Pickling is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. It can be a thrifty way to make use of your overabundant crops and also a relatively simple one - and you don’t feel you have to grow your own to pickle. During the harvest in autumn, markets and supermarkets offer a wealth of fantastic seasonal British produce to take the plunge and start pickling.

Pickling is not just a method of preserving fruit and vegetables, it can be a great way of adding flavours and transforming them into delicious salads, sides and accompaniments. The Independent even recently published an article entitled ‘ Self-preservation society: Pickles are moving from the side of your plate to become the star dish’. 

Once you start experimenting with different fruit and vegetables, types of vinegar and the infinite combinations of herbs and spices, pickling becomes rather addictive.  We've compiled a list of some of our favourite pickling recipes below, and make sure you visit our  Pickle & Preserving board on Pinterest for more ideas and useful tips. 

Forget the dark, musty pickled onions that have been in the cupboard since last Christmas, and get pickling for November.

Quick Pickling 

Quick pickling has become popular amongst chefs because of the fresh) flavour and texture it can produce. It also means those with less patience have a shorter time to wait to sample the rewards of their efforts. This method works well for sliced vegetables like cucumber and fennel and soft fruits such as gooseberries. Some are ready almost instantly.

Try the following quick pickle recipes:

• Quick pickled cucumber
• Pickled carrots
• Pickled fennel

All sorts of vegetables

Traditionally we might think of pickled onions, perhaps also red cabbage, cucumbers and beetroot, but it is also a delicious way to preserve all types of vegetables.

Try the following unusual vegetable pickle recipes:

• Pickled green beans
• Courgettes

Pickling fruits

Pickled fruits can add colourful bursts of flavour to salads and are a punchy accompaniment to cold meats. They also make a deliciously different addition to a ploughman’s if you fancy a change from pickled onions.  Don’t forget it can also be a pleasingly pretty way to preserve foraged fruit and berries like blackberries and rose hips.

Try the following fruit pickle recipes:

• Pickled cherries
• Pickled pears
• Pickled greengages

Chutney

Chutney making is thought to originate from India and is something that the British keenly adopted. It is another traditional method of preserving lots of different fruit and vegetables using vinegar. From Piccalilli to green tomato chutney, and of course mango chutney.

Try the following chutney recipes:

• Piccalilli
• Damson chutney
• Apple chutney

 Image courtesy of Kilner Jars