September is harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere, and pickling is a way of preserving food, making harvest a good time to do it.
Originally, foods were pickled simply as a means of preserving food over the winter, when there was no other way, but today foods are pickled for other reasons. The oldest known pickled foods date back over 4,000 years ago in India, well before there were such modern conveniences as freezers and canneries. Pickles preserve food, and not just vegetables can be pickled, for months longer than they would normally keep.
Vinegar may be the most common way of pickling today, but other liquids have been used in the past - including sweat!
The reason for using vinegar - a weak acid - is because it is acidic. The acid kills off most of the bacteria that would cause food to go off. Other acids may be used, although only weak ones, as strong acids are dangerous. As well as the vinegar, or other fluid, other ingredients such as flavoured oils, herbs and spices may also be added.
The name "pickle" is also used in the U.S. to refer to a specific type of pickled vegetable, the cucumber.
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