Is Quick Pickling Really Pickling?

Yes — but it is a different preservation method from fermentation, even if the results can look similar.

• Food Preservation
• Pickling
• Fermentation

Short answer: it depends.

First, we have to define pickling: pickling is a method of preserving food (usually vegetables) by increasing its acidity. This can be done by directly soaking the food in an acid, like vinegar, or by lightly fermenting the food in a saltwater brine, often with other spices, which naturally increases the acidity (decreases the pH).

By this definition, the first option is quick pickling, which is a legitimate pickling method.

However, if you’re looking for a way to ferment things, quick pickling isn’t going to scratch that itch. And personally, I don’t feel that quick pickling has quite the same impact that fermentation-style pickling does.