Pickle & Preserve

In Asian cooking, angled loofah is typically braised or served in soups, but it's also perfectly suited to pickling. Try to buy young loofah (no longer than 12 inches). Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr (plus 2 days for marinating)

Lowcountry cooking is full of ideas that seem foreign to outsiders. This sweet and spicy chutney is the perfect foil for salty country ham. Ground together, the two form a paste for memorable appetizers.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 4 hr

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Swedish Meatball Kebabs Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted from Andreas Viestad's book Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking. _Viestad also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Traditional gravlaks is made from two whole salmon fillets and flavored only with salt, sugar, dill, and pepper. If the fish is good, there is nothing better. The gravlaks found in American markets is normally very mild, sometimes slightly scented, often with dried dill. Fresh dill has a taste that is discreet and subtle; it flavors the salmon nicely without competing with the fish's own flavors. Some cookbooks suggest freezing the salmon before you prepare it, to get rid of harmful microorganisms; with modern hygienic treatment of fish, this should not be a big issue. If you do freeze it, do it after it has been cured. Some of the proteins that may be damaged when freezing fresh fish will have broken down in the cured fish, so gravlaks can stand up to freezing better than fresh salmon can. The gravlaks will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Gravlaks is normally served as one of many cold dishes in a buffet or smorgasbord. Serve with Sweet Mustard Sauce and scrambled eggs and dark rye bread for open-faced sandwiches, or with pickles and capers.

This is the everyday Vietnamese pickle that you’ve seen and eaten countless times in banh mi, on rice plates, and in other dishes. Quick to make, easy to enjoy.

A small batch of fridge pickles made with regular old carrot, onion, and fennel will bring out your inner homesteader.

The longer this cabbage relish ferments, the better it’s going to taste.

Sure, pickled cucumbers are great. But have you tried pickled cauliflower? Its crunchy brightness makes for an ideal counterpoint to rich dishes.

Pouring hot vinegar over raw vegetables makes a brightly flavored condiment  that chef Susan Kim likes to tuck into a Korean doshirak or add to breakfast sandwiches and tacos.

Add these beets to grain bowls for flavor and texture and use the leftover pickling liquid to dress sautéed vegetables for a colorful side dish.

The vinegary brine softens and sweetens the chiles, and in return, the chiles infuse the vinegar, creating a balanced, spicy, and acidic component in your next vinaigrette.

What’s better than a jammy egg? One that’s been sitting in a tangy-salty marinade of chiles, soy, mirin, and vinegar, like this classic star of Korean banchan.

Less sharp than regular pickles, these cucumbers are a punchy addition to any sandwich, salad, or grain bowl.

Ground turkey is hardly the stuff of flavor fireworks, but turkey sausage, preseasoned and ready to cook, tends to have great flavor right out of the package.

Double the batch of spicy radish pickles from this raw shrimp recipe and use to top sticky ribs, grilled chicken, and fried rice.