Yes, It's Possible To Pickle Potatoes
Pickles are refreshing and zesty little snacks that come in many shapes and sizes. Whether you like them right out of the jar or cooked into a soup (don't knock 'til you try it), there's no wrong way to enjoy pickles. While cucumbers are the poster child for pickled goods, there are tons of other types of produce that can be pickled. One of the lesser-known is potatoes. Although we typically enjoy smashed, mashed, and baked potatoes, pickled spuds can be an adventurous new way to prepare this timeless food.
Pickling is a preservation method that calls for immersing food in a solution of vinegar, salt, and sometimes sugar, spices, and other flavoring agents such as peppers and garlic. Pickled potatoes are infused with a bright, tangy, and savory flavor profile that's an exciting departure from other traditional methods for cooking potatoes. Because they are gently boiled before the pickling process begins, pickled potatoes are soft and tender on the inside but delicately crunchy and well-structured on the outside.
Like pickled anything, pickled spuds are versatile and can be infused and customized with your favorite flavors, ensuring you'll never have a bland or uninspired batch.
The potatoes that work best for pickling
When making this unique snack, it's important to select the right kind of potato so you can achieve your perfect pickled spud. Waxy potatoes have a firm, dense, and well-structured texture that won't lose their shape once they're submerged in a brine, making them ideal for pickling. Their starchy counterparts are fluffier and softer, which can yield a mushy batch of pickled potatoes that fall apart more easily.
Some waxy potatoes to consider for your pickled tubers are red potatoes, purple potatoes, new potatoes, baby potatoes, and fingerlings. If you're using a mason jar to pickle them, consider purchasing smaller-sized potatoes so you can fit them into the jar. Although it's possible to pickle large potatoes, diced or mini potatoes are more practical for snacking and other culinary applications.
Common starchy potatoes to avoid include russets, Yukon golds, and sweet potatoes — save those for mashing instead.
Complementary ingredients for pickling
A simple pickle brine made from vinegar, salt, and sugar work great for pickled potatoes. But if you're a daring foodie, you might want to jazz them up with additional ingredients to match your bold taste.
Feeling spicy? Bring some heat to the jar by infusing your pickled potatoes with fresh jalapenos, serranos, poblanos, or a combination of fiery peppers. Not only will the peppers give your potatoes a spicy kick, but because they'll be pickled in tandem with the spuds, they'll also take on a zesty new flavor of their own. Seasonings are the holy grail of any food, so including them in your brine adds dimension and depth to the potatoes. Mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, capers, and bay leaves are classic pickling spices that impart bold flavors and aromas to pickled goods. You can never go wrong with adding garlic to your food, so dropping a few cloves into your pickle brine will give it that familiar, buttery allium flair we all know and love. Fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, and the quintessential pickling herb dill can impart a subtle, garden-fresh aroma to your potatoes.
Remember, experimenting in the kitchen is supposed to be fun, so don't be afraid to mix and match until you find a combination of flavors that suits your unique taste buds.
Uses for pickled potatoes
If you've never made pickled potatoes before, we don't blame you. This uncommon yet delicious fare isn't as widespread as traditional pickles are, so you may not know how to put them to use. But don't worry, we've got you covered on some craving-curbing ideas for incorporating them into your meal rotation.
For starters, these briny little spuds are delicious on their own. Simply skewer them with a fork and pop them into your mouth for a quick, satisfying snack. For something more robust, pickled potatoes are a great addition to a classic potato salad. Their delicately tangy flavor will pair well with other potato salad ingredients like creamy mayonnaise and spicy red onions. Pickled potatoes can be a unique addition to a charcuterie board lineup, as the salty and savory notes of cured meats will complement the zestiness of the delicate yet crunchy potatoes. Briny foods and fish are a match made in heaven, so adding pickled potatoes next to a seared fish dish will bolster its oceanic quality. (Pro tip: pair this fishy and fresh dish with a dirty martini.)
Although pickled potatoes are an uncommon kitchen ingredient, you might be surprised by how tasty and versatile they can be.