What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? (2006 - 2016)

[kbjesq]

On 12/22/2015 at 1:52 PM, HungryChris said:

I too am a fan of the green tomato pickle. This picture is from pickling day in late October, but in the last month they greatly improved in flavor and have been outstanding. I did not have enough from my garden and had to buy these from a local farmer.

HC

 

 

 

Huge fan of green tomatoes here. I will eat them any way I can get them. Some years ago we ended up with a bumper crop of green tomatoes and in addition to pickles, I made a green tomato chutney adapting a recipe from the Martha Stewart website for red tomato chutney. It was fantastic and we ended up with 12 pints which didn't last very long, even though we have a small family. I currently do not have access to any green tomatoes in bulk, but I do have access to an abundance of tomatillos. I wonder if I could substitute tomatillos for green tomatoes and make pickles and/or chutney?

I also have a bumper crop of Meyer lemons, looking to make some type of marmalade which is more popular in my household then candied rind. I already have a freezer full of Meyer lemon juice and zest.

Edited January 10, 2016 by kbjesq
clarification and fix typo (log)

[sparrowgrass]

Summer canning was almost non-existent, like my garden.  But--I have been canning chicken and chicken stock every time chicken leg quarters go on sale.  A quart of broth, a pint of chicken, some carrots and celery, and I have a delicious pot of chicken soup, once I add noodles or rice.  Friends got 'instant soup' for Christmas and they have raved about it.

 

I use a pressure cooker, of course, and the Ball Blue Book directions.  I can on the bone, but I do remove the skin.  Picking thru the cold gelatinous chicken to find the skin is icky.  Bones just pull out, and the dogs love them--soft and crumbly.

[Anna N]

 

Moroccan carrot quickles with harissa.  These are tasty but also very attractive.  

[Katie Meadow]

I say yes to anything called a Moroccan Quickie. They would be a terrific side in an Israeli salad plate or garnish in a falafel sandwich along with the cucumbers.

 

My latest quick pickle was Watermelon radish. Excellent texture, most gorgeous deep pink color that bleeds to the edge of the slices and into the brine as well. Besides straight from jar to maw, I've discovered many uses for them. Shredded or julienned they give a kick to slaw and I also liked them as a sub for pickled red onion in tacos. I could see them in banh mi by themselves or perhaps as an addition to the usual daikon and carrot mix. The ones I used have a little more bite than daikon. Would make a striking combo with those bright orange carrots.

[Tere]

My late mother in law belatedly gifted me a lot of Kilner jars. I should probably photograph them and get your opinion, shouldn't I? They are old and could have gone in the thrift thread. I didn't even know canning chicken was a thing though!

 

[ElainaA]

2 hours ago, Tere said:

My late mother in law belatedly gifted me a lot of Kilner jars. I should probably photograph them and get your opinion, shouldn't I? They are old and could have gone in the thrift thread. I didn't even know canning chicken was a thing though!

 

Kilner jars are so much prettier than the usual Ball jars! If you don't want them, make an offer or put them on Ebay!  But don't try canning chicken (or any other low acid food) unless you have a pressure canner if you want to live! And watch out - canning is addictive. 

[EsaK]

I attempted pickling with the basic, cucumber. Now I'm wondering if I can eat them, or should it be discarded. I had roughly 100g whey, 150g water, 12.5g salt in the liquid. Added cleaned cucumbers, was in 19-20°C cupboard for 4 days with a piece of plastic wrap to keep cucumbers submerged and a cloth on top. Today, 4th day, when I looked at them, the plastic wrap had mold on it and the liquid on the bottom is rather cloudy. I don't find an off-smell, haven't tasted them. Somewhere I read that mold on top may not be such a bad thing with these, but I'm very hesitant to eat them without knowing more. Anyone know what's going on, what I might have done wrong? 

[Josh71]

Preserving can also include "salt curing", correct?

 

I am trying to make bottarga

 

 

 

[EsaK]

On 26 February 2016 at 0:16 PM, EsaK said:

I attempted pickling with the basic, cucumber. Now I'm wondering if I can eat them, or should it be discarded. I had roughly 100g whey, 150g water, 12.5g salt in the liquid. Added cleaned cucumbers, was in 19-20°C cupboard for 4 days with a piece of plastic wrap to keep cucumbers submerged and a cloth on top. Today, 4th day, when I looked at them, the plastic wrap had mold on it and the liquid on the bottom is rather cloudy. I don't find an off-smell, haven't tasted them. Somewhere I read that mold on top may not be such a bad thing with these, but I'm very hesitant to eat them without knowing more. Anyone know what's going on, what I might have done wrong? 

 

Anyone kind enough to help me with this safety question in anyway? Should these be okay, or was there something fundamentally wrong with my ingredients/pickling process?

 

[Shelby]

3 minutes ago, EsaK said:

 

Anyone kind enough to help me with this safety question in anyway? Should these be okay, or was there something fundamentally wrong with my ingredients/pickling process?

 

I've never used whey, but I make pickles a lot during the summer.  I use grape leaves to cover the top and weight it down with a ziplock full of leftover brine.  Every couple of days I check and at times there is a white "scum" that forms.  I simply rinse the  grape leaves off, skim off the scum and place the leaves back on.  This is normal.  Are you sure you have mold or is it just the scum?

