Quick Pickling Wilting Veggies Is The Easy Hack To Bring Them Back To Life
Have you ever gone to your refrigerator to decide what to make for dinner only to realize that many of your forgotten vegetables are wilting and soft? When this happens there are usually a few options at your disposal (besides the garbage disposal). Option one is to cook up a quick wilted vegetable-packed meal. However, you'll have to suffer through eating soft, crunch-less veggies. Another option is to throw out your lackluster vegetables and make something else. But throwing away almost-good veggies is bad for your wallet and the environment. So, what's the solution? As it turns out, one of the best ways to bring your wilting veggies back to life is to quick pickle them.
Quick pickling is a method of preserving vegetables in a vinegar brine. The preservation method not only adds great flavor but also helps to save limp vegetables and bring them back to life. It's also super easy, and fortuitously, you can quick pickle almost anything, from green tomatoes to purple cabbage.
Why you should quick pickle
Besides reviving your wilted vegetables, quick pickling is also a great way to add an exciting vibrance and intriguing flavor. While quick-pickled old veggies won't totally revert to their snappy best, the added tang of the pickling process will lend a bit of brightness. It will also preserve them somewhat, extending their life for up to a week in your fridge.
Another reason to quick pickle your wilting vegetables is that it is incredibly easy. While regular pickling may require some equipment, knowledge, and time, quick pickling is curing made simple. To do it, all you need is a container (most people use glass mason jars for that rustic feel), salt, sugar, and vinegar. Then, once you've submerged your vegetables in the brine, all you have to do is wait anywhere from 10 minutes to three days and your quick-pickled vegetables are ready to use! The wait time is completely up to your personal preference and how sour you want your vegetables to be.
How to use quick-pickled vegetables
Now that you have successfully saved your veggies from the landfill and created delicious fresh pickles, how can you use them? However you want! One of the most exciting aspects of quick pickling is experimenting with your pickles by adding them to any dish to give it a bright and acidic kick. But if you need some inspiration, pickled red onions are great on Italian subs and corned beef sandwiches, while quick-pickled carrots are wonderful in most salads and pasta salads. Quick-pickled cabbage can even be used in cabbage salsa on fish tacos.
You also don't have to mix your pickled veggies with anything else and can instead just use them as a vibrant side dish. According to StyleBlueprint, Chef Ryan Trimm of Sweet Grass Restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee uses pickled green beans or okra as a stand-alone side, while Gordon Ramsay enjoys buttermilk fried chicken with a side of pickled celery.