Pickling Spices & Their Use In Homemade Pickles

Pickling spices make pickles delicious.

Spices used for pickling purposes bring life and good flavor to a pickle. These spices are used whole instead of chopped or powdered, as keeping spices whole allows them to stand up to the harsh pickling process. Many spice companies have prepared pickling spices available, but a batch is simple to make at home.

Uses of Pickling Spices

Pickling spice adds flavor to all kinds of pickles, including cucumbers, both dill and sweet. Pickling spices are also used when pickling green beans and peppers. Pickling spices are useful in other recipes as well, including as a component of corned beef and in other meats, stews and to combine with rice and bean dishes.

Ingredients

Ingredients in pickling spice vary from region to region, and many recipes are generational. Ingredients include allspice berries, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, dry ginger root, mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander, chili peppers, mace, celery seed, dill seed, fennel seed, star anise and juniper berries. Different recipes mix and match these ingredients. The most important thing is to use whole spices and never use powder form as it will darken the pickle and make the liquid cloudy.

Tools

The spices do not just go into the pickling jar, in most cases. They must be contained in something. The best tools are a square of cheesecloth and some string. The required amount of spice is placed in the center of the cheesecloth and the corners are brought up, twisted and tied with a long piece of string to use like a tea bag.

Including in Pickle Recipes

The picking spices are boiled or infused in vinegar to impart their flavor. Always use stainless steel, glass or enamel pans when using vinegar. Regular metal causes a chemical reaction that alters the chemical makeup and flavor of the vinegar. Either bring the vinegar to a boil and let the cheesecloth bag boil gently for the required time or let it infuse in room temperature vinegar for several days. Pull the string to remove the bag and discard the spices when done. Continue canning pickles per their specific recipe.

Tags: Pickling spices