What mysterious forces turn a vegetable like a cucumber into a pickle? A pickle doesn’t taste like a fresh cucumber so what happens? In the simplest terms, the cucumber is preserved in and flavored by a vinegar solution to which salt, herbs, spices and sometimes sugar are added. Called a brine, this solution draws moisture out of the cucumber, and replaces it with the tang of the spice-infused vinegar. The vinegary brine creates a preservative acid environment and the spices infuse the pickle with their distinctive flavors. Sugar is sometimes added to sweeten the flavor of some pickles such as Bread ‘n’ Butters.
Read more here: http://www.simplyorganic.com/simplyorganic/cookingarticles/pickling-basics.php
