3 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Your Own Homemade Gourmet Pickles
Making your own homemade gourmet pickles can be a lot of fun. Making your own homemade pickles allows you to see how the process works and to create your own unique creations. When making homemade pickles, there are a few common mistakes you want to avoid.
Mistake #1: Adding Too Much Sugar
The first mistake you need to avoid is adding too much sugar to your homemade pickles. Yes, you need to add a little bit of sugar to your homemade pickle recipe. However, you should be wary of any recipe that calls for a large amount of sugar. Pickles are designed to be more salty than sugary and syrupy. You want your pickles to have a dash of vinegar and salt taste to them. You don't want them to taste like an oversweet goodie.
Mistake #2: Not Adding Any Herbs to the Brine
The second mistake you need to avoid is keeping your pickles too basic. Yes, the base of any good pickles is some water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. However, really great pickles also have some herbs or spices added into the mix.
Some of the most classic herbs and spices to add to your brine are peppercorns, bay leaves, and mustard seeds. However, those are not the only herbs and spices you can add to your mix. You can also add other herbs, such as some fresh basil, cilantro, or even mint to the mixture. Try to get gourmet, fresh seasonings to add so that you get the best flavors.
Mistake #3: Treating Each Vegetable the Same
The third mistake you need to avoid is treating every single vegetable that you try to pickle as if it is the same. Some vegetables, such as okra and carrots, that are really crunchy, should be boiled just a little bit before you try to pickle them. Softer vegetables, such as cucumbers and zucchinis, should not be boiled before they are pickled. Be sure to pick up high quality, gourmet ingredients so that you can have the best results possible.
You also should consider how thickly you slice the vegetables. In some situations, you may want a thinner cut, and in other situations, you may want a little bit of a thicker cut.
In summary, If you want to make your own pickles, then be careful with the sugar. Pickles are more about the play between salt and vinegar, not between vinegar and sugar. When you create the brine, you need to add some herbs to the brine to create a tasty pickle. Also, If you are pickling multiple vegetables, then don't treat them all the same. They will require different boiling periods and different pickling periods; mix them together once the vegetables are fully prepared.
To learn more about homemade pickling and what ingredients to use, contact a gourmet food store in your area.