Pickled: From Curing Lemons to Fermenting Cabbage, the Gourmand's Ultimate Guide to the World of Pickling (11 page)

YIELDS 1 PINT

 

 4 tablespoons packaged pickling spice blend

 4 tablespoons pickling or canning salt

 1 cup carrot, chopped

 
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cup beets, chopped

 1 cup daikon radish, chopped

 1 cup celery root, chopped

 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

 2 cups apple cider vinegar

1. Place the pickling spices and salt at the bottom of a 1-gallon glass jar.
   
2. Place the vegetables and garlic into the jar.
   
3. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, and then add water and fill to the top of the jar.
   
4. Place a lid on the jar and shake it to mix up the spices and salt.
   
5. Gently shake the jar every day. The pickled vegetables will be ready to eat in 2–5 days. They’ll keep for a few weeks under refrigeration.
   

Vegetables may be pickled with various herbs and spices, depending on your preference. You might try some of these herbs: juniper berries, dill, mint, marjoram, basil, and orange and lemon zest. For spices, you can experiment with cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, pepper, caraway seeds, ginger, mustard seeds, and nutmeg.

 

Black strands of arame, a kelp used in Japanese cooking, add extra dimension to this colorful and dynamic pickle. Make different versions of this colorful recipe using various seasonal vegetables. Purple dulse flakes, which support heart function, can be substituted for arame
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YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 3 CUPS

 

 
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cup celery

 
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cup carrot

 
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cup red cabbage

 
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cup yellow onion

 
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cup arame, soaked in water for 30 minutes

 1 medium bay leaf

 
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teaspoon olive oil

 
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cup rice vinegar

 
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teaspoon pickling or canning salt

Cut vegetables into thin slices. Place sliced vegetables, arame, and bay leaf in a glass jar or a nonreactive bowl.

1. In a separate container, mix the olive oil, rice vinegar, and salt together.
   
2. Pour marinade over vegetables and cover.
   
3. Refrigerate overnight and serve. These pickles should be eaten within a few days to maximize freshness.
   

This is a bright, beautiful dish, both visually and flavor-wise. Try it served with crab cakes
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YIELDS 5–6 PINTS

 

 10 cups uncooked sweet baby corn kernels, fresh or thawed from frozen

 1 cup sweet red pepper, diced

 1 cup sweet green pepper, diced

 1 cup celery, diced

 
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cup red onion, sliced

 
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cup Vidalia onion, diced

 1
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cups sugar

 2
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cups white vinegar

 2 cups water

 1 teaspoon pickling or canning salt

 2 teaspoons celery seed

 2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1. Place all ingredients in a large pan over medium heat. Bring to a fast boil; lower heat and simmer 15 minutes.
   
2. Hot pack into pint jars, leaving
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   -inch headspace. Cap and seal; process in boiling water 15 minutes. Check lids after cool for proper sealing to prevent leakage. As with most canned pickles, Corn Relish will keep for up to a year, stored in a cold place.
   

Red onions lend themselves particularly well to becoming a relish. They have high sugar content, caramelize easily, and can get quite sweet when cooked down over a long period of time
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YIELDS 6 PINTS

 

 6 large red onions, peeled and sliced very thinly

 
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cup brown sugar, firmly packed

 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

 3 cups dry red wine

 
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cup balsamic vinegar

 
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teaspoon pickling or canning salt

 
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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a heavy nonstick skillet, combine onions and sugar with olive oil; heat over medium-high heat.
   
2. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes, or until onions turn golden and start to caramelize, stirring frequently.
   
3. Stir in wine, vinegar, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cook 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently.
   
4. Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving
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   -inch headspace. Remove air bubbles.
   
5. Wipe rims. Cap and seal. Process in a water-bath canner for 10 minutes. Check the lids for a solid seal. This relish will keep for up to a year under refrigeration.
   

This bright green chutney gets an extra pop from the addition of grated coconut. It’s particularly good on seafood, but very nice simply spread on toast
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YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 1 CUP

 

 1 bunch coriander (cilantro), stems included

 3–4 sprigs of fresh mint

 2 serrano chilies, seeded and roughly chopped

 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

 
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cup unsweetened grated coconut

 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
   
2. Pour chutney into a jar. It may seem a little thin, but it will thicken into a paste.
   
3. Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 1 month.
   

Chutneys are condiments and spreads made from cooking down fruit that is flavored with spices. The word comes from the Hindi
catni
, and chutney originated as a South Asian food, though now it is used and made around the world. Chutneys can be made from almost any fruit or vegetable, but common ones found are mango, tomato, and tamarind.

 

This is a sweet-savory blend that can be used as a condiment, side dish, or sauce. If you’d like to can it, use the hot-water-bath method for 15 minutes. If canned, it will keep for up to a year in a cold place
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YIELDS 4 PINTS

 

 1 pound fresh apricots

 1 pound fresh peaches

 1 pound fresh nectarines

 1 pound fresh pears

 2 small seedless oranges

 20 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

 2 tablespoons freshly ground ginger

 1 cup golden raisins

 1 cup dried cranberries

 1 cup apple cider vinegar

 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

 3 cups sweet onions, finely diced

 2 cups orange juice

 
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teaspoon ground cinnamon

 
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teaspoon ground clove

 1 teaspoon pickling or canning salt

 
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teaspoon freshly ground allspice

1. Peel and chop the apricots, peaches, nectarines, and pears; put into a large pot. Carefully remove the peel from the oranges and add the peels to the pot.
   
2. Chop oranges and garlic; add to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
   
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 45 minutes, continuing to stir regularly. The chutney will begin to thicken.
   
4. Cool and move into freezer-safe containers, leaving
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   -inch headspace for expansion. Place in the freezer for up to 6–8 months. Once the chutney is defrosted, use within a week.