Pickled: From Curing Lemons to Fermenting Cabbage, the Gourmand's Ultimate Guide to the World of Pickling (7 page)

For spicy pickles:
Spicy pickles are a fun complement to cooling dishes, like cold Asian peanut noodles or American pasta salad. Of course, any dish that would benefit from hot sauce or peppers is also a candidate for the more upscale and complex spicy pickle. Californian fish tacos, Vietnamese Banh Mi (see
Part III
), and even Tex-Mex barbecue skillets all do well with a dose of pickled heat.

For fruit pickles or sweet pickles:
Fruit pickles can be said to have the most complex taste of any pickle—a balance of sweetness and sourness that tastes completely gourmet. Pickled fruits are great complements to savory roasted meats, especially during the holidays—think of a rich and decadent rib roast with pickled plums to brighten and sweeten the dish. Fruits are also excellent as an accent topping to a dessert, especially if you want to be unexpected and playful. Rich ice cream with shortcake and lightly pickled figs is a grown-up version of the Fig Newtons you may have enjoyed as a child! Pickled fruits are also wonderful in salads and antipastos, served with prosciutto and complex cheeses.

Of course, these are just a few of the many ways you can utilize the gourmet pickles that you’ll soon be making. The recipes in the following sections will give you more than 100 pickles and recipes that you can then use again and again in various combinations as your taste buds dictate. Once you have your pickles, don’t be afraid to experiment with tastes, textures, and contrasts in your dishes. Pickles are the ultimate improvisational counterpoint, and there are no hard-and-fast rules to where they can and can’t be used. You’re only limited by your imagination!

These pickles have a mild, tasty flavor that echoes the subtle sweetness of the apple cider vinegar. You could substitute a wide variety of vegetables for the pickles
.

YIELDS 1 GALLON

 

 6 tablespoons pickling or canning salt

 
¹
⁄
₂
gallon water

 1 cup apple cider vinegar, plus more to fill

 4 pounds small pickling cucumbers

 1 cup fresh dill leaf

 2 tablespoons black peppercorns

 
¹
⁄
₂
cup packaged pickling spice blend

1. Make the brine by dissolving the salt in the water. Stir in the apple cider vinegar.
   
2. Mix the whole cucumbers with the dill, peppercorns, and pickling spice blend. Place mixture into a glass 1 gallon jar.
   
3. Pour the brine over the cucumbers. Add more apple cider vinegar and fill to the top of the jar. It may take up to an extra
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup of vinegar. Make sure all cucumbers are covered in brine. Cover the jar tightly with a lid.
   
4. Place the jar of cucumbers in the refrigerator and let sit. They will be ready to eat after 2 days. They become more sour after 1–2 weeks. Since these pickles are not processed or canned, you should consume them within 10–14 days, for safety.
   

Instead of preserving these pickles through canning, you preserve them through freezing. Frozen pickles will keep for at least 6–8 months in the freezer. Once you’re ready to eat them, thaw them out, and they’ll last for about a week
.

YIELDS 2 QUARTS

 

 12 cups thinly sliced cucumbers

 4 cups thinly sliced sweet onions

 3 cups sugar

 3 cups white vinegar

 1 teaspoon pickling or canning salt

 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

 1 teaspoon celery seeds

1. Place cucumbers and onions in a large nonreactive bowl.
   
2. Mix remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar.
   
3. Pour over cucumbers. Put a plate on top of cucumbers so they stay below brine; let sit at room temperature 24 hours.
   
4. Move into freezer-safe containers, leaving a small amount of space for expansion in the freezer. If you’d prefer to turn this recipe into a traditional canned recipe, this blend can be successfully canned using a hot-water-bath method for 15 minutes. In a freezer, the cucumbers will keep for several months, and if canned, the pickles will keep for up to a year, in a cold place.
   

These are the kinds of pickles often seen on our grandparents’ tables. While the spices may change a little, the passion these pickles inspire remains consistent
.

YIELDS 4 QUARTS

 

 4 cups onions

 4 cups cucumbers

 4 cups small green tomatoes

 1 medium cauliflower

 2 sweet peppers

 1 gallon water

 2 cups pickling or canning salt Pinch alum (optional)

 4 cups sugar

 3 tablespoons celery seed

 
²
⁄
₃
cup mustard

 4
¹
⁄
₄
cups white vinegar

1. Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Put in a large bowl; cover with water, salt, and alum.
   
2. Put a plate over top of vegetables so they stay below brine; leave at room temperature 24 hours.
   
3. The next day, warm entire mixture to boiling; remove from heat and drain vegetables. Immediately put into sterilized jars (if canning) or freezer-safe containers (if freezing).
   
4. Put remaining ingredients in a large pot; simmer until thickened. Pour sauce evenly over pickles. Make sure to get all the air bubbles out if canning. Leave
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₄
   -inch headspace in the jars; process 10 minutes in a hot water bath. If freezing, remember to leave extra space for freezer expansion.
   
5. Canned pickles have a shelf life of about 1 year, if stored in a refrigerator or a cool place. Frozen pickles last 6–8 months.
   

This recipe makes a nice snack or may be used in garnishing various beverages. Pickled garlic is also a wonderful complement to any pungent Chinese, Thai, or Malaysian dish
.

YIELDS 2 PINTS

 

 2 cups white vinegar

 
¹
⁄
₂
cup red wine vinegar

 1 cup dry white wine

 1 tablespoon pickling or canning salt

 1 tablespoon sugar

 1 tablespoon oregano or basil (optional)

 12 large garlic cloves, peeled

1. Bring vinegars, wine, salt, sugar, and spices to a boil in a small saucepot for 1 minute. Let cool momentarily.
   
2. Separate garlic evenly between prepared canning jars.
   
3. Pour hot brine over garlic, leaving
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   -inch headspace. Cap the jars.
   
4. Process in hot water bath 10 minutes. Cool, label and store. The garlic will keep in a cold place for up to a year.