Pickle Envy!

It's such a shame that we don't pickle as much

as other countries.

"Pickles were always something that appeared on Boxing Day with cold meats and cheese!"

The process of pickling is centuries old, and is used to preserve foods for longer, making it a very cost effective way of storing foods that may normally go to waste.

"It's not just veg - it's all about mix and match"

Contrary to popular belief you can pickle more than just onions and baby cucumbers! Meat, fruits, eggs and vegetables can be preserved this way, ensuring you always have

something to hand that will jazz up even the simplest of meals. You can't beat a

slice of cold gammon teamed with a selection of homemade pickles.

Quick pickling is very popular these days, with the pickling effect taking place in just a few hours. I love to pickle anything fromcherry tomatoes, french beans to lemons and ginger. Adding different spices and even types of sugar (if using some) will affect the taste. But the key is without a doubt the vinegar used.

Avoid malt vinegar, this was always the stuff Grandma used for her Christmas pickled

onions which took your mouth off and rich vinegar's such as balsamic are best to be

avoided.Instead used varieties such as apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or rice vinegar. You don't need to stick to one, you can have more than on type in a batch,

so have a play! My basic pickling liquid is equal parts of vinegar to water ( I

profess to using bottle water for pickling - I know don't judge me!), a little sea salt

and sugar depending on how my mood takes me. Then I might add slices of garlic, peppercorns or mustard seeds to name but a few options. The world is

your oyster when it comes pickling and it is a very addictive pastime!

But don't forget all of these pickles have health benefits asvinegar such as apple

cider and white wine vinegar are knownto help provide balance between acid

and alkaline in the stomach and also help to reduce spikes in your blood sugar

too. It is said that a little vinegar with a meal will help to reduce the glycemic index (GI)

of the foods eaten, which in turn could help you to feel fuller for longer, thus in a

round-about way could help to promote weight-loss.

#basicfoods #food #cooking #pickling #perserves #healthyliving