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CHAPTER 1

Preserving Methods for Pickling, Demystified In the early 1800s, Napoleon, a historically influential supporter of good eating with a love for pickled foods, offered a huge prize to the person who could find a solution to long-term food preservation as a way to carry food for his troops. Nicholas Appert, a French candy maker, won that prize when he discovered that a glass bottle filled with food, sealed with cork and wax, and then boiled, resulted in an airless and sealed environment that preserved food from spoilage. It worked, though no one knew why until Louis Pasteur discovered microorganisms and their role in food spoilage. By the mid-1800s, with the invention of mason jars and paraffin wax, the boiling water method set the standard for long-term, shelf-stable food. Home preserved foods became commonplace, and vinegar pickling became the preferred method. The rest is a story of modern history.

A little primer on food acidity: Almost any food can be pickled. It is the act of adding vinegar (or salt, if fermenting) that elevates the acid level of that food and makes it safe from the four food spoilers: enzymes, bacteria, molds, and yeasts.

We measure the acidity level of a food using the pH scale. A pH measurement describes the measure of hydrogen ion in an aqueous (water-based) solution.

For food preservation purposes, if a food’s pH level is lower than 4.6, it is considered high in acid; if it is higher than 4.6, it is low in acid.

Fruits are naturally high in acids, with limes and lemons containing the highest amount, with a pH of around 2, and tomatoes the lowest, with a pH much closer to that 4.6 number (we normally consider tomatoes high in acid, but on a pH scale compared to other fruits, it’s just not so).

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Vegetables are naturally low in acids, higher than the 4.6 threshold and therefore need to be ‘pickled’ or pressure canned for longterm food preservation. The bacteria we are most concerned with is Clostridium botulinum, which can release toxins in an anaerobic (without air), low-acid environment.

The creative recipe ideas in this book are all high in acid with added vinegars and citrus juices, and are safe for water bath canning, steam canning, and water bath pasteurization. It is necessary to use a vinegar of at least 5-percent acidity as the main source of liquid in vegetable pickles when canning. See Page 35 for more info on acids.

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Need To Know: If pickling vegetables is not desired, please refer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation website (www.nchfp.uga.edu) for specific pressure canning instructions; only pressure canning will kill off the Clostridium botulinum toxin that causes botulism poisoning. Low-acid foods cannot safely be preserved using a water bath or by being steam canned.

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To keep hard water minerals from clouding up your jars, add ½ cup white vinegar to the water in your canner just before processing; this keeps jars clear and aids in canning pot clean up.

WATER BATH CANNING Water bath canning is the most popular method of preserving high acid foods. During the process, a filled jar is submerged in boiling water and held there for a specified amount of time. This allows the remaining air in the food and jar to escape while the food heats to a temperature that will kill off the four major food spoilers. Once a jar is removed from the hot water, contact with the cooler room temperature air causes the lid to vacuum seal.

NOTE: Mason jars are designed with thicker sidewalls than other food jars, so they have a lower rate of breakage. Under too much pressure (if the ring is more than fingertip tight), the jars will break near the bottom as opposed to shattering. The threads on the mouth of most Mason jars fit with traditional twopiece lids to form a tight seal; some jars come with single piece lids, check to be sure they are meant for canning. It’s not worth using anything else.

The food is now sterilized and sealed in an anaerobic environment.

Fruits, jams, jellies, salsas, chutneys, pickles, and relishes are all high in acid and can be processed in a water bath canner.

Tools of the Craft:

Canning Pot: Traditional 21-quart canning pots come fitted with a rack that holds the jars off the bottom of the pot to avoid contact with direct heat, and they are great for processing large quantities (i.e., nine pint jars or seven quart jars). You might prefer smallbatch water bath canning that can be done in a smaller canning pot or large home stock pot (eight to 12 quart) fitted with a silicone trivet, dish towel, or extra canning rings tied together with twist ties.

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few recipes require that, and those that do can be water bath canned.

involved, and to prep ingredients for ease and speed.

How to Steam Can

Fill and Lid Jars. Follow directions n the water bath canning section.

Remember: only fingertip tight for the rings!

Supplies needed for steam canning are the same as water bath canning, plus a thermometer to be inserted into the port on the steam canner.

Processing Jars. Once the temperature Prepare Jars. You still need to heat gauge (or thermometer) reads 212 (not boil) your jars; this can be done degrees and the canner is venting a in a small saucepan with a dishtowel steady stream of steam, add hot jars to or silicone trivet on the bottom. A the steamer. Be sure the temperature steam canner has a limited amount within the canner stays between of boiling water best reserved for the 210 and 212 degrees for the entire canning process. processing time. Monitor the ongoing temperature with a thermometer if Lids and Rings. Wash lids and rings your canner does not have a gauge. with warm soapy water, rinse, and set Once processing time is completed, aside, as with water bath canning. turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit in the steamer for 5 minutes. Follow Follow Recipe. Read your recipe water bath canning instructions for beforehand to get a feel for the steps jar removal and cooling.

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Salt is a flavor enhancer so which one you use makes a difference. I suggest buying several different fine grained salts to see what works best for you.

Important Note on Salt: Be aware that several scientific studies have found rather large amounts of microplastics in our seas affecting all our ocean’s natural resources, including salt. Asianproduced salts were found to have the highest concentrations of microplastics, correlating with the amount of plastic pollution in those countries.

Spices Traditional spices and herbs used for pickling came from what was grown locally or imported and traded along ancient spice routes. For thousands of years, spices were so revered they were used as currency; some anecdotal evidence suggests peppercorns were used to pay rent and taxes.

Now that we have easy access to relatively inexpensive spices and herbs, we have lost that sense of reverence. Allow yourself to become immersed in the process of creating your own blends using fresh spices and herbs, understanding the individual uniqueness each brings to the blend.

I find plants, especially those we use for seasoning, have a language all their own; we just need to listen.

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Salt for pickling should be free of any anti-caking agents and iodine, both of which are included in common ‘table salt.’ Sea salts and kosher salts have wonderful flavor but vary in intensity. Look for finer grained salts that dissolve quickly, and taste them before using, some may seem saltier than others. I prefer Redmond Real Salt for pickling and fermenting; all recipes in this book were created using Preparing Spices it. It’s a fine, naturally pink salt that A mortar and pestle are highly useful is harvested in the U.S. from ancient when making your own spice blends, allowing you to manually control how salt deposits.

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Why does elevation matter? Any elevation 1,000 feet or more above sea level will affect boiling water temperature, making it necessary to adjust recipe processing times by 5 minutes following these guidelines: Pickles process for 15 minutes at an altitude between sea level and 1,000 feet. From 1,0003,000 feet, we add 5 minutes to that, making processing time 20 minutes; from 3,000 to 6,000 feet, we add another 5 minutes so the processing time will be 25 minutes. I’m betting you’re already an expert at this if you live in a high-altitude area.

Can a canner be used on a glasstop stove? The short answer is: Ask your stove’s manufacturer.

Generally, if the pot you are using is ringed or ridged on the bottom, then it cannot be used on a glass-top stove because it makes less contact with the heat source (this includes most steam canners, galvanized pots, and enameled steel pots).

Individual electric burners can be purchased if your stove top is not canner friendly.

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CHAPTER 2

What follows is a primer on pickling, including how to choose vegetables and fruits, work with acids, and select seasonings.

The current renaissance in food preservation, and pickling in particular, has brought long overdue awareness to the craft and, while it may seem all the attention is being paid to fermentation, vinegar pickling is having a heyday too. Canning companies are popping up all across the globe creating fresh takes on traditional pickles along with some quirky and inspired new fruit and vegetables pickles.

This book offers you recipes that are easy to follow, safely adaptable, and reflect traditions, heritage, and the uniqueness of a time when nearly every spice and vegetable is available.

What is a pickle? Any vegetable or fruit submerged in a vinegar brine or having vinegar added to it is in pickle territory. This category includes condiments and myriad fruit and vegetables pickles.

Relish: Vegetables are chopped fine, then cooked in pickle brine, usually with sweeteners and spices. Frequently found atop hot dogs and hamburgers, relishes are also delicious tossed into potato or pasta salads.

Salsa: A quintessential smooth or chunky sauce made from fruit or vegetables and used throughout the Caribbean and the Americas.

I don’t consider salsa a pickle because fresh versions often have just a hint of acid from lime. To ensure it’s safe for canning, we need to add vinegar. There is only one basic canned salsa recipe in this book; use it as template.

Chutney, Achar, and Kasundi: A winning combo of vegetables and fruit chopped fine, then cooked with aromatic Indian spices, sweeteners, and often dried fruit. Eaten with curries and stews, roasted vegetables and meats, chutney offers a balance to hot spicy foods. See recipes for more detail.

Aigre-doux/Agrodolce: A French or Italian preserve using fruit, and sometimes vegetables, pickled in a sweet and sour brine. See the Pear & Red Wine Aigre-doux recipe (Page 171) for more detail and how to use.

Mustards: Mustard seeds (or powder) are combined with vinegar along with another liquid and seasonings. See the recipes for more details.

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otherwise cut up to pickle or ferment, for safety’s sake. The brine needs access to completely penetrate to the center of these firmer vegetables. You’ll notice some recipes call for immersing the vegetable in simmering brine—the ‘hot pack’ method—to allow quicker absorption. This is all about creating a safely preserved vegetable.

VEGETABLES AMOUNT Asparagus 1 1⁄2 pounds Beans 1 1⁄2 pounds Beets 1 1⁄2 pounds Corn 4-6 ears 1 Cucumbers 1 ⁄2 pounds Eggplant 1 pound Mushrooms 2 pounds Okra 2 pounds Onions 3 pounds Rhubarb 4-6 stalks Zucchini/Summer Squash 1 1⁄2 pounds FRUITS Apples 2 pounds Cherries 2 pounds Grapes 1 1⁄2 pounds Peaches 1 1⁄2-2 pounds Pears 1 1⁄2 pounds Strawberries 1 1⁄2 pounds Tomatoes 2 1⁄2-3 pounds

✤ Hot peppers should be seeded unless you opt to have the heat factor out of control in your pickles. Wear gloves while handling hot peppers.

✤ Some vegetables will need to be cooked or blanched before pickling, they are noted in the recipes. See “How to Blanch” below.

Approximately how much do you need per one-quart or two onepint jars? These measurements (in the chart to the left) are what I have found to be accurate, though it often depends on the freshness of the produce.

How to Blanch: Blanching is used to crisp-cook vegetables or peel skins off fruit and small onions: Set a pot of water to boil, lower to a simmer. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.

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Place vegetables or fruit a few at a time in the simmering water for 1 minute, remove to the ice water bath and let cool. If blanching to remove skins, test one to see if it comes off easily; if not, replace fruit or vegetable in blanching water for another minute. Use the new blanch time to finish blanching the remaining produce.

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CHAPTER 3

Many Options Exist for Brines and Flavors These brines have an optimal balance of acids to keep your pickles safe for preserving while keeping the sourness from overpowering the fresh produce and seasonings.

If you like a stronger vinegar tang, replace up to a half cup of the water with more vinegar. If you prefer less of a bite to your pickle, you can safely add a sweetener; start with one to two tablespoons just to take the edge off.

For a sweeter pickle, use the sweet brine recipes. A list of seasonings that pair well can be found beneath each brine recipe. If a recipe calls for a specific amount of salt, you can use less, but keep in mind the salt is there to enhance the flavor of the finished pickle.

Brines will often be brought to a simmer without the ingredients to be pickled, those

go into the jars separately. When making small batches, like the recipes in this book, I add most of the seasonings to the brine and make sure I ladle them as evenly as I can into the jars over the produce.

Starting the pickling process with a hot brine allows flavors and seasonings to suffuse through the pickled vegetables (or fruit). Remember to use a vinegar of at least 5-percent acidity. Basic pickling spice blends, curry, and masala recipes to make ahead in half-cup to one-cup quantities can be found in the “Seasoned and Spiced” section on Page 39.

With a few exceptions, the recipes are for one-quart jar or two one-pint jars. Some vegetables work best in quarts, these will be listed in the recipe.

If you have jumped to this section of the book, I encourage you to read “The Acid Tip” on Page 35.

