Pickled: From Curing Lemons to Fermenting Cabbage, the Gourmand's Ultimate Guide to the World of Pickling (16 page)

1. Wash oranges. Cut into
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   -inch slices; seed.
   
2. Place oranges in a heavy pan; cover with cold water. Heat to boiling. Lower heat; simmer until fruit is tender, about 45 minutes. Drain in a colander.
   
3. Heat sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice berries until boiling. Add orange rings a few at a time; cook at a moderate boil until rings are tender and clear, about 15 minutes.
   
4. Remove the orange slices and the whole spices from the syrup. Pack orange slices in sterilized pint jars, leaving
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   -inch headspace. Divide spices evenly between 4 jars.
   
5. Ladle hot syrup over orange slices, leaving
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   -inch headspace. Wipe rims; cap and seal.
   
6. Process in water-bath canner 10 minutes. The canned oranges will keep for up to a year. As always, keeping them in a cold place will prolong their shelf life.
   

It was 1493 when Christopher Columbus brought orange seeds to Haiti; they eventually made it from Haiti into Florida in the early sixteenth century. The most popular oranges are sweet oranges, which come in navel, Valencia, Persian, and blood orange varieties.

 

Preserving lemons does magical things to their flavor. Take the preserved skin of the lemons, chop it finely, and add it to Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dishes. Much as in sauerkraut or kimchi, these pickles are cured only in salt—the liquid from the lemons does the rest
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YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART

 

 8 large lemons, or 10 Meyer lemons

 
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cup pickling or canning salt

 4–5 sprigs fresh rosemary

 
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teaspoon whole black peppercorns (optional)

1. Cut each lemon open by making two intersecting cuts
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   of the way through the fruit. You should be able to open the lemon up like a flower petal.
   
2. Generously coat all the surfaces of the lemons with the pickling salt.
   
3. Place the lemons into a sterilized quart-sized glass jar, compressing them as you go. You’re aiming to create a substantial amount of lemon juice in the jar, so don’t handle them delicately.
   
4. Add more salt and lemon juice to cover, if necessary. Add the rosemary sprigs and the peppercorns, if using.
   
5. Cap the jar, and allow it to stay at room temperature for two days before moving it to the refrigerator. Let the lemons soften for 3 weeks, occasionally shaking the jar to make sure that the juice reaches all of the lemons.
   
6. To use, remove a lemon, rinse the salt off, and then utilize the skin in your recipe. The lemons will keep in the jar for 4–6 months.
   

Pickled limes are one of the easier fruit pickles to make, similar to preserved lemons. Pickled limes can also be a spicy pickle, which is a staple of some South Asian cuisines
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YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 1 PINT

 

 1 quart water

 
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cup pickling or canning salt

 6 medium limes, cut into quarters

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, sterilize your canning jar(s).
   
2. Once the water is boiling, add the pickling salt, and stir to dissolve. Once the salt is no longer visible, shut off the heat and allow the brine to cool slightly
   
3. Pack the limes down into your sanitized jar, adding the rest of the ingredients. Pour the brine over the limes and make sure that they are totally submerged before you cap the jar.
   
4. Cap the jar, and allow it to stay at room temperature for two days before moving it to the refrigerator. Let the limes soften for at least a week. To use them, rinse off the salt, and then either dice the flesh or use the skins to add deep flavor to a number of dishes.
   

Pickled apples are wonderful in cold weather—they seem to capture all of the warm essence of a crisp fall day, but with an underlying tartness from the pickling solution. Truly gourmet territory
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YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART

 

 8 medium-sized firm apples

 1 cup apple cider vinegar

 
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cup red wine vinegar

 
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cup white vinegar

 3
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cups sugar

 1 tablespoon cloves

 1 tablespoon allspice berries

 1 stick cinnamon

1. Clean, peel, and quarter the apples, removing the core and the seeds.
   
2. Heat the vinegars and sugar in a medium saucepan to a rolling boil. Add the loose spices. (You may tie the spices in a small cheesecloth pouch for easier removal.)
   
3. Add the quartered apples to the pickling mixture. Turn down the heat to a straight simmer, and cook until the apples are quite tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, approximately 10 minutes.
   
4. Remove the apples to a sterile quart-sized glass jar.
   
5. Continue cooking the vinegar mixture down until it takes the consistency of a syrup. Pour the mixture over the apples in the jar. Cap and refrigerate, using the apples within a few weeks.
   

These plums are pickled with a sweet and spicy mixture of vinegar and warming spices. They are a fantastic accompaniment to any grilled meat, with their sweet and sour flavor profile. This recipe is designed to be used within a week or so. If you’d like your pickles to last longer, process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes
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YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART

 

 8 firm plums, any variety

 1 cup red wine vinegar

 1 cup apple cider vinegar

 2 cups water

 2 cups sugar

 2 teaspoons whole cloves

 1 teaspoon allspice berries

1. Slice plums into wedges or dice them into large rectangles. Place them into a sterilized quart-sized canning jar.
   
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegars, water, and sugar to a boil, making sure the sugar is fully dissolved. Once the liquid reaches a boil, add the cloves and allspice berries (you may use a small cheesecloth bag to keep the seasonings together). Simmer for 5 minutes.
   
3. Remove the allspice and cloves, and then pour the hot liquid over the plums in the canning jars. Cool mixture to room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge. Allow the flavors to mingle overnight. Use the plums within a week or two.
   

This is a common side dish and snack in Scandinavia during Christmas and midsummer celebrations
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YIELDS 2 POUNDS

 

 2 pounds salt herring fillets

 
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cup water

 
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cup white vinegar

 
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cup red wine vinegar

 1 bay leaf

 
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teaspoon black peppercorns

 
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teaspoon whole allspice berries

 
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teaspoon dill seeds

 
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cinnamon stick

 
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cup granulated sugar

 1 red onion

1. Soak fillets in water in refrigerator 6 hours; change water and soak 6 hours more. Rinse and slice into bite-sized pieces.
   
2. In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except onion; boil for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
   
3. Slice onion; layer into jars with fish.
   
4. Add pickling mixture and cap. Let age about 1 week before serving. Use within 3 weeks.
   

Herrings live in temperate shallow waters in the North Atlantic. The term “a red herring” came about because of the potent smell of red herrings. Fox hunters could divert their competition by dragging herring across the good trail, confusing the opponents’ hounds.