Camille Cooks For You

Now is the time to pickle.  Produce is at its’ best at the market and the prices are low.  Pickling is a synch and fun to do.  Pickling consists of combining vinegar and sugar along with spices and herbs.  You will notice I use five different vinegars throughout the pickling recipes: Apple Cider Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, White Balsamic Vinegar and Spanish Sherry Vinegar.

I pickle the items, put them in Mason Jars and refrigerate.  This is not “Canning” since I don’t do the final steps involved with that process.  I pickle only enough of one item for a jar or two as I know we will be eating them immediately and don’t want to go through all that is involved with “Canning”.  Not that I don’t like “Canning” but sometimes I just don’t have the time.  And as you know, when you “Can” you are able to put the item on the pantry shelf for nearly an indefinite amount of time.  With the pickling I do, I can keep the pickled food for about a month in the refrigerator.

Now that I have planted the pickling seed within you, you should be ready to begin your pickling experience. Here are a whole lot of recipes for you to try.   Enjoy!

Bread and Butter Pickles

My Mother-In-Law, Katherine, made the best Bread and Butter Pickles but did not leave a recipe. I made my own concoction by trying to remember the taste of these sweet, delicious morsels. I got a big thumbs up from my Husband which says it all. I have a hard time finding Kirby Cucumbers in Florida and when I happen to come upon them at the Sunday Farmers Market I am sure to get all I can. The farmer at the market gave me extra with the promise that I bring him a jar of pickles next week. No Problem!!!

Makes 1 ½ Quarts

3          Cups Granulated Sugar

2          Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

1          Cup Spanish Sherry Vinegar

1          Cup Water

2          Bay Leaves

1          Jalapeno Thinly Sliced Crosswise

1          Tablespoon Yellow Mustard Seed

1          Tablespoon Turmeric

6          Garlic Cloves Smashed

2          Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

1/2      Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

12       Kirby Cucumbers, Sliced Crosswise into 1/8″ to 1/4″ Slices (Somewhere In Between)

1          Cup White Pearl Onions, Peeled and Left Whole (You Can Use Frozen)

In a large sauce pan add the sugar, vinegars, water, bay leaves, jalapeño  mustard seed, turmeric, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil for 10 minutes, until slightly reduced and syrupy.

Add the cucumbers and the pearl onions to the pan and bring back to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and let the pickles cool in the liquid.

Put the pickles into glass canning jars loosely packing and pour in as much of the liquid as possible to cover the pickles. Cool completely in the jars before covering and refrigerating.

Pickles will last several months in the refrigerator as long as they are covered with the liquid.

Pickled Curried Carrots

Makes 1 Quart

2          Cups Granulated Sugar

2          Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

2          Teaspoons Yellow Mustard Seed

2          Teaspoons Mild Curry Powder

1          Bay Leaf

1         Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

10       Small Red Pearl Onions, Peeled and Left Whole (You Can Use Frozen)

10       Medium Size Carrots, Peeled and Cut into 4” Long Sticks, 1/4” Thick

In a large non-reactive saucepan combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, curry powder, bay leaf and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy. Add the onions and carrots and simmer for 3 minutes.

Place the carrots, standing straight up, and the onions in a quart sized glass jar. Carefully pour the hot liquid into the jar covering the carrots and onions. Cool to room temperature uncovered. After completely cooled, cover and refrigerate for up to one month.

Pickled Brains (aka Pickled Cauliflower)

Makes 1½ – 2 Quarts

2          Cups Granulated Sugar

1          Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1          Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1          Cup Water

2          Bay Leaves

2          Red Jalapenos, Thinly Sliced Crosswise

1          Tablespoon Yellow Mustard Seed

6          Garlic Cloves, Smashed

1          Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

½        Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2          Heads Cauliflower Cut into Medium Size Flowerets

In a large non-reactive pan such as a Dutch oven, add the sugar, vinegars, water, bay leaves, jalapenos, mustard seed, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil for 10 minutes, until slightly reduced and syrupy.

Add the cauliflower flowerets to the pan and bring back to a boil for one minute. Remove pan from the heat and let the cauliflower cool completely in the liquid in the pan.

Transfer the vegetable to glass canning jars loosely packing and pour in as much of the liquid as possible to cover the cauliflower. Cool in the refrigerator for one hour in the jars before covering and refrigerating.

Brains will last 4 weeks in the refrigerator as long as they are covered with the liquid.

Pickled Cherries

I bought way too many cherries at the market and didn’t know what to do with them before they went bad. Of course, I could have made a pie or cobbler but that seemed too obvious. I was already in the pickling mode so I thought, “why not try pickling cherries”. This is what I came up with. The flavor is very different but delicious and the cherries go well in a field greens salad tossed with white balsamic vinaigrette, Maytag blue cheese and onion jam (remove the cherry stems first), pop them in your mouth straight from the jar, or garnish a cherry Margarita with one of these succulent jewels.

