Pickles punch up the flavor factor and make great gifts

Pickles are an excellent way to amp up the flavor and texture of just about anything. With a satisfying crunch, they add tang and zest wherever they go. Chefs all over town make them and you can too, if for no other reason than to use what’s left of your recent farmers market finds.

Nestle Jeremy Fox’s garlicky, sour sliced pickled cucumbers or Min Phan’s milder and sweeter bread-and-butter pickles into burgers and sandwiches — or serve them cut in spears alongside, so the eater can decide which bites get the extra zip. Pickled jalapeños and carrots are a classic taco topping, as are pickled onions. Chef Claudette Zapeta makes verduras encurtidas with root vegetables and whatever other vegetables and parts thereof she has lying around. Carrots, radishes, cauliflower, kohlrabi, potatoes, broccoli stems — all go into the pickle jar and come out with new flavor and spunk.

For all they contribute, as you will see in these recipes, pickles are surprisingly easy to make, and they keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. They enhance salads, rice bowls, all kinds of sandwiches and, well, as I said, just about anything.