Pickling veggies is so simple and can be used to top off just about anything- from salads and sandwiches to tacos and burritos, they add flavor and probiotics to your favorite meals!
You can pickle just about any vegetable and it will help preserve freshness, extend shelf life, and enhance the flavor of your meals. Pickling vegetables also provide tons of health benefits that may support blood sugar control and even weight loss.
Although fermented foods have more health benefits, pickling with unfiltered vinegar can also provide healthy gut bacteria like probiotics. Using AVC with The Mother will provide more health benefits. This vinegar will have a cloudy appearance with sediment at the bottom. This is actually the healthy probiotic bacteria and protein that helps your gut health. Without ‘the mother’, you’re just getting the liquid from apples and water.
Ingredients
- 1 Large Red Onion
- 1 Cup of Warm Water
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup
- 2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Tbs Peppercorn
- Optional Flavors to Add: Garlic Cloves, Bay Leave, Red Pepper Flakes, Jalapenos, & other Herbs
Directions
- Slice onion thin into 1/2 moon shape
- Whisk together the rest of the ingredients: water, ACV, honey, salt, peppercorn & other flavorings
- Break up onion into jar and submerge in liquid
- Seal and store in the fridge
- Store for 2 days before eating to soak
Can store up to 2 weeks tightly sealed.
Health Tips
You can pickle just about any vegetable so the possibilities are endless. An easy way to keep your veggies interesting and add some bonus gut health while you’re at it. However, pickling and fermenting are not the same, as pickling requires an acid, and fermenting does not. The fermenting process promotes the growth of probiotics more so than pickling does.
“As a result, fermented foods provide many health benefits such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-atherosclerotic activity” (Şanlier, Gökcen, & Sezgin, 2017)
This means fermented foods may help prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many more chronic diseases. Foods like sauerkraut and miso are also high in probiotics. Probiotics are known to help improve gut health for digestion, immune function, and even weight regulation. Most of your immune system lives in your gut and has a direct neural pathway to your brain, which means alterations in gut health can cause not only physical illness but also mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. Consuming fermented and other probiotic-rich foods may enhance your gut health, improve mental health, and support your immune system to fight against chronic disease.
If you want to learn more about probiotics check out Ways to Eat More Probiotics and Prebiotics and Shopping Tips for Probiotic Supplement.
Let’s Shop
Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health conditions without consulting your healthcare provider. Information used is based on experience and opinion, not 100% evidence. Always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Some links in this article may contain affiliate links.