Preserving: Method and Recipes

Pronounced "a-CHAR keh-TEE-moon," this simple pickle is served as a side dish for grilled foods, especially satay ayam. Read more »

Kimchi, a strongly flavored and odoriferous pickle, is one of the bedrocks of Korean cuisine. Koreans have been salting vegetables in one form or another for over 1000 years as a way of preserving the harvest to last through the hard Korean winters. Late fall is kimchi-making season, or Kimjang, when great quantities of pickled vegetables are placed in large ceramic pots and buried in the ground to ferment. Read more »

Along with wasabi and soy sauce, gari, also known as sushi ginger, is a traditional accompaniment to makizushi. It is generally eaten between sushi courses as a palate cleanser. Try to use very fresh, young ginger for this recipe so the gari will be as tender as possible. Read more »

Gravlax--also spelled gravlaks, gravadlax, or gravadlaks — is a classic Swedish way to preserve salmon. It is often served as part of the first course of a smörgåsbord. Gravlax is delicious on a slice of rye bread with a bit of hovmästarsås or a squeeze of lemon. Read more »

Sliced jalapeños en escabeche are used as a garnish for a variety of Mexican dishes. They can also be chopped and added to soups and stews for an extra punch. Some hardy souls like to munch on them whole. Read more »

Preserving vegetables in miso is a common way of preparing simple pickles in Japan as an accompaniment to a Japanese meal. Read more »

Every Haitian home has a jar of pikliz on hand. Cabbage, carrots, chiles and other vegetables are soaked in vinegar to make a relish similar to American chow-chow or Italian giardiniera. The crunchy salad is served as a side dish at Haitian meals. Flavored vinegar from pikliz is often used in marinades or to give dishes a spicy-sour punch. Read more »

Homemade fruit vinegars are popular throughout Central America, and vinagre de piña is a favorite. The trimmings of a pineapple are mixed with piloncillo and water and are set aside to ferment for a few weeks or months. The light, fruity vinegar that results is perfect for vinaigrettes and in salads like curtido. Read more »