Pining for pickles? Take your pick of recipes
QUESTION: I'm looking for pickle recipes and also would like to know if pickle recipes can be used with other vegetables besides cucumbers.ANSWER: To quote my good friend Bill (Shakespeare) from "The Tempest," "How camest thou in this pickle?" I will spare everyone from my attempts at pickle humor, although there's plenty floating around in that brine of mine that I call a brain.The point in referencing Old Bill was not only to show that pickling is international, but that it dates not only to his day but thousands of years before he ever picked a peck of pickled peppers — oh wait, that was someone else's poetry.We know that even the folks who built the Great Wall of China ate sauerkraut, which is fermented cabbage — a style of pickling.There are two styles of pickling. The first is when vegetables (yes, lots of different types of vegetables can be pickled, as long as they are not too soft) are soaked in a salt-water-brine solution that causes fermentation. The fermentation causes the growth of good bacteria that help preserve the product. The best examples for me are sauerkraut and kim chi.The second method of pickling is when a product is preserved in vinegar, where bacteria cannot survive. Cucumber pickles are the best example. Normally a hot vinegar solution is poured over vegetables or fruit, which is then bottled or refrigerated.Either technique produces pickles, and both work well, but let me give you a few tips to keep your pickle making experience from going sour.n Never use table salt; always use a pickling salt.• Use a vinegar that is at least 5 percent acidity. There are many to choose from, although the ones labeled "pickling vinegars" will make your product more sour.• Use stainless steel or glass when making your pickles. Never use containers or utensils made of brass, copper, iron or anything that will react with acid or salt.• When making cucumber pickles, use fresh pickling cucumbers. Never use waxed cucumbers.• Be careful when experimenting with or altering recipes, because if you change the level of acidity or the salt too much, it may lead to spoilage.• If you think something has spoiled, do not take a chance. Just throw it out and save the doctor visit for something else.
6 pounds pickling cucumbers (4 to 5 inches long)2 pounds small onions, sliced into rounds¾ cup pickling salt4½ cups cider vinegar3 cups sugar1½ teaspoons ground turmeric2 teaspoons onion powder1 teaspoon celery seeds2 teaspoons yellow mustard seedsGently wash the cucumbers and cut off the blossom ends. Slice the cucumbers crosswise, a quarter-inch thick. In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers and onions with the salt. Cover the vegetables with ice cubes from two ice trays. Let the vegetables stand for at least 2 hours, then drain.In a large, nonreactive pot, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil. Add the vegetables and slowly bring to a boil again. Use a slotted spoon to pack the vegetables loosely in Mason jars, leaving a half-inch of headspace. Divide the liquid evenly among the jars, and seal. To ensure a good seal, process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the pickles.Makes about 4 quarts.
3 large cucumbers, sliced about 1 inch thick (do not peel)1 medium-sized red pepper (seeds removed)1 medium-sized onion1 tablespoon kosher salt2 teaspoons celery seed1½ teaspoons mustard seed¾ cup sugar½ cup white vinegarChop pepper and onion into approximately 1-inch squares and place along with sliced cucumbers into a 1 quart-size jar or bowl. Add salt and celery and mustard seed. Stir gently and let stand 2 hours.Combine sugar and vinegar in separate bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour over vegetables and stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate.Pickles are ready to eat in a day. Store covered in refrigerator. These mildly sweet pickles will stay crunchy up to about 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
1½ cups (quarter-inch sliced) cucumbers1 cup chopped peppers1 cup chopped green cabbage1 cup sliced onions1½ cups chopped carrots1 cup green string beans, cut in 1-inch pieces2 tablespoons mustard seed4 cloves minced garlic1 tablespoon celery seed1 cup chopped celery2 cups cider vinegar2 cups sugar2 tablespoons turmericSoak cucumbers, peppers, cabbage and onions in salt water overnight (a half-cup salt to 2 cups water). Drain. Cook the carrots and string beans in boiling water until tender; drain well.Mix soaked and cooked vegetables with remaining ingredients and boil 10 minutes. Pack into sterilized jars; process for 10 minutes in a water bath.Makes 14 pints.