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BRINE RECIPES

Sweet Brine Basic recipe plus sugar.

✤ 11⁄2 cups white vinegar ✤ 1 cup water ✤ 2 teaspoons salt ✤ 1⁄2 cup to 3⁄4 cup white sugar (All aromatics, spices and dried herbs like bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, lavender, citrus zest, Bread and Butter Pickle Spice Mix, Relish Spice Mix, Basic Pickling Spice Mix, citrus zest)

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Depending on what you are pickling, you may have a bit of brine leftover, or you may need to add a few tablespoons of vinegar (for example: cucumbers displace more liquid than something small, like jalapeño rings).

Best with all vegetables and fruits.

Replace up to 1⁄2 cup water with brewed tea, natural fruit juices, apple cider, hard cider, beer, rum, tequila, whiskey, or bourbon. Replace a few tablespoons of water with mescal or any other strong flavored liquor.

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Spiced Orange Pickled Beets Use two 1-pint jars

✤ 11⁄2 pounds beets, boiled, peeled, and sliced ✤ 1 small onion, slivered ✤ 1 cup white vinegar ✤ 1⁄2 cup sherry vinegar (or all white vinegar) ✤ 1⁄2 cup water ✤ 1⁄2 cup orange juice ✤ 2 teaspoons salt ✤ 1 tablespoon honey (optional) ✤ 1 teaspoon black peppercorns ✤ 1 teaspoon coriander ✤ 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon I recommend writing your recipe down before beginning.

Winging it has repercussions, and writing it down means if the pickle is amazing, you can make it again! A win!

The acid amount stays constant.

Lime and lemon juice are higher in acid than orange juice, so they can replace a small amount of vinegar, up to ¼ cup:

✤ 11⁄4 cup white vinegar ✤ 1 cup water ✤ 1⁄4 cup lemon juice

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CONVERSION CHARTS Tsp Tsp ¼ Tsp ¼ ½ ¼ ½ 1 ½ 1 3 1 3 6 3 6 12 6 12 24 12 24 48 24 48 96 48 96 192 96 192 192 Volume Volume Volume U.S. Volume U.S. ¼ tsp U.S. ¼ ½ tsp tsp ¼ ½ tsp 1 tsp tsp 1Tbsp tsp 1½ tsp 1 21Tbsp Tbsp 1¼Tbsp 2 cup 2¼ Tbsp ½ cup cup ¼ ½ cup 1 cup cup 1quart cup 1½ cup 11quart 1 quart Weight Weight Weight U.S. Weight U.S. ½ oz U.S. ½ oz 1oz ½ oz 1oz ¼ lb 1oz ¼ ⅓ lb lb ¼ ⅓ ½ lb lb ⅓ ½ ¾ lb lb ½ ¾ lb 1 lb ¾ lb 1 lb 1 lb

Tbsp Tbsp — Tbsp — — — ⅓ — ⅓ 1 ⅓ 1 2 1 2 4 2 4 8 4 8 16 8 16 32 16 32 64 32 64 64

Cup Cup — Cup — — — — — — — ⅛ — ⅛ ¼ ⅛ ¼ ½ ¼ ½ 1 ½ 1 2 1 2 4 2 4 4

Milliliters Milliliters 1.25 Milliliters 1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 5 2.5 5 15 5 15 30 15 30 60 30 60 120 60 120 240 120 1240 liter 1240 liter 1 liter

Fluid Oz Fluid — Oz Fluid — — Oz — — — ½ — ½ 1 ½ 1 2 1 2 4 2 4 8 4 8 32 8 32 32

Pint Pint — Pint — — — — — — — — ⅛ — ⅛ ¼ ⅛ ¼ ½ ¼ ½ 1 ½ 1 2 1 2 2

Quart Quart — Quart — — — — — — — — — — — ⅛ — ⅛ ¼ ⅛ ¼ ½ ¼ ½ 1 ½ 1 1

Metric Metric 15 g Metric 15 30 g g 15 30 115gg 30 gg 115 150 g 115 150 225 g g 150 225 350 g g 225 350 450 g g 350 g 450 450 g Pickled to Please

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