A Pickle

The following report is taken from The South Beach Diet newsletter:

Pondering Pickles

Looking for a crunchy addition to your roll-ups, sandwiches, or salads? You can enjoy any kind of pickles, including tomato pickles and pickle relish, on the FLFL program, and as long as they don’t contain added sugar. they are a free food [meanng you can eat all you want!]. If you are watching your sodium intake, stick with low-sodium varieties. Be sure to check the food label before purchasing.

How Are Pickles Made?

Pickling, a food preservation method, has been practiced for hundreds of years. Cucumbers are the most common type of vegetable that is converted into pickles. Other soft-skinned veggies such as cabbages, beets, and peppers can undergo the same process using a brining solution containing vinegar, salt, water, mustard seeds, or other pickling spices. Once open, pickles will keep indefinitely in the brining solution in the refrigerator.

Types of Pickles There are many different types of pickles. Here are a few of the most popular varieties:

Bread & butter: This type of pickle has a distinct sweet-and-tangy taste. Be sure to buy only those made without added sugar or with sugar substitute. Cut into thin slices, often with ridges, they make an easy addition to beef, chicken, or turkey burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

Cornichon: Cornichons (the French word for gherkins) are one to two inches long and pickled in wine vinegar with garlic (and often, pearl onions). They are delicious served alongside a sandwich.

Dill: The most popular variety of cucumber pickle, dills are made with dill oil and pickling spices — typically mustard seeds, peppercorns, and garlic. There are many types of dill pickles, including kosher and German dill.

Half-sour: The longer cucumbers remain in the brine, the more sour they become. These pickles are made in a seasoned brine without vinegar and are pickled for a shorter time than sour pickles. Half-sours are also made with less salt, which allows for quicker fermentation. As a result, they keep their fresh, green cucumber color and are the firmest, crispest pickles. Half-sour pickles can be chopped and tossed into tuna or egg salads.

Pepperoncini: These pickled peppers are made from medium-hot chilies. They are popular in salads and can be sliced into whole-wheat pasta dishes.