23 Ways We Cook With Pickles

A little sour is always a good idea

By | Published Aug 30, 2016 4:00 PM

Pickled Shrimp with Satsuma (close up)
Pickled Shrimp with Satsuma Orange Christina Holmes

D.I.Y. Pickles

Whether crunchy topper, tangy relish or simply on the side, no sandwich plate is complete without them. Get the recipe for D.I.Y. Pickles »

Pickled Shrimp with Satsuma

Pickled Shrimp with Satsuma Orange

Watermelon Rind Pickles

Get the recipe for Watermelon Rind Pickles »

Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Carrot Achaar (Malaysian-Style Pickle)

This Malaysian-style mixed vegetable pickle is made with a rempah, or spice paste, stirred into the brine for an extra boost of flavor and texture. Get the recipe for Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Carrot Achaar (Malaysian-Style Pickle) »

Grilled Beef Kebabs with Pickled Persimmons

Minimally-spiced Romanian beef kebabs are grilled until lightly charred and served with intense, bright pickled persimmons in this take on Israeli street food. Get the recipe for Grilled Beef Kebabs with Pickled Persimmons »
Green, unripe mangos are simmered with cardamom and clove to yield this tangy, spicy condiment. Smita Chandra, who wrote about her mother’s homemade pickles in Preserving Culture, slathers it atop flaky paratha flatbreads. See the recipe for Aamba Khatta (Sweet and Sour Mango Pickle) »

Piquant Pickled Pineapple

Garlic and Sriracha balance the sweetness of pineapple in this Southeast Asian-inspired pickle; a splash of fish sauce adds a robust savory edge. Get the recipe for Piquant Pickled Pineapple »

Brazilian Pickled Chiles (Conserva de Pimenta)

These Brazilian pickled chiles are a classic condiment alongside rice and beans, roast pork, or fish.

Don’t toss trimmings

Radish Greens

Pickled Ramps

Pickling is a great way to preserve ramps, the wild spring onions that overflow at the market for a few weeks each spring. Their garlicky flavor combined with a vinegar kick adds a bright punch to all sorts of dishes. Get the recipe for Pickled Ramps »

Pickled Cranberries

Pickled Cranberries

Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake

Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake

Carrot and Horseradish Relish

Use this to add a spicy kick to scrambled eggs, a welcome bite to rich grilled cheese, or even—oy vey—as a spreadable component to a decidedly non-Jewish charcuterie platter. Get the recipe for Carrot and Horseradish Relish »

Pickled Asian Pears with Lemon

Developed by cookbook author Karen Solomon, this tangy, piquant Asian pear pickle tastes great on its own, on a chicken sandwich, in an arugula salad, or paired with blue cheese. If you can’t find Asian pears, any kind of pear can be subbed in here; just look for specimens that are on the small side and rather firm. Get the recipe for Pickled Asian Pears with Lemon »
Any sturdy vegetables, such as cucumbers, radishes, peppers, cauliflower, or onions, can be put up in this flavorful dashi-infused brine Get the recipe for Vegetables Pickled in Kelp Vinegar

Spicy Cucumber Salad

This salad makes for perfect drinking food, best with sips of lightweight Asian lager or a gin and tonic. Lightly smashing cucumbers with a rolling pin helps them soak up a tangy, spicy marinade of vinegar, chile flakes, and mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns. Get the recipe for Spicy Cucumber Salad »

Pickled Stone Fruit and Burrata Flatbread

A light vegetarian lunch, or even savory summer dessert, the sugary pickling brine in this recipe helps the peaches and plums caramelize on the grill.

Trout “Reuben”

Chef Steven Brown uses pumpernickel rolls for this “punk rock sandwich with a $25 cleaning bill;” but you could use any roll you like. Get the recipe for Trout “Reuben” »

Kimbap

Korean kimbap is similar to Japanese sushi, but typically uses cooked or pickled ingredients. In this version, bulgogi (marinated beef) is paired with vegetables and egg. Get the recipe for Kimbap »

Turkish Grilled Cheese (Kumru)

This specialty of Çesme, a small beach town in Turkey, is one of the world’s great grilled cheese sandwiches, in which the cheese itself is grilled before getting slipped into toasted bread with raw tomato and optional (but highly recommended) toppings of griddled sausage and pickled cucumbers and chiles. Get the recipe for Turkish Grilled Cheese »

Grilled Flank Steak with Coca-Cola-Pickled Onions

In Korea, lettuce is often used as a crisp wrapper for bulgogi (marinated beef). In this recipe, sweeter pickled onions take the place of spicy kimchi. Get the recipe for Grilled Flank Steak with Coca-Cola-Pickled Onions »

Cuban Medianoche Sandwich

With roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles, it’s almost identical to a Cuban sandwich, save for the bread, a sweet egg load that’s similar to challah. Get the recipe for Cuban Medianoche Sandwich »

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