[Anna N]

@HungryChris

 

 I did not want to drag the breakfast topic off into preserving but I'm very curious about how you made your zucchini pickles. I did a search of this topic but was not successful in finding anything you had entered here.  So I am hoping you will check in and perhaps share your pickle recipe.  

[EsaK]

47 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I've never used whey, but I make pickles a lot during the summer.  I use grape leaves to cover the top and weight it down with a ziplock full of leftover brine.  Every couple of days I check and at times there is a white "scum" that forms.  I simply rinse the  grape leaves off, skim off the scum and place the leaves back on.  This is normal.  Are you sure you have mold or is it just the scum?

 

I should've taken a picture of it but it certainly looked like mold. Couple of little white moldy dots with some darker stuff in the middle. I didn't really take a look at them before the 4th day so I don't know if it was first "scum" and then developed into mold? No clue really. 

[Shelby]

7 minutes ago, EsaK said:

 

I should've taken a picture of it but it certainly looked like mold. Couple of little white moldy dots with some darker stuff in the middle. I didn't really take a look at them before the 4th day so I don't know if it was first "scum" and then developed into mold? No clue really. 

It certainly sounds like mold since it had darker stuff going on.  Like I said, I've never used whey.....I use vinegar.  A quick google turned up this gal's reasoning for not using whey anymore.  For what it's worth, my guess would be the whey caused your mold problem and I wouldn't eat them.

[HungryChris]

7 hours ago, Anna N said:

@HungryChris

 

 I did not want to drag the breakfast topic off into preserving but I'm very curious about how you made your zucchini pickles. I did a search of this topic but was not successful in finding anything you had entered here.  So I am hoping you will check in and perhaps share your pickle recipe.  

Anna,

It is something I have been doing for many years and is a very simple refrigerator pickle. The basic recipe is this:

to a quart jar add 1 TBS kosher salt, 3 large peeled cloves of garlic , 2 bay leaves and a TBS of dill weed. Pack whatever you are going to pickle into the jar and fill to the shoulder (where it starts to curve to the lid) with white vinegar, top off with water, secure the lid, shake to dissolve the salt and refrigerate for 3 days. When I do zucchini and onions, I will sometimes add a dash of crushed red pepper and a splash of Kens Italian dressing to give it a slight marinated flavor. I do the same with cauliflower, sliced frying peppers, par boiled pearl onions, par boiled asparagus, sliced, roasted beets and sliced raw turnip. For cucumber pickles (I grow the picklers) I omit the dressing. Green tomatoes, take about 6 weeks, but just about everything else is ready within a few days and never lasts very long in my fridge. When the pickles are gone, I will taste the brine and add salt, vinegar, dill and or garlic, based on what it seems to need, and more veggies go in. Piece of cake!

HC 

Edited February 28, 2016 by HungryChris
I learned the hard way that you must shake to disolve the salt. (log)

[Anna N]

@HungryChris

 

 That is about my speed presently!  Could hardly be any easier.  Thank you for sharing.   I love the idea of zucchini ribbon pickles.

[sartoric]

This years home grown Manzanillo olives, the variety that's best suited to our climate.

We have three trees on our standard suburban block.

These have been  brined for four weeks and are ready to use.

They're quite olivey and salty at the moment, but will mellow.

 

 

 

[Shelby]

Those are awesome, Sartoric.  Do you keep them at room temp or in the fridge?  They are so pretty...I'd want to keep them on a shelf in the kitchen so I could look at them  

[Darienne]

19 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Those are awesome, Sartoric.  Do you keep them at room temp or in the fridge?  They are so pretty...I'd want to keep them on a shelf in the kitchen so I could look at them  

My very feelings. 

[sartoric]

5 hours ago, Shelby said:

Those are awesome, Sartoric.  Do you keep them at room temp or in the fridge?  They are so pretty...I'd want to keep them on a shelf in the kitchen so I could look at them  

 

Thanks, at the moment they're in the pantry, my kitchen bench is cluttered enough

[kayb]

How wonderful it must be to have olive trees and be able to brine your own!

 

[Shelby]

I've been hoarding the eggs that my wonderful egg person gives me so that I could make another batch of pickled eggs.  Ronnie found some lovely fresh dill at the Asian market.

 

[HungryChris]

Refrigerator pickled red onions and blanched asparagus for salad and sandwich fixings.

HC

.

[rotuts]

@HungryChris   

 

looks so tasty  its almost something id try

 

what was your Rx , if I might ask ?

[HungryChris]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@HungryChris   

 

looks so tasty  its almost something id try

 

what was your Rx , if I might ask ?

In a quart jar, 1 level TBS Kosher salt (the large crystals) 3 cloves of peeled garlic, about 2 tsp dill weed, crushed red pepper flakes if you like a little heat, a bay leaf or two and sometimes yellow mustard seed. I cut the asparagus to remove woody stems, blanch quickly in boiling water and rinse under cold water. Pack them in the jar with the sliced onions. fill 3/4 full with white vinegar, top off with tap water and shake to dissolve the salt. Refrigerate for a few days and you are there.

HC

Edited March 20, 2016 by HungryChris (log)

[Wayne]

Found some nice Napa cabbage yesterday so I've got a small batch of kimchi started: