One of my favorite springtime moments is when the new onions start appearing at the farmers' markets. And they just happen to make an excellent pickle. More

The Hakurei turnip is a small, creamy, white-fleshed turnip that looks more like a radish than it does its larger kin. They can be eaten raw, braised, or pickled. More

Fava beans are sweet, tender, and pleasantly starchy. When they're coated with a slick of olive oil, vinegar and garlic bits, the contrast between the sharp dressing and the mild greenness of the beans is really wonderful. More

My issue with fresh peas is that they're both labor intensive and, if you're not growing them yourself, quite pricy. And their season is so fleeting. As a preserver, I'm always looking for ways to extend short seasons and make precious ingredients stretch, so I turned my pickling ray on spring peas. More

Much like the ramps I wrote about last week, fiddlehead ferns are a fleeting spring delicacy. Found primarily in the wild, they are the fresh growth that appears at the top of a fern frond (only some varieties can be eaten. Make sure to check a reputable foraging guide before picking your own). If left alone, they develop into new leaves for the plant. However, careful foragers can trim a few off each plant during the early stages of their growth for a bright, fresh vegetable. More

There are few vegetables whose arrival is more heralded than the ramp. Part of its appeal is in its timing. It appears right at that moment when the overwintered potatoes, apples and squash have become soft, spotty and entirely unappetizing. Ramps are green, fresh and taste like a randy cross between green onions and garlic. Here's how to pickle them so you can preserve their flavor much longer. More

Happily, more and more people are re-discovering the many uses for rhubarb beyond pie and jam. I've seen it briefly simmered and served with pork, or cooked and strained into syrups for cocktails. And a few restaurants with motivated pickling programs have started submerging it in jars of flavored vinegars. More

I like using frozen artichoke hearts in pasta and will frequently buy them from the grocery store, marinated in flavorful oil. When presented with artichoke dip, I will not say no. And in the springtime, I do love ordering them lightly fried and dressed with lemon juice from an Italian spot in my neighborhood. But despite this lifelong appreciation for the artichoke, it wasn't until recently that I tried to trim a batch and marinate them myself. And like so many things, doing it myself increased my enjoyment many times over. More

The finished eggs are bright in both color and flavor. Pickling firms the whites of the hard boiled egg, transforming them into something tangy and substantial. The finished eggs are good eaten on their own, or chopped into a vibrantly colored salad and make a terrific addition to any springtime table. More

Pickled asparagus is one of the true harbingers of spring. As soon as it appears in your market, cook up a batch. More

Carrots also make an incredible preserved pickle. These pickled carrots are based on the classic dilly bean recipe. The carrots are cut into narrow sticks, briefly blanched, then suspended in a simple vinegar pickling solution. They come out tender but with a core that retains some backbone and crispness. More

Ready to finally start canning? Here is your primer complete with what you'll need to start canning, the mechanics of canning, troubleshooting when something funky happens, and a little bit of history. More

Much like the other fruit I've been pickling, (like prunes or kumquats) these pickled grapes are a sweet pickle. The sugar balances out the astringency of the vinegar and leaves you with edgy burst of sweet-tart flavor. More

This pickle is inspired by Amanda Hesser's shallot-cassis marmalade. It starts similarly, by deeply caramelizing a mess of chopped shallots in a bit of butter. Once the shallots are sweet and yielding, you add a generous amount of balsamic vinegar and simmer until the vinegar thickens and transforms into a sticky glaze. More

It's a quick pickle, meaning it isn't processed in a boiling water bath for shelf stability. The fennel is sliced thinly, tossed with some salt and allowed to sit for an hour or so. This salting step draws out some of the liquid and makes space for the vinegar to enter the fennel. The finished product is half salad, half pickle and all flavorful crunch. More