Pickled fruit
Fruit preserved by fermentation in brine or vinegar.
Pickled fruit is simply fruit that has been preserved through pickling—a method that uses either anaerobic fermentation in a salt brine or soaking in vinegar. A wide variety of fruits are pickled, including peaches, apples, crabapples, pears, plums, grapes, currants, tomatoes, and olives. Vinegar itself can also be made from fruit, like apple cider vinegar.
For thousands of years across many regions, pickling was the main way to preserve fruits and other foods. Evidence shows that ancient cultures in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China all pickled different foods to keep them from spoiling. In the Americas, the Maya used tobacco to preserve food, specifically for pickling peppers. In ancient times, people used naturally occurring salt and water to create brine, which they employed to pickle foods that are not edible raw, such as olives and some grains.
**Peaches** Pickled peaches are often made from medium-sized, non-melting clingstone peaches with small seeds. Before about 1960 in the United States, some were prepared from small, unripe freestone peaches. Flavor can be added with sweet spices like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, or with savory pickling spices such as peppercorns and coriander. These pickled peaches are used alongside meats, in salads, and for other purposes.
**Pears** Pickled pears are sometimes called spiced pears when made with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. They are often prepared from underripe pears and can accompany dishes like roasts and salads.
**Grapes** To pickle grapes, white wine vinegar, water, kosher salt, sugar, garlic cloves, rosemary, and dried chili flakes are used. The garlic, chili flakes, and other spices give the grapes an unconventional flavor.
**Cantaloupe** Cantaloupe, a summer fruit, can be pickled and refrigerated so it can be eaten year-round. It is pickled using champagne vinegar, hot water, granulated sugar, ice, mustard seed, celery seed, Aleppo pepper, and cinnamon stick.
**List of pickled fruits**
**By country** In Malaysia, unripe fruits like belimbing, kedondong, chermai, lime, pineapple, papaya, mango, and nutmeg are pickled.
In Mexico, two terms describe pickling: "escabechar" or "encurtir" is used when food is pickled in vinegar, while "escabeche" or "salmuera" refers to pickling where salt is the main agent. The word "vinegar" comes from French, *vin aigre*, meaning "sour wine,"
- Preservation methods
- anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar
- Examples of pickled fruits
- peaches, apples, crabapples, pears, plums, grapes, currants, tomatoes, olives
- Ancient cultures that pickled
- Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China
- Mayan preservation method
- used tobacco to preserve food, specifically to make pickled peppers
- Mexican terms for pickle
- escabechar or encurtir (vinegar); escabeche or salmuera (salt)
Lore & Background
For thousands of years in many parts of the world, pickles have been used as the main method to preserve fruits and other foods. There is evidence that thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome and China people pickled different foods for preservation. Mayan culture in America used tobacco to preserve food, specifically to make pickled peppers. In ancient times the different cultures used salt that was found naturally and water to make the brine, which they used to pickle foods that cannot be eaten naturally, such as olives and some grains.
In Malaysia, some fruits are pickled when they are unripe, such as belimbing, kedondong, chermai, lime, pineapple, papaya, mango and nutmeg. In Mexico, vinegar is obtained in large part from the fermentation of fruits such as pineapple and apple; people use this naturally sourced vinegar to pickle fruits and vegetables in the home. Some states in Mexico such as Oaxaca and Puebla use homemade fermented pineapple-vinegar or sour brine to pickle fruits such as mangoes, membrillos and some cactus.
Specific fruits have their own pickling traditions. Pickled peaches may be prepared from medium-sized, non-melting clingstone peaches that are small-seeded, and flavor may be added using sweet spices or savory pickling spices. Pickled pears may be prepared with sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. To pickle grapes it is necessary to use white wine vinegar, water, kosher salt, sugar, cloves garlic, rosemary and dried chili flakes. Cantaloupe can be pickled using champagne vinegar, hot water, granulated sugar, ice, mustard seed, celery seed, Aleppo pepper and cinnamon stick.
Reader's Guide
Pickled fruit holds significance as a traditional preservation method used for thousands of years across many cultures, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and Mayan America. The article notes that pickles have been the main method to preserve fruits and other foods for millennia. In Mexico, the practice is deeply integrated into home cooking, with vinegar sourced from fermented fruits like pineapple and apple used to pickle fruits and vegetables. The resulting pickles are used as ingredients in traditional cooking in states such as Oaxaca and Puebla. In Malaysia, unripe fruits are commonly pickled. The legacy of pickled fruit includes its versatility: pickled peaches may accompany meats and salads, pickled pears may accompany roasts and salads, and pickled grapes are made with unconventional spices. The article also notes that vinegar itself originates from the fermentation of wine, and the word 'vinegar' is of French origin, meaning 'sour wine.' The practice continues in home and industrial settings, with pickled peppers being a popular product in Mexico.
Did You Know?
- Pickled fruit is preserved by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar.
- The word 'vinegar' is of French origin, vin aigre meaning literally 'sour wine.'
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