vinegar pickles

Vinegar Pickles can be anything!

Source: Nick Saltmarsh Polish Pickles

Any vegetable or fruit can be pickled. Even eggs can be pickled. It only takes your imagination. Pickles can be sweet or savory, mild or sharp. 

The variety of pickles you can make is staggering! 

Let's explore...

What makes the difference in vinegar pickles?

The biggest difference you can make in your pickle is what type of vinegar you use. There are several types of vinegar:

• White Distilled Vinegar
• White Wine Vinegar
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• That stuff your uncle tried to make wine out of but it soured.....

Source: jeffreyw Pickled Apples

The second thing you can do to make a difference in your pickle is:

Add sugar or another sweetener. If you want a sweet pickle, or are pickling a fruit, consider adding a sweetener to your vinegar solution

how much vinegar do i use?

Source: jeffreyw

For a vinegar pickle it's pretty simple, 1:1. If you make your vinegar solution with 2 cups of water, use 2 cups of vinegar. Add all your spices directly to the jar, then add your fruit or veg. Pour over your hot vinegar solution, check for air bubbles, and add your cap. Done! Twenty-Four hours later, you have pickles that are ready to eat.

anything else i should know?

Of course! But let's not give everything away right now. 

ok, but how do i make the pickles crisp?

Ah! That's a secret! But I'll let you in on a hint...

You don't want to use that Calcium Chloride stuff. That can ruin your pickle and cloud the solution. It has to do with the acidity of your vinegar solution. But there are other ways to keep your pickle crisp...