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A pickled cucumber, most often simply called a pickle in the United States and Canada, is a cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or other solutions.
Origin
Cucumbers were probably first pickled 4400 years ago in Mesopotamia. In India, pickles were well known by the Vedic period.
The pickling process was also known to the Ancient Greeks. Aristotle is reported to have praised pickled cucumbers for their healing effects. Julius Caesar's soldiers ate pickled cucumbers as health aids; many other brine-soaked foods were part of daily life in Ancient Rome. Cucumber pickling remained widespread across the Levant and Maghreb regions, where it is still very popular today.
Pickled cucumbers became popular in the United States due to the influence of the cuisine of Eastern European immigrants.
Types
Gherkin
A gherkin is not only a pickle of a certain size but also a particular species of cucumber: the West Indian or Burr cucumber (Cucumis anguria), which produces a somewhat smaller fruit than the garden cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Standard pickles are made from the West Indian cucumber, but the term gherkin has become loosely used as any small cucumber pickled in a sweet vinegar brine, regardless of the variety of cucumber used.
Kosher dill
A "kosher" dill pickle is usually not kosher in the sense that it has been prepared under rabbinical supervision, which would ensure that no utensil in contact with the pickles had ever been in contact with food that was not kosher. Rather, it is a pickle made in the traditional manner of Jewish New York City pickle makers, with generous addition of garlic to the brine.
Polish
This pickle is DIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSCUSTIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lime
Lime pickles are soaked in lime rather than in a salt brine. Vinegar and sugar are often added after the 24-hour soak in lime, along with pickling spices, although this is done more to enhance flavor than as a preservative.
Bread and butter
Bread-and-butter pickles are sweeter in flavor than dill pickles, having a high concentration of sugar added to the brine. Rather than being served alongside a sandwich, they are more often used in fully-flavored sandwiches, such as hamburgers, or used in potato salad.
Swedish
Swedish pickled cucumbers are sliced before placing in a jar with vinegar. They are mildly sweet. Often served with Swedish (Danish) style hot dogs.
Nutrition
Much like sauerkraut (also technically a pickle), pickled cucumbers are rich in vitamin C. Cucumbers have a mild anti-inflammatory effect, although how much of this effect is retained after the pickling process is up for debate. For more information, see NutritionData: Pickles.
Serving
In the United States, pickles are often served as a "side" to various lunches in the form of a "pickle spear", which is a pickled cucumber cut length-wise into quarters or sixths. The pickle may be used as a condiment on a hamburger or other sandwich (usually in slice form), or to a sausage or hot dog in chopped form as pickle relish. A pickle slice is commonly referred to as a 'chip'.
Soured cucumbers are commonly used in a variety of dishes — for example, pickle-stuffed meatloaf, potato salad or chicken salad — or consumed alone as an appetizer.
Pickles have also been introduced in fried form, either deep-fried plain, or with a breading surrounding the spear.
References
- ^ Terebelski, D.; Ralph, N. (2003). Pickle History Timeline. New York Food Museum.
- ^ Best-Maid Pickling History
- Kurlansky, M. (2003) Salt: A History of the World
- Dr. Jerry Parsons, of Texas Cooperative Extension (Texas A&M) Aggie Horticulture
- Brief note on kosher pickles in "The Pickle Wing" of nyfoodmuseum.org
- Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws "Judaism 101"
- Recipe Source
- Pickled Stuffed Meatloaf at ilovepickles.org
General reference:
- Battcock, Mike; Azam-Ali, Sue (1998), Fermented Fruits and Vegetables: A Global Perspective, Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, ISBN 92-5-104226-8, OCLC 41178885.