Makes About 1 Quart

1          Pound Fresh Bing Cherries with Stems

3          Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

1          Cup Granulated Sugar

1          Cup White Balsamic Vinegar

1         Cup Water

2         Teaspoons Pink Peppercorns

Wash and pit the cherries, leaving the stems attached. The easiest way to pit the cherries and keep the stems in tact is to use a cherry pitter with the cherries tilted slightly to the side to avoid hitting the stem. Put the cherries and rosemary in a 1-quart glass jar. Do not press down on the cherries.

In a small non-reactive saucepan combine the sugar, vinegar, water, and peppercorns and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cool the liquid to room temperature and pour over the cherries. Cool completely, cover with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Pickled Asparagus

Makes 1 Quart

1          Cup Granulated Sugar

1          Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1          Cup White Balsamic Vinegar

4          Garlic Cloves, Peeled and Thinly Sliced

1          Bay Leaf

1         Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

1          Cup Pickled Onions

1          Pound Medium Thick Asparagus Trimmed to Fit Standing Tips Up in Glass Jar

In a small saucepan combine the sugar, vinegars, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy. Add the pickled red onions to the liquid to heat slightly.

Place the asparagus, standing tips up, in a quart sized glass jar, alternating with the pickled red onion.  Carefully pour the HOT liquid into the jar covering the asparagus and onions. Cool to room temperature uncovered. After completely cooled, cover and refrigerate for up to one month.

 Pickled Onions – Yucatan Style

The preparation of these pickled onions is traditional to the Yucatan. They can be used in a wide variety of dishes from garnish for Snapper Escabeche, as a condiment for soft tacos to topping for a green salad or as an addition to almost any sandwich. The number of ways to use pickled onions is endless.

Makes 1 Quart

1          Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1          Cup Sugar

1          Bay Leaf

1          Tablespoon Yellow Mustard Seeds

3          Garlic Cloves, Peeled and Thinly Sliced

1          Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

2          Medium Red Onions, Thinly Sliced into Rings

In a medium sized saucepan put all of the ingredients except the onions and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes until the consistency is a little syrupy. Pour the hot mixture over the sliced onions. Cool completely to room temperature and place in a glass jar with a lid and refrigerate. Onions will keep, refrigerated, for at least a month.

Pickled Jalapeños

Makes 1½ Quarts

2          Cups Granulated Sugar

2          Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

1          Cup Spanish Sherry Vinegar

2          Bay Leaves

1          Tablespoon Yellow Mustard Seed

6          Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced

1          Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

½         Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2          Pounds Red and Green Jalapeños, Stems Removed, Thinly Sliced Crosswise, Seeds Left Intact

1          Cup White Pearl Onions, Peeled and Left Whole (You Can Use Frozen)

In a large sauce pan add the sugar, vinegars, bay leaves, mustard seed, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil for 10 minutes, until slightly reduced and syrupy.

Add the sliced Jalapeños and the pearl onions to the pan and bring back to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and let the peppers cool in the liquid.

Put the peppers into glass canning jars and pour in as much of the liquid as possible to cover the peppers. Cool completely in the jars before covering and refrigerating.

Pickled Jalapeños will last several months in the refrigerator as long as they are covered with the liquid.

Pickled Green Beans

Makes 2 Quarts

4          Garlic Cloves, Peeled and Thinly Sliced

4          Sprigs Fresh Oregano

2          Cups Water

2          Cups White Balsamic Vinegar

2          Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt

1          Cup Granulated Sugar

2          Pounds Green Beans, Trimmed to Fit Standing Up in Quart Size Glass Jars

In a medium sized non-reactive saucepan combine all of the ingredients, EXCEPT the green beans, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the green beans standing up in the jars. Pack the beans semi-tight. You want the liquid to surround each bean.

Pour the hot mixture over the green beans. Cool completely before covering the jars and refrigerating.   The beans keep, refrigerated, for up to one month.

Pickled Corn Relish

I love this relish because it can be used in so many ways. It is a great accompaniment for Corn Cakes Topped with Pulled Pork, or you can use it in a tossed salad with pickled onions and Balsamic Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. I even like it on a BBQ Pork or Chicken Sandwich.

Makes About 1 Quart

2          Cups Granulated Sugar

2          Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

1          Teaspoon Yellow Mustard Seed

3          Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced

1          Tablespoon Cumin Powder

6          Cups Fresh Corn Kernels (Shucked From About 8 Ears of Corn)

1          Medium Size Red Bell Pepper, Finely Diced

½        Cup Red Onion, Finely Diced

1          Jalapeno, Seeded and Finely Diced (Don’t De-Seed If You Like It Hot)

1          Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

½         Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

In a medium-large saucepan bring the sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, garlic and cumin to a boil. Cook at the boil until the mixture becomes slightly syrupy, about 7 minutes. Add the corn, red pepper, red onion, jalapeno, salt and pepper and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes.

Place the corn mixture in a quart glass jar being sure the corn is completely covered with the pickling liquid. Cool completely. Cover the jar and refrigerate for as long as a month.

Drain off the liquid when you serve the relish.

There you have it: A Pickling Frenzy. ENJOY and have FUN!