Pickled: From Curing Lemons to Fermenting Cabbage, the Gourmand's Ultimate Guide to the World of Pickling (12 page)

Sweet, sour, and spicy all at once, this chutney is great spread onto crackers, or served with fish or chicken
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YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 2 CUPS

 

 3 ripe yellow mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into
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-inch cubes

 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced

 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

 
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teaspoon pickling or canning salt

 
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teaspoon cayenne pepper

 1 cup white vinegar

 
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cup light brown sugar

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and let simmer over very low heat for 20–30 minutes, until it is very thick.
   
2. Remove chutney from heat and let cool.
   
3. When chutney is cooled, transfer to a glass jar and store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a month.
   

Try this sweet chutney on goose, turkey, chicken, and other fowl
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YIELDS 4 PINTS

 

 8 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and stemmed

 2 medium onions, finely chopped

 3 cups red wine vinegar

 1 cup golden yellow raisins

 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

 1 tablespoon mustard seeds

 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1 pinch pickling or canning salt

 
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teaspoon ground nutmeg

 
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teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1. Place blueberries in a large stockpot with onion, vinegar, raisins, brown sugar, mustard seeds, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil.
   
2. Lower heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes, or until chutney is thick.
   
3. Ladle hot chutney into sterilized jars, leaving
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   -inch headspace. Wipe rims; cap and seal.
   
4. Process in water-bath canner 15 minutes. Cool.
   
5. Store in a cold place, either the refrigerator or a cellar, and let the flavors mingle for at least 6–8 weeks before using. This recipe will keep for up to a year unopened.
   

Blueberries carry the folk names of hurtleberries and bilberries. Unlike so many other fruits, this is one that has its roots in North America. Do not purchase under-ripe blueberries; they don’t continue to ripen after harvesting, and you want the sweetest blueberries possible for pickling.

 

Pickling jalapeños brings out a range of other sour flavors in addition to the heat of the pepper. These are delicious enough to eat as-is, but consider adding them to a Southwestern dish for a piquant kick
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YIELDS 20–25 PEPPERS

 

 1 pound fresh jalapeño peppers, washed

 2
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cups water

 2
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cups white vinegar

 3 tablespoons pickling or canning salt

 1 tablespoon sugar

 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

 2 tablespoons coriander seeds

 2 tablespoons black peppercorns

 2 bay leaves

1. With a small paring knife, poke each pepper 2 or 3 times, creating small slits for the brine to seep in. Put peppers in a large, clean glass preserving jar or several smaller ones.
   
2. In a nonreactive saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 2 minutes.
   
3. Remove brine from heat and pour over peppers. Screw the lids onto the jars and let cool.
   
4. When peppers are cool, put jars in the refrigerator and let sit for several days. You can eat them after just a few days, but they will taste better if you let them sit for at least a week. The peppers will keep for up to a month.
   

This simple recipe works best with fresh red chilies because the salt preserves their bright color and makes them especially striking. Feel free to use whatever kind of chilies you like, and consider adding other vegetables to the mix
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YIELDS 40–50 THAI CHILIES

 

 1 pound fresh red Thai chilies

 
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cup kosher salt

1. Make sure your chilies are thoroughly dried. Cut off the stems and tips and roughly chop them, keeping the seeds. It’s a good idea to wear gloves for this task to avoid chili burns, as you’ll be handling quite a few chilies.
   
2. Place the chopped chilies in a large bowl. Add the salt and mix thoroughly.
   
3. Place chilies in a large, clean glass jar or several smaller ones. Feel free to pack them to the top, as they will shrink in size. Fill in any excess space at the top with more salt.
   
4. Screw lids on tightly and leave in a cool place for 2 weeks before using. Once opened, store chilies in the refrigerator for a month.
   

A hotter take on the classic American dill pickle. Feel free to turn up the heat as you like. These spicy pickles go great with craft beer and a well-marbled hamburger, as long as your guests like heat!

YIELDS 48 PICKLES

 

 12 pickling cucumbers, cut lengthwise into quarters

 2 serrano peppers, thinly sliced

 2 cups white vinegar

 1
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cups water

 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes

 1 bunch dill, roughly chopped

1. Combine all ingredients except dill in a large bowl. Stir and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
   
2. Divide dill evenly into 2 or 3 jars. Divide cucumber spears evenly into jars as well.
   
3. Pour pickling liquid over cucumber spears.
   
4. Screw lids on and store in the refrigerator for 2 days before using. These refrigerator pickles will keep for at least a week or two.
   

This sweet and spicy relish is a Southern favorite. Try it on hamburgers, hot dogs, or alongside a meal with mashed potatoes
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YIELDS 8 CUPS

 

 
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head green cabbage, thinly shredded

 10 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (take out seeds and ribs for less heat)

 3 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

 3 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

 3 green tomatoes, chopped

 2 sweet onions, chopped

 
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cup pickling or canning salt

 2 cups white vinegar

 1 cup sugar

 2 teaspoons celery seeds

 2 teaspoons fennel seeds

 2 teaspoons mustard seeds

 2 teaspoons turmeric

1. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, jalapeños, peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Add the salt and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 6–8 hours, then rinse and drain well in a colander.
   
2. Put the vegetables into a large Dutch oven. Add the vinegar, sugar, celery seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender but not falling apart, about 1 hour.
   
3. Remove vegetables from the brine, and let cool. Place in jars and store in the refrigerator. Chow Chow will keep for at least a few weeks.
   

Chow Chow is mainly known as a Southern food, though a sweeter version of it is also found in Pennsylvania. It wasn’t always Southern, though. Chow Chow migrated with the Acadian people after they were banished from Nova Scotia and settled in Louisiana.