Next Time You Pickle Vegetables, Give Them A Sweet Vanilla Upgrade

We all know what a pickle is, don't we? Green, vaguely cylindrical, a bit nobbly. There might be dill involved. Maybe it's already been sliced up, ready to be tossed into a burger. Maybe it's tiny and on a charcuterie board — although, then it's a cornichon. But here's the thing: the buck doesn't stop with the dill-pickled cucumber. Pickling is an endlessly versatile technique, and exploring the possibilities of pickling at home can be brilliant fun. One such possibility might just surprise you — but hear us out. Next time you pickle vegetables at home, why not give them an upgrade with a hint of vanilla?

Yes, vanilla! It's not just for infusing custards and ice creams. Though most people think of vanilla as existing pretty much exclusively within the realm of desserts, it's far more versatile and complex than it gets credit for, with plenty of savory applications — from balancing the tang in vinaigrettes to sweetening up roasted vegetables.

When it comes to pickling, though, vanilla truly shines. Rather than feeling out of place, the warm, spicy, slightly nutty notes of vanilla add a palpable complexity and depth to your pickled vegetables. It not only brings out the natural sweetness in produce, allowing those innate flavors to really shine, but also contrasts wonderfully with the classic salty, sour notes of pickles.

The flavors of vanilla — buttery sweetness and warm spice — work particularly well with winter vegetables like carrots or butternut squash, accentuating their sweetness and giving a beautifully rounded flavor profile. The same goes for other naturally sweet veggies — think onions, cabbage, and even beetroot. Vanilla tempers beetroot's strong earthiness, resulting in a deliciously subtle flavor. Even asparagus pairs surprisingly well with vanilla!

When it comes to pickling, there's really no substitute for using the real thing — vanilla pods will give you the best results with their fully rounded taste and complex, woodsy aromas. Just add a pod to your jar along with the other ingredients in your basic at-home refrigerator pickling recipe, and you're all set. The longer you leave your pickles to, well, pickle, the more intense the vanilla infusion will become, with those tasting notes only building in complexity over time.

If you really want to test the boundaries of pickling, play on vanilla's traditional use in desserts and try incorporating pickles into your sweets as well as your savory dishes. Pickled fruit is an ingenious way to use up summer produce, so why not top your next batch of homemade vanilla ice cream with some vanilla-pickled cherries for a sweet and sour one-two punch that'll knock your socks off?