Pickled to Perfection: Canning Vegetables

1. Bland is way too boring!


2. Seasoned or pickled veggies add pizazz!


3. Fill your fridge with these easy creations!


4. Preserves that special Saturday Market find.


5. Cherished gifts...SWAK :)

THE NAME SAYS IT ALL!

• 1 quart fresh cukes; scrub off prickly nubs and dirt
• 1 head fresh dill or a couple pinches of dried
• 1 1/2 tablespoons non-iodized salt (pickling salt)
• 1/2 cup pickling vinegar (40-60% grain strength)
• 1 1/2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice

Pack cukes in jar, chop dill head & sprinkle in jar, add remaining ingredients, fill jar with cold water, screw on cover, shake to dissolve salt, refrigerate and don't use for 2 weeks!


TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Find and use your favorite pickling spice, different blends change the flavor substantially.
• Slice large or pack smaller whole cukes into the jar.
• Add more garlic and/or crushed red pepper for zing!
• Cider vinegar adds a little sweetness.

by Judy, an RN I worked with at
Fanno Creek Clinic in Portland, OR

Experience the crunch and tang of these dilly pickled beans well into the fall harvest.

• 2 lb tender green beans; washed, ends snipped
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups white distilled vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsps pickling salt or to taste
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 small onions; peeled and thinly sliced
• 8 hot red peppers
• 8 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 8 sprigs of fresh dill

In a saucepan combine water, vinegar, pickling salt, sugar, bay leaves, and onions; bring liquid to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drop beans into boiling water and cook for just 5 minutes. Do not overcook, you want them tender/crisp. Drain immediately (reserving liquid) and rinse well in cold water.

Pack beans upright in 8-ounce jars with a couple of slices of onion. Add 1 hot pepper, 1 clove garlic, and a sprig of dill to each jar and pour hot vinegar mixture over the beans to overflowing. Seal immediately. Makes 8 8-ounce jars.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Add a green bean or two to your bloody mary :-)
• Make em' extra garlicky by adding more cloves.
• Use a teaspoon or two of your favorite pickling spice in each jar to kick it up a notch!
• Perfect tossed in any salad or plucked straight out of the jar!
• Covered tightly and refrigerated these beans keep well for 3-4 months.

Beets are a healthy choice and mixing with the sweet of orange and these other spices will make these gems a real taste treat. Double or triple the recipe to make sure you have them on hand for holiday or special occasion gift-giving. Nothing says it better then something special from your kitchen and your heart!

Ingredients:
20 1 1/4-inch-diameter fresh beets without tops(use red, 'Chioggia', golden, or white beets)
3/4 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 whole cloves
1 4-inch cinnamon stick
Peel of 1 large navel orange
1/2 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. In a 4-quart saucepan, heat beets and enough water to cover to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook beets until fork-tender---35 to 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare pickling syrup:In 1-quart saucepan, heat vinegar, sugar, water, salt, cloves, cinnamon stick, and orange peel to boiling over high heat, stirring once to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Remove and discard cloves, cinnamon, and orange peel. Stir orange juice into mixture and heat to simmering.
3. Meanwhile, wash and rinse one 1-quart or two 1-pint jars and their caps. Drain beets, then rinse with cold water. Cool beets until easy to handle. Peel beets and pack into jar(s); add pickling syrup to cover beets. Cover jar(s) and refrigerate at least 1 week before serving. They'll keep at least 4 weeks from bottling time.

Instead of throwing away the beet greens, try this recipe.

Recipe from epicurean.com

• 6 large red, green or yellow bell peppers
• 3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup each: salad oil, white wine vinegar, and water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons seasoned salt or non-salt seasoning
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 medium sized onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings

Cut peppers in half and remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Then cut each pepper half in ¾ inch wide strips. In a 5-6 quart pan, combine garlic, oil, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil while gently stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the onions, and spoon into a 4 quart glass or rigid plastic container with tight-fitting lid. Let cool, then tighten lid and refrigerate at least 1 week before sampling; stir occasionally. Makes 10 cups

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• For a splash of color and flavor, serve these pepper strips on meat or cheese sandwiches, add to green or pasta salads, or dice and mix into scrambled eggs, cooked vegetables or rice.
• Covered tightly and refrigerated these marinated peppers will keep 3-4 months.
• Fire roast the peppers to add a twist to the flavor.

This is a quick, inexpensive sweet pickle. It has very little of the raw onion flavor, but is a nice pickle on sandwiches. If you have iron in your well water or choose to use cider vinegar, these light colored pickles will become a lovely golden brown.

