There’s an easy way to make pickles and it won’t cost you much either. You can pickle a lot of produce like cucumbers, green beans, gherkins, onions, cauliflowers, peppers and a whole lot of other things at home. You need only the brine, a couple of jars in which to store the pickles and a little bit of your time.

Pickling, which is sometimes know as brining or corning, is a way of preserving food by fermenting it in a solution of salt and water. You can also pickle the food in vinegar or in edible oils with vinegar as many countries in Asia do it. Oftentimes, herbs and spices with antimicrobial properties (like garlic, cinnamon or cloves) are added. It’s a process that goes back 4,000 years ago and keeps food from spoiling by reducing its pH to less than 4.6. This is enough to kill most of the bacteria that cause food to spoil.

Pickled cucumbers are the most common, so let’s use them as an example of an easy way to make pickles. You can do this in 7 easy steps after you pick the right cucumbers. Choose fresh, crisp cucumbers and avoid the soft, ripe ones.

Step 1: Pick about 4 cucumbers, enough to top up a small jar. Cut off about ¼ inch from both the ends.

Step 2: Wash the pickles in plain, cold water. If you want longer pickles, slice them laterally. Otherwise leave them whole with the ends cut off. Or you can cut them crosswise into smaller pieces if you want to use them as bread pickles.

Step 3:  In a large non-metal pot, boil the jars you’ll use to store the pickles in. Set the jars aside, then fill the pot half full with water and let it boil. While the water is boiling, dip the lids of the jar covers in the hot water for a few minutes then set them aside.

Step 4: Get your pickle mix ready. You can also make your own with spices, salt, dill, etc. but buying a ready mix is easier, cheaper and faster. Mix it with about 4 cups of vinegar in the pot and bring it to a near boil.

Step 5: Fill the jars with the cucumbers and pour in the simmering vinegar-pickle mix. Cover the jars with the lid and covers. Seal them tight.

Step 6:Immerse the jars in the pot with at least an inch of water. Keep the water boiling for 10 minutes and not more.

Step 7:Remove the jars from the pot and let them cool. You’ll need about 2 weeks to let the pickles absorb all the seasoning.