Spices for pickles and preserves
Achaar, kimchi, chutney and cured meats: spice as a way to keep food.
Preserves use spice as a flavour and as a help against spoilage. Pickles, chutneys, chilli pastes, spiced jams and cured meats rely on salt, acid, oil and spice.
Pickles and chutneys
Indian achar uses mustard seed, fenugreek, chilli and turmeric in oil. Korean kimchi is seasoned with gochugaru and garlic. British chutneys use mustard seed, ginger and vinegar, and German and Eastern European pickles use dill and mustard seed.
Cured meats and fish
Pimenton gives Spanish chorizo its colour, black pepper and juniper season salami and pastrami, and Scandinavian cures use allspice and dill.
Why spice helps
Many spice oils have a mild antimicrobial effect in the lab, but safe preserving depends on salt, acid, correct heating and clean jars. Follow tested recipes.
Pickles and preserves on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreTarragon
A slender perennial herb with anise-scented leaves, prized in French and Middle Eastern cooking.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreGingermint
A sterile mint hybrid grown for essential oil and chewing gum flavour.Herbal and green · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreGaram masalaगरम मसाला
A ground blend of warm spices from the Indian subcontinent used to finish curries and stews.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 IndiaAmchoorआमचूर
A sour powder made from dried unripe green mangoes, used to add tang to Indian dishes.Seed · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright
🇯🇲 Jamaica and 2 moreAllspice
The dried green berry of a tropical tree, named for its blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes.Fruit · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreLong pepperpippali
The dried fruit spike of a climbing vine, once the world's most prized spice.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇪🇸 SpainPaprika Tap de CortíPimentón de Mallorca
A sweet, sun-dried ground pepper from the Balearic Islands, prized for its deep red colour and antioxidant properties.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFenugreekحلبة (hilba)
The cuboid seed of an annual legume, prized for its bitter warmth and maple aroma.Seed · Bitter · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreClove
The dried flower bud of a tropical tree, prized for its intense warmth and numbing bite.Flower · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇬🇷 GreeceFlorina pepperπιπεριά Φλωρίνης
A sweet, horn-shaped red pepper from northern Greece with Protected Designation of Origin status.Fruit · Sweet and mellow
🇭🇺 HungaryCherry peppercseresznyepaprika
A small Capsicum annuum cultivar from Hungary, used for paprika and preserves.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇸🇩 Sudan and 5 moreTamarind
The sweet and sour pulp of a tropical tree pod used in sauces and drinks.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Sour and tart
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum annuum
A flowering plant producing berries of many colors and heat levels, from sweet bell peppers to fiery chilies.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreFriggitello
A mild sweet Italian chilli often pickled, known for its complex flavour and slight heat.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇸🇻 El Salvador and 1 moreBalsam of Peru
A dark, sweet resin from a Central American tree, used for flavoring and fragrance.Resin · Sweet and mellow
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Clove: Bayu Nugroho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Florina pepper: https://www.aglaiakremezi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Peppers-pan-S, CC0, source
- Cherry pepper: James Lee, CC BY 2.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Tamarind: B.navez, CC BY 2.5, source
- Capsicum annuum: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, source
- Long pepper: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Friggitello: User:CFang, Public domain, source
- Allspice: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Paprika Tap de Cortí: Berin, CC BY 3.0, source
- Garam masala: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Amchoor: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Gingermint: SEWilco, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tarragon: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Balsam of Peru: Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, source