Spice up meals with pickled veggies

If you are looking for a way to spice up an otherwise bland meal and do not have the time, funds or patience to take the fancy route, try pickling. I would even barely call it a recipe because it is just too simple. It is a few ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen and probably ten minutes or less out of your day. Also when properly stored, pickled veggies can keep for a good week in the fridge. Not that they will last that long with you reaching for them so often.

You can go crazy with your choice of vegetable but crunchier ones do better. Popular choices include all kinds of onions, carrots, cucumbers and fresh chilies which are fortunately easy to source locally. If you can get your hands on radishes or bok choy those work just fine as well. For this recipe however you will just need a sealable glass jar for storage, preferably clear.

The universal brine calls for water, salt and vinegar. Like I said, too simple. First you need to chop the vegetables so you have enough in the jar, making sure you leave enough space for the brining liquid so all the chucks are submerged in it. At this point you can add aromatics like rosemary or garlic for a more complex flavour if available, they are not a must have though. Bring to a boil one part water and one part vinegar, you might want to measure beforehand. Then for every cup of liquid you will need two thirds of salt. Pour the hot brine into the jar with the veggie slices then wait till it cools before storing in the fridge.

Feel free to use a ramekin or something to keep the slices from floating above the liquid.Just like that you have a condiment to provide that much needed acidity and contrast in texture. Use in your sandwiches, roasts and any savoury meal you could think of.