Advertisement It’s the possibility of manslaughter — plus fears of chemistry and tipped vats of scalding-hot water — that keeps many people from “putting food by.” What a revelation to learn that it’s possible to make pickles without the bother of hot-water baths and botulism!
Much of the produce flooding farmers markets this month can be turned into “quick pickles.” Fruits and vegetables are cooked briefly before mixing them with a spiced vinegar solution. The finished pickles will remain good in the refrigerator — not the root cellar — several days to several months.
Flavor profiles run the gamut, from sweet to tangy to downright fiery. “A pickle’s punch should not be pulled. Otherwise it becomes something else: a salad,” write the authors of “Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor” (Chronicle Books).
Many of the pickles are beautiful — the taste of summer captured in colorful chunks and punctuated with mustard seeds, whole cloves, wisps of dill. When artfully arranged in clear glass jars, they make perfect gourmet gifts for the summer hostess.
GET YOUR MONEY’S WORTH
Although canning bumper garden crops may have been one of great-grandma’s strategies for coping with the Depression, pickling at home isn’t necessarily a money-saver.
“If you’re not growing your own foods, canning and freezing is not the economical way to go,” said Nichole Burnett, family and consumer science agent for the Johnson County extension office. “You’ll pay more in the long run.”
It’s possible to pickle broccoli stalks and watermelon rinds, which otherwise might be composted or thrown away. The only cost to a batch of watermelon rind pickles is the vinegar, about a dollar.
But the price quickly escalates for a pickled peach recipe that calls for half a bottle of wine and a $6 vanilla bean or one that uses out-of-season produce.
If you do buy fruits and vegetables for pickling, it pays to get them by the bushel at the farmers market, Burnett said. The quality of local produce bought at the peak of freshness will be evident in the final pickle.
Another cost to consider is time. It can be tedious to peel marble-sized pearl onions, cut a head of cauliflower into tiny florets or pare the green rind off a watermelon. But once the produce is prepped, quick pickle recipes go together in a snap.
Once your pickles are made, what do you do with them?
Kerri Conan, a cookbook author in southern Leavenworth County, Kan., puts homemade pickles on the table every day at lunch. She estimates she and her husband go through a jar a week.
Besides eating them straight from the jar, Conan likes to arrange different pickles on a platter as a relish tray (perfect for summer bratwurst barbecues) or as antipasto.
Other uses:
Chop up savory pickles and substitute them for standard sweet relish in tuna or chicken salad.
Recycle the brine as a salad dressing, much like a vinaigrette. Or use the vinegar solution to poach or marinate seafood.
Mix pickled vegetables with plain yogurt to make a sauce for meats, fish, poultry, baked potatoes or grilled vegetables.
Serve pickled fruit on ice cream or pound cake, or serve as a compote alongside grilled pork or seafood. Boil down the fruity vinegar solution into a syrup for pancakes or sundaes.
Scatter chopped pickles in a green salad, much as you would dried cranberries or pecans.
COOK’S TIPS
Select unblemished fruits and vegetables that have been harvested within 24 hours.
Cut produce into uniform pieces.
If your tap water tastes funky, substitute distilled water.
Use kosher salt or pickling salt. Regular table salt contains iodine that may darken pickles or impart an “off” flavor. Sea salt varies widely in flavor, so taste it first to make sure it is compatible with the other ingredients.
Although homemade vinegars may not be acidic enough to use for traditionally canned pickles, it is fine to use them in quick pickles that will be refrigerated.
QUICK PICKLED PEACHES
6 peaches
2 cups white wine
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup raw sugar (see note)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 cinnamon sticks
Juice of 1 lemon
Blanch peaches about 10 seconds. Peel and cut in half. Place wine, vinegar, honey, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large saucepot. Bring to a simmer and let cook 5 minutes. Add peaches and cook until heated through, about 6 minutes after returning to a boil.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a canning jar with vanilla and cinnamon sticks evenly distributed. Pour boiling syrup over the peaches and fill to 1/4 inch below the rim and seal. Peaches will last up to a month refrigerated.
Variations: For pickled plums, substitute 1 quart plus 1 cup pitted small plums for the peaches and 2 star anise for the cinnamon. For pickled cherries, replace the peaches with 6 cups pitted cherries and the cinnamon with 3 green cardamom pods. Reduce cooking time to 3 minutes after returning to a boil.
Note: Raw sugar is the residue left after sugarcane has been processed to remove the molasses and refine the sugar crystals. Look for it in the baking aisle. It may be labeled as Demerara sugar, Barbados sugar or Turbinado sugar.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 128 calories (none from fat), no fat or cholesterol, 29 grams carbohydrates, trace protein, 3 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.
