Pickling While Paleo

Pickles are a popular condiment due to their bitter, juicy taste that pairs well with lettuce burgers, egg salad, power bowls, lamb, and pork. But what makes this topping so flavorful? It all has to do with the vinegar-based pickling brine. 

The brine is simple to make—you just bring together vinegar, salt, herbs, spices, and a fruit or vegetable of your choice. However, The Paleo Diet® is a minimal added salt-free lifestyle. So can you still eat pickled foods on The Paleo Diet? 

Why Is Salt Bad for You? 

The Paleo Diet is a modern-day approach to how our ancestors ate. We follow the science and research that supports eating optimal foods that fuel a healthy body. There are many potential negative health effects of eating a high-sodium diet, including: 

• Heart disease; [1] 
• Obesity, insulin resistance, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome; [2] 
• Worsened conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis; [3,4] 
• Increased inflammation in the body, which can lead to the development of various chronic diseases. [5] 

The list above includes just some of the more notable health effects of too much sodium. To learn more, read these articles by our CEO, Trevor Connor and Founder of The Paleo Diet, Dr. Loren Cordain.

Is Salt Necessary for Pickling Brine? 

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the adjective pickling as “used for or relating to the act of preserving food in a vinegar sauce or salty water.” [6] 

Both vinegar and salt have been known for centuries to help preserve food and keep it fresh at room temperature for long periods due to their antibacterial properties. [7] However, with modern tools and technologies like refrigeration, salt is no longer necessary to keep food fresh for extended periods.

Salt can add a distinct, sharp flavor that enhances the savoriness of pickling brine. However, with ingredients like fresh garlic, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, celery seed, or onion powder in your brine, you may not even notice the absence of salt. 

Finally, salt contributes to the texture of vegetables or fruits in pickling brine. It draws out water and sugars during fermentation, [8] allowing the produce to remain firm and crisp instead of becoming mushy over time.

That said, you can still make pickling brine without salt—just be sure to properly prepare the produce before placing it in the jar to maintain a solid texture. 

Is Vinegar Paleo? 

Another big question in the Paleo community is whether or not vinegar is Paleo. For the most part, products like honey, olive oil, and vinegar are considered Paleo, even though they aren’t easily found in nature. But they are natural substances and can be used in moderation. 

For vinegar, it depends on if the source of its production is Paleo. For instance, white vinegar is made from grain alcohol and is therefore not Paleo, but the following vinegar types are Paleo friendly: 

• Apple Cider Vinegar 
• Balsamic Vinegar 
• Coconut Vinegar 
• Red Wine Vinegar 
• White Wine Vinegar 

Additionally, vinegar made from whole food sources can have many health benefits like weight loss, skin health support, anti-bacterial properties, and it can even help lower blood sugar [9]. 

How to Pickle While Paleo 

The bottom line is that you can create a flavorful, salt-free pickling brine with a vinegar base. Start by trimming the leaves and stems off your produce of choice, then cut into spears or slices and pack into a jar.

We recommend using a 16-ounce mason jar and combining two different Paleo-friendly vinegars (¼ cup each) to add depth of flavor. Then dilute the brine with 1 ½ cups of water to prevent the vinegar from becoming too overpowering. 

Now for the fun part—mix and match your favorite Paleo herbs and seasonings! For a more intense flavor, leave ingredients like garlic, dill, peppercorns, or rosemary whole. You may even consider adding a touch of honey to sweeten the brine (up to 0.7 teaspoon per serving to keep it TRUEPALEO™). 

Once your recipe is set, combine all the brining ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and let them steep for 5 to 8 minutes to create a rich bouquet. Let cool and pour the brine over your prepared produce in a mason jar and let it marinate for at least 24 hours. Store pickled fruits or vegetables in the refrigerator for up to two weeks to maintain freshness. 

As a precaution, you should always sterilize your mason jar or glass pickling container by placing it in a saucepan with water over medium heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove with tongs and set aside to cool before use. 

Pickling is a great way to use up extra fruits or vegetables in the fridge to create a tasty, crunchy snack. If you’re unsure of where to start, head over to our Pickling Page for recipe inspiration and ideas for pickling bouquets. Tag us on Instagram @therealpaleodiet and show us your Paleo pickling creations! 

References

1. Cook, N. R., Appel, L. J., & Whelton, P. K. (2016). Sodium Intake and All-Cause Mortality Over 20 Years in the Trials of Hypertension Prevention. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 68(15), 1609–1617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2016.07.745 
2. ‌ Lanaspa, M. A., Kuwabara, M., Andres-Hernando, A., Li, N., Cicerchi, C., Jensen, T., Orlicky, D. J., Roncal-Jimenez, C. A., Ishimoto, T., Nakagawa, T., Rodriguez-Iturbe, B., MacLean, P. S., & Johnson, R. J. (2018). High salt intake causes leptin resistance and obesity in mice by stimulating endogenous fructose production and metabolism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(12), 3138–3143. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713837115 
3. ‌ Aguiar, S. L. F., Miranda, M. C. G., Guimarães, M. A. F., Santiago, H. C., Queiroz, C. P., Cunha, P. da S., Cara, D. C., Foureaux, G., Ferreira, A. J., Cardoso, V. N., Barros, P. A., Maioli, T. U., & Faria, A. M. C. (2018). High-Salt Diet Induces IL-17-Dependent Gut Inflammation and Exacerbates Colitis in Mice. Frontiers in Immunology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.01969 
4. ‌ Wilck, N., Matus, M. G., Kearney, S. M., Olesen, S. W., Forslund, K., Bartolomaeus, H., Haase, S., Mähler, A., Balogh, A., Markó, L., Vvedenskaya, O., Kleiner, F. H., Tsvetkov, D., Klug, L., Costea, P. I., Sunagawa, S., Maier, L., Rakova, N., Schatz, V., & Neubert, P. (2017). Salt-responsive gut commensal modulates TH17 axis and disease. Nature, 551(7682), 585–589. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24628 
5. ‌ Kleinewietfeld, M., Manzel, A., Titze, J., Kvakan, H., Yosef, N., Linker, R. A., Muller, D. N., & Hafler, D. A. (2013). Sodium chloride drives autoimmune disease by the induction of pathogenic TH17 cells. Nature, 496(7446), 518–522. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11868 
6. ‌ Cambridge Dictionary. (2023, February 8). pickling. @CambridgeWords. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/pickling 
7. ‌‌Wijnker, J. J., Koop, G., & Lipman, L. J. A. (2006). Antimicrobial properties of salt (NaCl) used for the preservation of natural casings. Food Microbiology, 23(7), 657–662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2005.11.004 
8. Intake, I. of M. (US) C. on S. to R. S., Henney, J. E., Taylor, C. L., & Boon, C. S. (2010). Preservation and Physical Property Roles of Sodium in Foods. Www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK50952/ 
9. Patiry, M. (2021, June 17). Is Vinegar Paleo? The Paleo Diet®. https://thepaleodiet.com/is-vinegar-paleo/