What’s the difference between fermentation and pickling?
By @wendythefoodscientist
As a food scientist, I get this question all the time:
Are all pickles fermented? What really makes a pickle a pickle?
Let’s dive into the food science:
🥬🥒 Fermentation
Uses beneficial bacteria (like Lactobacillus)
Converts natural sugars into lactic acid
Takes days to weeks depending on salt, temperature, and food type
Creates probiotics — great for gut health
Complex, tangy flavour develops naturally
👉 In this video: I make kimchi and fermented dill pickles
→ Kimchi recipe from @thekoreanvegan (I halve the gochugaru for less heat)
→ Pickles made with a simple 2% salt brine
🥕🧅 Pickling
Uses added acid (usually vinegar)
Instantly drops the pH — no microbes needed
Quick: ready in hours
Brighter, cleaner taste of the veg + your chosen aromatics
👉 In this video: I make Vietnamese Đồ Chua and pickled red onions
→ Basic acid pickling brine: 1:1 vinegar:water + 2 tbsp sugar + 1.5 tsp salt
For the Đồ Chua I use my family’s recipe, which is more sweet than the basic acid pickling brine.
🧪 Food safety tip:
Both methods aim for a pH below 4.6. This prevents harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum and makes both approaches safe for home preserving.
Whether you want the slow depth of fermentation or the quick tang of pickling, both are delicious, safe, and science-backed ways to preserve your summer harvest.
💬 Do you prefer fermented or pickled veggies? Let me know below!
👇 Save this post for harvest season & follow @wendythefoodscientist for more food science & from-scratch foods.
#foodpreservation #fermentation #pickling #foodscience #wendythefoodscientist #kimchi #pickledonions #pickles #harvestseason #guthealth #preservingfood #fromscratchcooking
source
Preservation:
Salt – keeps good probiotic bacteria
Vinegar – kills good and bad one so no probiotic benefit unfortunately
Detailed receipe link please
Can you please share recipies
Pickling and fermented vegetables would be a great subject of study, since there are apparently many nuances like salt percentage depending on the vegetable used, amongst other things I may not be aware of. 🧑🏫 Any chance to see a complete masterclass upon the matter someday ? 🥹
This is what everyone ate 100 years ago and they did ok!
Làm full video đi cháu , cô muốn ăn chay giống cháu ❤
Fermentation vs pickling 👍👍👍👍👍
Do you just store fermented vegetables in the fridge or is it better at room temperature ? 😊
Is it have gerd . Can't eat pickle or fermented vegetables like kimchi daily?
I like eating pickle and fermented vegetables.
But I have gerd .
Can I have this knowledge.
Really thanks
Gracias….
Do i need to preserve them in fridge?
im confused. some people say use water because vinegar will cause the bacteria to die out
but then that's what's used in sauerkraut
Very good information, insightful..
I see her fridge and think, "I have found my wife"!
So all are acidic?
I love your accent
Can i be you Sous?❤😍
You got it, not many!👍😊
Those are🤤🤤🤤🤤❤
nice info . All jars looks pretty
Đồ chua 🔥
Just a week in India changed them this much,
Imagine "2-3 years in Dagestan and forget"
Do u squirt??
Pickling is the quick, tasty way, but the fermentation method is much better for your health because of the probiotics. But if you eat either such items occasionally, the drawbacks or benefits will be negligible
if only i wasn't so scared of botulism
So which pickles are fermented?
Salt is better
Do they both need refrigeration?
bit fast.
👍👍