ichidan verb, transitive verb
General term for submerging something in liquid; covers soaking, dipping, or steeping. 浸ける is a common alternative kanji for this sense.
洗濯物を水に漬けておく。
I soak the laundry in water.
パンをスープに漬け
I dip bread in soup and eat it.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
pickle; preserve in salt/vinegar
Only when written 漬ける
Specifically refers to making pickles (漬物) by preserving vegetables or other foods in salt, vinegar, miso, etc. Only written as 漬ける.
きゅうりを塩で漬ける。
I pickle cucumbers with salt.
祖母は毎年梅を漬ける。
My grandmother pickles plums every year.