What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
pickling
Example
I love pickling cucumbers to make delicious pickles. [pickling: gerund]
Example
The recipe calls for pickling the onions in vinegar and sugar. [pickling: present participle]
curing
Example
The bacon was cured for two weeks before being smoked. [cured: past tense]
Example
Curing the salmon with salt and sugar gave it a delicious flavor. [curing: gerund]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Pickling is more commonly used than curing in everyday language, as it is a popular way to preserve vegetables and fruits. Curing is more commonly used in the context of preserving meat and fish.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between pickling and curing?
Both pickling and curing are associated with traditional and artisanal food preservation techniques, which can give them a formal or sophisticated connotation. However, pickling is more versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, while curing is more specific to the preservation of meat and fish and may be less common in everyday language.