• 1½ lbs medium size sweet onions
• 18 whole cloves
• 18 black peppercorns
• 3 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1½ teaspoons celery seeds
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1½ teaspoons turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Peel onions and slice 1/4 inch thick. Separate slices into rings. Tightly pack rings into a pint jar. Add 6 cloves, 6 peppercorns, 1 tsp mustard seed, and 1/2 tsp celery seed to each jar. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, tumeric, and cinnamon in a stainless steel or enameled saucepan; heat to boiling, then simmer the mixture 2 minutes. Fill the jar with hot liquid, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove any bubbles and add more brine if necessary to achieve 1/4 inch headspace. Place lid, allow to cool to room temperature and put in fridge.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Absolutely delicious on meat and eggs, adds crunch to any sandwich.
• Pack in small 1/2 pint jars and add to a gift basket with your other home-made goodies.
• For best quality use within 3 months.

My husband Steve is the sauerkraut maker, and he always changes recipes after he gets a few tries under his belt, and I finally got him to write it down. I've attached the recipe, which evolved from a simple recipe that came with the crock. Please check out this fabulous lens by PattB, it's a real life saver...Stress Reduction Simplified!

Ingredients:
~ 5 medium heads of cabbage
~ 3 small tart apples
~ 8 juniper berries, mashed
~ 1 Tbs caraway seeds
~ 2 qts boiled water
~ 2-3 Tbs sea salt

Instructions:
Cabbage leaves are naturally covered with lactobacillis bacteria, so there is no need to inoculate sauerkraut with acidophilus-it makes its own! You can use both green and red cabbage (preferably organic), but while the flavor is the same, even a small amount of red cabbage will create a pink kraut. I use a mixture of finely grated and thinly shredded cabbage, about half and half. The finely grated cabbage results in a quicker and better fermentation, while the thinly shredded cabbage improves the texture of the kraut. The salt initially inhibits competing bacteria, allowing the lactobacilli to multiply. During the first few days of fermentation, the lactobacilli create an acidic environment that only they can survive in.

Sauerkraut can be made with just shredded cabbage, salt, and enough brine to cover the surface of the kraut. Apples, juniper berries, and caraway seeds are also traditional ingredients. Finely shredded carrots and other vegetables can also be added for variety.

Preparation: Begin by boiling 2 quarts of water; add 1½ Tbs of sea salt and allow the brine to cool while you prepare the cabbage.

Peel away and discard any yellow or blotched outer leaves, but save 4-5 of the coarse, outer leaves to layer over the top of the kraut.

Split a head of cabbage, and carve out the core. Finely grate the core down to the woody base; cabbage cores contain inulin and other sugars, as well as flavor components, so use all but the most fibrous parts. Quarter the cabbage and grate 2 of the quarters, placing them in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt over the cabbage, along with a scattering of caraway seeds and 1-2 mashed juniper berries.

Thinly slice the other quarters, and cut the slices in half to form 3" ribbons. Mix the grated and shredded cabbage together in the bowl with the other ingredients. With the clean crock on a solid chair or the floor, place half the cabbage mixture in the crock. Using your fist, mash the cabbage down hard, moving around the crock in a circular pattern until the layer is compressed and juicy. Mashing the cabbage packs the particles close together and releases plant juices and sugars that accelerate the fermentation.

Layer on the rest of the first cabbage and mash down. Process the next head of cabbage as you did the first. If you're adding apples, shred one of them and add at this stage. Layer into the crock and mash with your fist. Repeat with the remaining heads of cabbage.

With a Harsch Sauerkraut crock, you need to leave enough room for the weight stones, so fill to about 1" from where the rim begins to turn inward to form the lip.

Pack the sauerkraut tightly, place the retained outer cabbage leaves over the top of the kraut, and place the weight stones on top of everything. Pour the cooled brine on so that the weight stones are covered with ½-1" of brine (it's okay if the brine is luke-warm, just make sure it isn't hot); do not overfill, since there is some expansion during fermentation.

Pour about 1c of water into the rim of the crock, put the lid on, and place in a warm place-ideally 72-74 degrees F-for the first 2-3 days of fermentation. DO NOT OPEN THE LID FOR THE FIRST 2 WEEKS. The fermentation creates a lot of carbon dioxide; excess CO2 bubbles out under the ceramic lid, but the rest diffuses into the brine, creating the acidity that allows lactobacilli to thrive.

Harsch Gairtopf Fermenting Crock
Pot on Amazon

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Homemade Sauerkraut

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