Beyond the Jar: Elevate Your Meal With the Power of Pickles

Edible Indy Contributor Kylee Scales walks us through the process of pickling, from strawberries to asparagus! An edited version of this story appears in our May 2025 issue. Click here to subscribe to Edible Indy magazine.

From picnic tables to Michelin-starred restaurants, few foods can transform a dish the way pickles can. Pickling is about more than preservation—it’s about elevation. It has the ability to transform just about any ordinary ingredient—vegetables, fruits, even meats—into an exciting flavor bomb. Look at the menus from some of the top restaurants in Indianapolis, and you will find pickled ingredients in some form.

The tangy acidity of pickles balances fatty foods by cutting through their richness. Pickle slices on a hamburger may come to mind, but a more elevated example is the Bone Marrow Brûlée at Commission Row, where a pickled onion-parsley salad balances the buttery bone marrow.

Pickled ingredients also add textural contrast. The Sacchetoni en Brodo dish on the Tinker Street menu is a perfect example of this. Crispy and crunchy pickled apple and fennel contrast tender braised short rib and red wine pasta.

There are a variety of pickling techniques, but quick pickling is a great starting point. Quick pickling doesn’t involve lengthy fermentation or complex canning processes. Instead, produce soaks in a vinegar-based brine for a short period, usually a few hours, so you get the tangy, crunchy flavor of pickles without the wait.

I follow a simple formula for the brine: equal parts water and vinegar, 1/4 part sugar (by volume), and 1/16th part kosher salt (by volume). In more basic terms, that’s 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. The acid in the vinegar helps inhibit the growth of bacteria and allows the brine to rapidly infuse the produce with flavor. The sugar balances the sourness, and the salt enhances the flavor.

Here’s what you do:

• Prepare the produce by washing it and cutting it into thin, uniform pieces.
• Make a brine by combining vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and spices such as mustard seeds, peppercorns, garlic, and dill.
• Pour the brine over the produce in a jar. Make sure everything is submerged.
• Seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator. Your pickles should be ready in a few hours.

This process works with almost any ingredient. Pickle with produce that is in season and slightly underripe for a firmer texture, which helps it retain its shape and crunch. 

In the spring, I love pickling asparagus and adding it to sandwiches, and I use pickled strawberries as a topping for poundcake. In the summer, pickled green beans make a crunchy addition to salads, and pickled green tomatoes are magical on a BLT sandwich. In the fall, pickled butternut squash cubes are a bright addition to rice pilaf, and pickled apple slices pair well with sharp cheeses like cheddar, goat cheese, and blue cheese on charcuterie boards. In the winter, quick pickled cranberries are tart and tangy in holiday cocktails, and I like to add pickled radishes to nachos.

Once you have the basic formula down, you can play around with different herbs and spices, vinegars, and sweeteners to create different flavor profiles. Craving fresh and herby pickles? Try adding thyme, rosemary, and tarragon to a champagne vinegar and white sugar brine. How about mustard pickles? Add mustard seeds, turmeric, and mustard powder to a red wine vinegar and honey brine. Want warm and earthy pickles? Mix in cinnamon sticks and cloves with an apple cider vinegar and maple syrup brine. 

The best advice when it comes to pickling? Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun!