URBANA – Sour, sweet, bread and butter, Kosher dills, spears, chips, or slices on a sandwich, or as a snack or side dish – pickles are everywhere. For home gardeners with an abundance of cucumbers and other produce, pickling is a great way to preserve your bounty. While cucumbers are one of the most commonly pickled items, many foods can be pickled says Mary Liz Wright, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator. “Fruit, eggs, artichokes, mushrooms – you name it and it can probably be pickled,” Wright says. Pickling is an ancient form of food preservation, dating back to 2030 BC when cucumbers from India were pickled in the Tigris Valley. The word “pickle” comes from the Dutch pekel or northern German pókel, meaning “salt” or “brine.” The pickling process, for the most part, falls into two categories or methods: quick pickles and fermented pickles. Fresh pack or quick pickles are made with
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