Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Preservation · intermediate

Pickling

Also: achaar making

Preserving food in acid (vinegar or lactic), salt, oil or a combination, often with spices.

37 recipes use it

What it is

Pickling covers quick vinegar pickles (pickled onions, cucumber), lacto-fermented brine pickles, and the oil-and-spice achaars of South Asia (mango, lime, chilli), which rely on salt, sun, mustard oil or sesame oil and spices such as mustard, fenugreek and asafoetida.

Why cooks use it: Acid and salt stop most spoilage organisms, so seasonal produce keeps for months, and pickles add sourness, heat and crunch to meals.

The science

Most harmful bacteria cannot grow below about pH 4.6; vinegar pickles reach this directly, lacto-fermented pickles reach it as bacteria produce lactic acid. Salt draws water out of the produce by osmosis, firming it and lowering the water available to microbes. In achaar, a layer of oil limits air contact at the surface.

Acids and bases in cookingSalt and osmosisCapsaicin and pungencyLactic acid fermentationThe science of picklingThe science of drying

Step by step

  1. Wash and dry jars thoroughly; for long-keeping pickles, sterilise them.

  2. Dry the produce completely; for achaar, any water encourages mould.

  3. Quick pickle: heat a brine of vinegar (at least 5% acidity) and water (often 1:1) with salt and sugar, pour over the vegetables and refrigerate.

  4. Achaar: toss cut fruit with salt and turmeric and rest (often a day, sometimes in the sun), then mix with the spice blend and heated, cooled oil.

  5. Keep the produce covered by brine or oil.

  6. Store as the recipe says: quick pickles in the fridge; traditional achaar mature at room temperature, stirred with a dry spoon.

Heat and timing

Time: Quick pickles: ready in hours to a day; achaar: several days to weeks to mature.

How you know it’s right

  • Vegetables submerged
  • Oil layer on top of achaar
  • Colour turning from bright to softer as it matures

Common mistakes

  • Wet jars or spoons
  • Too little salt or acid
  • Using vinegar below 5% acidity for shelf-stable pickles
  • Produce exposed above the brine or oil

Troubleshooting

White film on brine pickles
Often harmless kahm yeast; skim it off. Discard if there is fuzzy coloured mould or a bad smell.
Mushy pickles
Use firmer, fresher produce and enough salt; trim the blossom end of cucumbers.

Restaurant DNA

How professionals do it

Restaurants make quick pickles in batches to add acidity and crunch to plates, and keep them chilled; acidity is often checked with pH strips or meters.

At home

Quick fridge pickles are the safest start; for achaar, follow a trusted family or tested recipe and keep everything dry.

General professional practice — not any particular restaurant’s recipe.

Food safety

  • For shelf-stable canned pickles, follow tested recipes for acidity and processing times.
  • Discard pickles with fuzzy mould, a sliminess or a bulging lid.
  • Use a clean, dry spoon every time.

Practise it

28 more