[♪ INTRO]
Hey there!
Squeaks and I have been noticing some changes in the weather here at the Fort.
There are more hours of daylight, the temperatures are getting warmer,
and leaves are sprouting on the trees!
[Squeaks squeaks]
I agree, Squeaks!
Spring is definitely here!
And one of the things that Squeaks and I love to do in warmer weather
is to have a cookout.
I especially like a burger with all of the fixings… including pickles!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Squeaks wants to know where pickles come from.
After all… we don’t see pickles growing on trees!
And the answer is… it depends on the pickle.
Most of the time, the pickles we put on burgers and other sandwiches
are actually cucumbers!
[Squeaks squeaks]
You’re right, Squeaks.
Pickles definitely look and taste different from the cucumbers we have in our salad!
We have to do something to cucumbers,
make a change to them,
so that they become pickles.
This change is called… pickling!
And we can pickle different foods, like tomatoes, peppers, carrots, radishes,
cauliflower, and onions.
And you don’t have to buy these foods from the store, either.
In fact, we can do some pickling ourselves!
You want to try it, Squeaks?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Ok, let’s get everything we need!
To make pickles, we first need to make what’s called brine.
I made this brine by mixing together some spices, vinegar, water, salt, and sugar
in a pan, and heating it together until I couldn’t see the salt and sugar anymore.
What do you think we should pickle, Squeaks?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Let’s start with cucumbers, so we can see how they become
those pickles on our burgers!
You can also pickle other vegetables, like carrots and onions.
First, we’ll put the cucumbers in a jar… and then pour brine over them
until they are completely covered.
Now, we put lid on the jar… and put the jar in the refrigerator, and wait.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh! How long?
Three or four days.
[Squeaks squeaks]
But guess what, Squeaks?
I made some pickles ahead of time!
Now, before we sample them, let’s put them next to the fresh veggies
that haven’t been pickled.
We can observe how they are the same, and how they are different.
Let’s start by looking.
Fresh and pickled foods have the same size, and shape.
But some of the fresh foods have a brighter color than the ones that are pickled.
What else do you notice?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yes!
The pickled foods have a strong smell, mostly from the vinegar in the brine.
Let’s see how they feel when we pick them up.
Oh, the pickled foods are softer!
If I bend the pickle, it’s kinda squishy!
Now, when we try to bend the fresh cucumber, it breaks right away!
The pickled one bends a bit before it snaps.
Now, my favorite part… is tasting the pickles!
Pickled foods are definitely sour.
And they’re not as crunchy as the fresh foods.
What do you think?
[Squeaks squeaks]
I think they both taste great, but in different ways!
Now, Squeaks… do you think that if we took the pickles out of the brine
for a few days, they would turn back into fresh foods?
[Squeaks squeaks]
You’re right!
Once something is pickled, it stays that way.
It can’t go back to being exactly the same fruit or vegetable it was before.
It’s been changed, and that change can’t be undone.
We say a change like that is irreversible.
This happens when we prepare other foods, too.
For example, raw eggs are runny, and part of them are clear.
But after we add heat to the eggs, they get firmer, and the clear part turns white.
If we left the egg on the counter for a long time, it would get cool,
but it wouldn’t go back to looking like a raw egg.
It’s gone through a change that is irreversible!
Can you think of a change that is reversible?
Meaning, one that can be undone?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Good thinking!
Water goes through reversible changes.
The ice cubes in our glass of water melt and change
from solid water to liquid water.
But if we put the water in the freezer, we can reverse the change…
and make the water turn into solid ice again!
[Squeaks squeaks]
You’re right, Squeaks!
The weather outside is really nice!
Let’s go get the grill fired up and have a cookout right now!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Thanks for joining me here at the Fort.
If you want to keep learning and having fun with Squeaks, me,
and all of our other friends, be sure to hit the subscribe button,
and we'll see you next time on SciShow Kids!
[Squeaks squeaks]
[♪ OUTRO]