Five fun things to put in the pickle jar.

In the culinary world, it’s very common to pickle various foods. Most of us have tried or heard of at least a few items such as pickled cucumber or red onions. Here are five other things you might want to try out if you like pickled food. For general measurement, I have used a 1-2-3 pickle for all of these but of course, you could experiment with that.

1 part acetum (12%)

2 parts white sugar

3 parts water

Boil until the sugar has dissolved and let it cool down a little before pouring over the items you want to pickle.

1. Potato

This is a thing that really set my taste buds on high. To make this, you will need a potato that is not too firm but does not fall apart when boiled. I like to keep my peels on the potato but that is all a question of taste. Feel free to peel yours. Slice potato thinly and evenly. Use a mandoline or slicing device of choice. Put slices in boiling water for no more than three minutes and then into an iced bath for another three. Drain the icy water and put the slices in a jar. Pour over the pickle juice. Let this sit overnight before serving. If the jar is kept in the fridge, this will not go bad for at least two weeks. I usually serve this with smoked sour cream, some sort of roe and top it off with caramelized, chopped red onions, as an appetizer or starter. 

2. Bell pepper

I prefer the red ones when I pickle bell peppers but any color will work fine and if combined in one jar, will be a beautiful garnish for your dinner table. Just remember to put it in the fridge, after dinner is done. 

Start by cleaning the peppers and slicing them to taste. Remember to cut out the ribs since they add too much bitterness to the pickle. Shred some ginger over the slices, mix it up and put everything in a jar, and then add the juice. Let them pickle for a couple of hours and enjoy them for the next month, or so. 

3. Blueberries

This is a bit out there but oh so good. I usually serve this with a long roasted duck and a blue cheese sauce but you can enjoy this with a multiple of dishes. Here we are adding some orange and ginger to the pickle juice for outstanding flavor. Use these with bird, game meat, or fish. Or, and please do, drizzle them over some chocolate ice cream. Lasts around a month if kept refrigerated.

4. Ginger

This is pretty straightforward. Slice ginger with a slice iron or similar and put in a jar. Pour over the pickle juice hot and add just a little black pepper. Let it sit at room temperature overnight. This is outstanding with any fish, really. I actually don’t know how long these last, since they are usually finished within a week. 

5. Garlic

I just love garlic. In any shape or form. To pickle garlic, I usually add some dill to the pickle juice. I either slice the cloves or put them in the jar, as is. Good for a bit over a month in the fridge.

So there you have it. Some fun stuff to pickle. I have a pretty big back garden so most of the stuff I pickle comes from there. But it’s equally good to pickle-bought produce.