The Surprising Food You Can Pickle To Upgrade Weeknight Meals
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When you think of pickles, your mind might go straight to jars of dilly, garlicky, and salty pickled cucumbers, perfect for eating on a burger or straight from the jar. However, one of the types of pickles that you may not be as familiar with may actually be the secret to a tastier meal.
We spoke to Holly Capelle, author of "Preserving the Seasons." She recommended pickling fruit for an upgraded accompaniment to your favorite dishes. "You may not think about fruit when it comes to pickling but many fruits make the perfect pickling partners. Blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and watermelon rinds are some good examples," she says. This surprising food that you can pickle will allow you to enjoy your favorite summer produce during the depths of winter, while the acidity of the brine will add a bright pop to fruits that are traditionally sweet. While there are many fruits that you can pickle, there are also some that you can't. Anything that is overly moist or mushy — think bananas or raspberries, which bruise easily — is better eaten fresh.
Which fruits to pickle and how to use them
As food preservation expert Holly Capelle alluded to, there are many fruits worth pickling. If you are just getting started on your food preservation journey, pickled peaches are a beginner-friendly recipe worth trying. It'll give you a bold new way to enjoy this summer fruit and prevent the stone fruits sitting on your counter from going to waste. You can use pickled peaches on burrata or ricotta toast, pair them with complementary meats like duck, or snack on them straight from the container.
Another underrated pickle that you should make in the fall? Pickled apples. It's an excellent way to use up a surplus of this fruit after a trip to the orchard, and it replaces some of the apple's natural sweetness with tanginess — perfect for pairing with or stuffing into pork chops. "Pickled fruit can be enjoyed as a snack, added to salads for an extra kick, or used to create sauces and marinades bursting with flavor," says Capelle.