The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MARINADES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
A
R
I
N
A
D
E
S
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Pickles/Pickles" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pickles/pickles = marinades.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MARINADES mean?
MARINADES noun- A seasoned, often acidic liquid mixture in which food is marinated, or soaked, usually to flavor and prepare it for cooking.
- To marinate.