they
release much of their
liquid and are then
suitable for sauces,
relishes, and the like.
If not presalted, they
would release liquid
into the dish and
water down the taste.
Curing time
Fish like salmon or
halibut is cured for
24 to 48 hours,
depending on how
firm the flesh is.
Meats like brisket or
duck breasts are
cured for longer
periods; their
muscular structures
are more resilient to
the salt's action. With
meat, the larger the
cut, the longer the
cure. But timing is
crucial. Too little time
in the salt, and the
fish or meat will not
be adequately
tenderized; too long,
and the whole thing
will turn
unappealingly soft
and mushy. So it's
important to use the
times specified in the
recipes.
Shelf life
Because our home-
cured meat and fish
recipes use lower salt
concentrations for a
shorter time, and
because they don't
use nitrates
(preservative
chemical compounds
used in many
commercial
products), they have
a shorter shelf life
than commercially
cured foods. Nitrate-
free cured meat or
fish will last three to
five days tightly
covered in the
refrigerator.
Pickling, defined
To pickle food is to
preserve it by
immersing it in a
seasoned vinegar-
based solution (often
referred to as a
brine). Flavors can be
salty, sweet, or hot.
Pour some soap in
your toilet
This is why you
should regularly pour
some dish
soap in your toilet
Tips and Tricks
Open
What pickling does
This technique
encourages certain
naturally occurring
and harmless
microbes to feed on
the sugars produced
as the food's proteins
break down in the
presence of salt.
These microbes
produce lactic acid,
carbon dioxide, and
even
alcohol―compounds
which in turn help
preserve the food.
Also, these helpful
microbes leave most
of the beneficial
vitamins and minerals
intact and further
enhance the taste of
the food preserved.
In other words, the
food is still nutritious
and tasty weeks later.
That's why it's a
great way to preserve
summer produce.
Sugar Does Miracles
In Garden
2-Minute Read
Tips and Tricks
Open
Best bets for pickling
Sturdy vegetables
work best―cabbage,
cucumbers, olives,
radishes, carrots,
green beans, onions,
and asparagus. Most
fruits and many leafy
greens simply wilt
and break down too
far.
Pickling time
Depending on the
ingredients in the
pickling liquid, food
can be pickled in as
little as a few hours
or can take as long as
a week or more.
Shelf life
Keep pickled
vegetables in the
refrigerator for a
couple of weeks (or
possibly longer).
Store in a nonreactive
container―glass or
plastic works well―to
prevent discoloration
and "off" flavor. To
ensure freshness,
make sure all the
vegetables are fully
submerged in the
liquid and that the
head space in the
storage container
does not allow for
much air. As you
consume pickles
from the jar, change
to progressively
smaller containers,
always tightly sealed
for cold storage. If
some of the pickling
solution has been
lost over time, add a
little water so
everything is well
covered.
Refrigerator pickling
Before the days of
refrigeration, pickling
was hot work―a
huge pot of boiling
water billowing
clouds of steam
through the kitchen.
Refrigerator pickling
takes away the need
for kettle steamers,
special jars, and
vacuum-tight lids.
The chilly
environment of the
refrigerator impedes
bacterial growth
without your having
to boil out excess air
in vacuum-sealed
jars. In other words,
simply follow the
recipe and let the
cool refrigerator
stand in for the
boiling vat.
