How are pickles made? | The Science of Cooking | S2 Episode 6 

Pickles are very practical because they allow us to preserve vegetables and other foods for a long time, flavor them and have them always available and ready for our consumption. In addition, this way of processing food allows it to maintain some of its nutritional properties and its fiber components. There are two types of pickles: fermented and non-fermented, here we will focus on the latter, which are the simplest, and we will see how fermented ones are made in another video.
Making non-fermented pickles is basically putting food in a simple vinegar and salt solution. Vinegar contains acetic acid and this prevents the appearance and multiplication of bacteria and fungi that can be harmful to humans.
It is thanks to acetic acid that pickled vegetables do not rot and can be stored for a long time. Salt, for its part, adds flavor to the input and changes the texture of the vegetable, and helps control the growth of bacteria. But how to make them at home?
The procedure
Select vegetables with a firm consistency as they resist better in vinegar. You can, for example, use radish, turnip, kion, garlic, cabbage, ollucos, cucumbers, carrots, onions and fruits.
Cut the vegetables into slices or thin strips so that they are well covered by the liquid. In case they are small, like cucumbers or onions, they can go whole and you can make small holes with a fork so that the liquid penetrates.
In a pitcher, mix vinegar, water and salt. For 200 ml of vinegar you can add about 200 ml of water and 2 teaspoons of salt.
Place the vegetables in a container with a lid and cover them with the liquid. You must take care that the food is always completely submerged with the liquid, because in this way we prevent bacteria or fungi from appearing on the exposed parts. Close the container well.
How to flavor them?
Beyond the basic mixture of vinegar and salt, you can also flavor foods with spices or other vegetables. For example, you can add pepper and chili to the radish, rosemary to the onions, bay leaf to the carrot or, as in the case of the pickled turnip, also add sugar.

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