I have a bunch of eclectic interests and skills.........but one I don't think I've ever mentioned here is I love the process of cold pickling, cold pickling can also be called refrigerator pickling.......no canner is involved, no heat is involved, basically, just vinegar, and selected spices depending on what you want to preserve, and a few days curing in the frig.....
  Today's project has been pickled radishes, just salt, pepper corns and balsamic vinegar, I've tried the process two ways.......with red wine vinegar, and with balsamic vinegar, but i prefer the balsamic...........but I also have from previous times, pickled onions, shallots, eggs, at this point I don't have any pickled cucumbers by my own hand but it will happen again.
  Based on my personal tastes I will use any of the 3 following vinegars, red wine, white, or balsamic.....always salt and pepper......sometimes garlic.....some times a tad of sugar......and with eggs some times onion or shallots with the eggs..........and if I could find some good mackerel, at my local food mart I'd pickle that too.......on the other hand the afore mentioned food mart does carry pickled  mackerel....in white wine vinegar with onion, nice.....but you never know.........