Pickle Crisp

Look for this fine-granular calcium chloride in the canning-supplies section of the grocery store (it’s made by Ball). A little bit of it added to the jar when making raw- (aka fresh-) packed pickles will help the vegetables maintain their structure and crispness. Worried about something called “calcium chloride”? Don’t be: It’s a natural salt, and the same stuff that’s used in most of the tofu sold in this country.