A Guide to Pickling Vinegars
What is pickling vinegar?
Picking vinegar is any vinegar used for pickling where food is preserved by acid. The base for pickling vinegars is often white vinegar but it can also be cider vinegar, malt vinegar, or wine vinegar. These vinegars vary in flavour and acidity to allow you to subtly alter the taste of your pickles. Vinegar, or acetic acid, is the base of most pickle recipes.
What is a quick pickle?
A quick pickle, or “quickling,” uses acetic acid from vinegar to pickle fruits and vegetables rather than lactic acid from fermentation.
Quick pickling is not shelf stable or intended for long term storage like fermented pickles. As such, food pickled in this way is intended to be consumed within a relatively short time frame. Instead, it should be stored in the fridge and eaten within a month or so. This is why ‘quick pickles’ are sometimes referred to as ‘refrigerator pickles.’
How long does pickling vinegar last?
Generally, manufacturers place a best-before date of between 1 and 3 years from production on pickling vinegars. This is often just for guidance to ensure you use the vinegar when it’s at its best and is dependent on a successful vacuum seal on the jar. However, vinegar is essentially self-preserving and doesn’t technically expire. Providing it is stored properly, it can be used indefinitely. But it is still worth checking the recommended best before date of individual vinegars to achieve optimal flavour.
Improper storage of vinegar can lead to changes in your vinegar’s appearance. Vinegar can turn cloudy with sediments, change colour, or develop a slimy substance called the “mother.” All these things are completely harmless and can be easily filtered out with a muslin cloth or coffee filter. To avoid these changes, make sure you store your vinegar away from heat or direct sunlight in a cool, dark cupboard.
How to make pickling vinegar
Once you’ve chosen your vinegar base, there are several ways to jazz up your pickling vinegar with herbs and spices. From peppercorns to mustard seeds, cloves, and cinnamon – you can experiment with flavours that complement your pickles.
The most common method usually involves heating a combination of vinegar, spices, salt, and sugar in a pan:
- Start by adding whole spices to a pan and gently toasting them over a low heat until their aromas are released.
- Pour in your base vinegar and sugar
- Bring it to the boil and let it simmer
- Pour the pickling vinegar into a sterilised jar along with your favourite pickled produce
- Allow to cool and place in the fridge
Alternatively, you can add herbs and spices directly into your bottle of pickling vinegar and allow the flavours to infuse over a few weeks.
What vinegar should you use for pickling?
Picklers should look for a pickling vinegar with 5% acetic acid concentration or higher. This is to ensure your vinegar is acidic enough to prevent the growth of bacteria and mould in your pickle jars. The more acidic the vinegar, the longer your pickles will last.
But can you use any vinegar for pickling? Well, some vinegars are better for pickling than others. Try to avoid using concentrated or aged vinegars that may have too heavy a viscosity or too weak an acidity to prevent bacterial growth. Balsamic vinegar is an aged white vinegar that is not suitable for pickling fruits and vegetables on its own but can be used in conjunction with white vinegars to provide depth of flavour. Ensure you use undiluted vinegar unless a recipe specifically calls for it.
The following vinegars are suitable for pickling:
Distilled white vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is made from grain alcohol. Because of its clarity, it maintains colour and flavour of the produce being pickled. This makes it ideal for pale produce you don’t want to discolour like fruits and white vegetables like cauliflower or onions. Distilled white vinegar has no added flavour, allowing you to tailor it to suit your taste by infusing with herbs or spices.
Malt Vinegar
Malt vinegar is aged and made from malted grains of barley. Traditional English pickles often use malt vinegar due to its high acidity. It is particularly good for pickling watery vegetables like onions and cucumbers. Although it can be used for pickling, it has a very strong and distinctive flavour that may overpower the flavour of certain pickled items. As such, those new to pickling may prefer to use a vinegar with a subtler taste.
Cider Vinegar
Cider vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, is made from fermented apple juice. It is often milder and sweeter in taste than white vinegar which can be quite harsh. Its rich honey colour can turn pickled items brown, so it is best to pair with darker coloured produce if you don’t want this effect.
Many people feel cider vinegar has a superior flavour that creates pickles with a richer depth.
Wine Vinegar
Wine vinegar can be made from wine, champagne, or sherry. Although it can be more costly than white vinegar, wine vinegar offers more subtle, delicate fruit flavours to your pickles. Red wine vinegar is often used for pickling cabbage. Wine vinegar does tend to have a lower acidity than other vinegars, so make sure you choose one with a minimum 5% acetic acid concentration.
What vinegar for pickling beetroot?
Either white or malt vinegar is suitable for pickling beetroot, as long as you use a vinegar with at least 5% acetic acid content. Malt vinegar is a popular choice for beetroot pickling as it’s seen as it’s cheaper, more traditional, and offers a deep flavour.
How to pickle beetroot in malt vinegar
Pickling beetroot in malt vinegar could not be easier:
- Simply wash 500g of beetroot and place them in a clean pan
- Fill with cold water and bring to the boil
- Simmer with the lid on for 1 hour
- In a separate pan, gently dissolve 2-3 tbsp sugar in 250ml of malt vinegar
- Once cooked, drain the beetroot
- Peel and cut your beetroot into thin slices
- Place the sliced beetroot into sterilised Kilner Jars
- Pour over the hot vinegar
- Seal the Kilner Jar
- Allow to cool
Where to buy pickling vinegar?
Pickling vinegar can be found at most supermarkets in the condiment aisle. Just look for distilled white vinegar, cider vinegar, wine vinegar, or malt vinegar with a minimum acetic acid content of 5%.
Ready to get started with pickling vinegars? Take a look at our wide range of recipes.
