Pickling and Fermentation the Japanese way

Japanese Pickled Vegetables: The Ultimate Guide to Pickling and Fermentation Techniques and Recipes for Beginners and Beyond by Oscar Higgins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pickles add a unique flavor and taste to salads, sandwiches, and in general to every meal. Until recently I would get manufactured pickles in big box stores and always wondered how to make them at home. Learning how to make pickles has been one of my endeavors for some time. I have tried different recipes I came across in magazines, from friends, on cooking websites, etc. Most of these recipes call for excessive number of ingredients and complex processes and did not achieve the intended results.

I recently got this book by Oscar Higgins titled Japanese Pickled Vegetables - The Ultimate Guide to Pickling and Fermentation Techniques and Recipes for Beginners and Beyond which seems to answer a great deal of my questions. In the introduction of the book itself Higgins makes it clear that this book is beginner friendly. “Unlike other pickling books that overwhelm you with overly complex methods, this book takes a simplified approach that makes the entire process beginner-friendly, even if you’ve never pickled anything before. You’ll start by learning the cornerstone techniques that serve as the foundation for all Japanese pickling styles,” explains the author.

Higgins is a passionate author with several cookbooks to his credit. His books are written with such simplicity that both the seasoned chef and the beginner can use the recipes and produce wonderful meals. Divided into eight information-rich chapters which detail the process, style, benefits, nutritional information, and others the book is heavy on the process of making traditional Japanese style pickles. Being a vegetarian, I find this book very useful as the focus is on pickling vegetables throughout. The reference section provides links to more reading and techniques that would help me become a master pickler.

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