vietnamese pickled vegetables recipe – use real butter (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of sugar to vinegar for pickles? ›

The classic ratio is super easy to remember and is easily scale-able depending on how many pickles you're making. It's 100% vinegar, 50% water, 25% sugar and 12.5% kosher salt by weight. So for example, 200g vinegar, 100g water, 50g sugar and 25g kosher salt (again, you can scale this up or down!).

How long do refrigerator pickles last? Homemade refrigerated pickles last at least three to four weeks in the fridge, McClellan says. Any longer and the quality will start to decline. You'll notice the brine goes from clear to murky and cloudy, and the pickles start to lose their texture.

Pickling, broadly defined, is the use of brine, vinegar or a spicy solution to preserve and give a unique flavour to a food adaptable to the process. Numerous vegetables and fruits can be pickled not only to preserve them but also to modify their flavour.

This is a basic 3-2-1 pickle recipe—three parts vinegar, two parts water, one part sugar. Salt and spices are totally up to you. You can also reduce the amount of sugar for a more savory pickle brine.

Shriveling happens most often in very sweet or sour pickles. Using too strong a salt, sugar or vinegar solution at the beginning of the pickling process causes shriveling. Measure ingredients carefully when preparing a cucumber pickle that requires the addition of sugar, vinegar or salt over a 3-day to 2-week time.

Two components of the pickling process, acid and salt, are key participants in the preservation of perishable products. Acid, which may be added directly or produced through microbial conversion of indigenous sugars to acids, will lower the pH of the product and inhibit spoilage microorganisms.

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.

Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.

While pickles should be consumed in moderation due to their high sodium content, they may have some health benefits: Probiotic effects: Naturally fermented pickles and their juice contain good bacteria, which when ingested in moderation can help with digestion and immune health.

Does pickle brine go bad? ›

But does pickle brine ever go bad? The short answer is yes, pickle brine will eventually go bad. “All items have a shelf life," Bec says. "So I would not hold onto it for more than one to two months after consuming the pickled product."

How to tell if pickles have gone bad? Here are a few signs your pickles are a little too far gone: Visible mold: This is an obvious sign that your pickles have gone bad. Unusually sour taste and smell: If things smell and taste a bit more sour than usual, in an unpleasant way, this may not be a good sign.

The Process

Vinegar-based pickling is a much faster process than fermentation pickling. In its quickest form, you'll just boil a vinegar solution, pour it over the the object of your pickling desire, let it all cool and stash it in the fridge.

Beyond the classic cucumbers, other fruits and vegetables that work well for pickles include asparagus, beets, bell peppers, blueberries, cauliflower, carrots, cherries, fennel, ginger, grapes, green beans, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peaches, peppers, radishes, ramps, rhubarb, strawberries, squash, tomatoes, turnips, ...

You should use no more than 1/4 cup of sugar in your pickling solution. White granulated sugar is most commonly used. Brown sugar adds good flavor but can turn light-colored fruits and vegetables darker. Syrup or honey can poorly affect the taste of your solution.

Dill pickles, or lactofermented pickles relying primarily on salt won't have added sugar. Pickled fruits like peaches have added sugar, as do sweet things like bread and butter pickles. Most recipes for quick pickles include both salt and sugar added to a hot vinegar solution.

Picklers should look for a pickling vinegar with 5% acetic acid concentration or higher. This is to ensure your vinegar is acidic enough to prevent the growth of bacteria and mould in your pickle jars. The more acidic the vinegar, the longer your pickles will last.

The basic ratio for quick pickles is 1:1 vinegar to water, and includes some combination of salt and sugar. Another ratio that is commonly followed is the 3:2:1 method, using three parts vinegar, two parts water, and 1 part sugar.