Makes 1 quart
Source: “The Victory Garden,” www.pbs.org
HOMEMADE SPICY DILL PICKLES
4 cups rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
2 unpeeled English cucumbers, washed and cut in half horizontally, then quartered lengthwise
Combine vinegar, honey, pepper flakes, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin and salt in a medium non-reactive saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Let boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add dill and cilantro. Place cucumbers in a medium bowl and pour cooled vinegar mixture over them. Refrigerate, covered, 24 hours or up to 4 days.
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving: 50 calories (3 percent from fat), trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 708 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.
Source: Food Network
SMOKY PICKLED CORN CIRCLES
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 pound red, orange and yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin rings
2 large onions, peeled and cut into thin rings
6 tomatillos, papery skins removed, halved
4 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard, mixed with 2 teaspoons water
4 cups white wine vinegar
1 cup pineapple juice
2 cups water
11/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
2 to 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole cloves
4 to 6 dried chipotle peppers (or substitute 3 to 5 fresh chilies of your choice)
6 ears corn, husked, silked and cut into rounds ½ to ¾ inch thick
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Add garlic, bell peppers, onions and tomatillos. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables sweat and are slightly softened and the peppers have brightened in color, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or brown; the vegetables should be crisp-tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a non-reactive pot, combine all the remaining ingredients except the corn and bring to a boil over high heat. Add corn rounds; there should be just enough liquid to cover them. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Add reserved vegetables and return to a simmer. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, uncovered.
Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled. The pickled corn will last 2 weeks, covered and refrigerated.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 37 calories (9 percent from fat), trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 9 grams carbohydrates, trace protein, 183 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.
Makes about 4 quarts.
Source: “Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor” (Chronicle)
WATERMELON RIND PICKLES
1 (4-pound) piece watermelon, quartered
8 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
8 whole cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon pickling spice
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Cut watermelon pulp from rind, leaving thin layer of pink on rind. (Reserve pulp for another use.) Cut green outer skin from rind; discard. Cut enough rind into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces to measure 4 cups. Combine 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt in large pot; bring to boil. Add rind pieces and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Strain. Transfer rinds to large metal bowl.
Combine remaining 2 teaspoons salt, sugar and remaining ingredients in large heavy saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over watermelon rinds in bowl. Place plate atop rinds to keep rinds submerged in pickling liquid. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Strain liquid from rinds into saucepan; bring to boil. Pour over rinds. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Repeat straining and boiling of liquid and pour over rinds 1 more time. Refrigerate in covered jars up to 2 weeks.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 136 calories (2 percent from fat), trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 35 grams carbohydrates, trace protein, 276 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Source: Bon Appetit
GIARDINIERA (ITALIAN PICKLED VEGETABLES)
2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-by-1/4-by-2-inch julienne strips
16 small pearl onions, peeled
2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced 1/3 inch thick
1/2 cup pitted meaty green olives
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pour 3 quarts water into a 5-quart pot, add the vinegar and salt and bring to boil. Add carrots and onions; cook 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and celery; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in bell pepper andcook until vegetables are softened but still quite firm, about 1 minute. Drain vegetables and transfer to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature.
Toss in the olives and drizzle olive oil over everything. Toss well and marinate at least 1 hour at room temperature, or 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator before serving. Pickles will keep refrigerated up to 7 days.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 22 calories (40 percent from fat), 1 gram total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 3 grams carbohydrates, trace protein, 318 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.
Makes 3 quarts.
Source: “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen” (Knopf)
SESAME-PICKLED CARROTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided
1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons peeled, slivered fresh ginger, divided
2 tablespoons orange marmalade or orange juice concentrate
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons black and/or white sesame seeds, toasted
1 or more dried redchilies, to taste (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher or other coarse salt
In a medium saute pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add carrots and half the ginger and saute, stirring frequently, until carrots are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a non-reactive bowl.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the remaining ginger, marmalade, orange zest, sesame seeds,chilies and salt and toss well. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.
These pickles will keep for a month refrigerated.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 78 calories (70 percent from fat), 6 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 128 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Makes about 4 cups.
Source: “Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor (Chronicle)”
PURPLE PICKLED EGGS WITH SWEET SPICES
1 dozen large eggs
4 cups cider vinegar
1 beet about the size of a baseball, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground mace
4 to 8 dashes of hot pepper sauce (optional)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Place eggs in a medium saucepan with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Drain eggs, dunk them in cold water, drain again and peel them. Puncture each egg lightly in several places with a fork to help the pickling liquid penetrate; set aside in a non-reactive bowl.
In the same saucepan, combine all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously until the beet slices are tender, about 15 minutes.
Pour hot liquid over the eggs, cover and refrigerate. These pickles will keep, covered and refrigerated, about 12 months.
Makes 1 dozen.
Per egg: 126 calories (35 percent from fat), 5 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 216 milligrams cholesterol, 15 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein, 70 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.
Source: “Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor (Chronicle)”
