Pickling and fermenting are often confused. Understandable — both methods are used to preserve vegetables longer and add flavor. Yet they work completely differently.
And more importantly: they require a different approach, different ingredients and different spices.
In this article we explain the difference and you’ll discover when to choose pickling (with pickling spices) or fermenting.
What is pickling?
Pickling (also called pickles) is preserving vegetables in an acidic liquid, usually vinegar, water and salt.
The acidity prevents bacteria from taking hold — you “preserve” essentially immediately.
Characteristics of pickling:
- Quick results (often tasty within 1 day)
- Fresh, sour flavor
- Perfect for crunchy vegetables like cucumber, onion and carrot
- Ideal for meal prep or quick flavor enhancers
This is where pickling spices come into play.
With the right spices you give your pickles immediate character: think mustard seed, coriander, pepper, dill and spices like juniper berries.
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