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Newsletter - Text Version “Pickling For More Than Just Cukes” Just say the word, "pickle," and your mouth responds. That salty-sour taste satisfies some intangible need while adding plenty of pizzazz to a plate. Pickles come in many forms - nearly any fruit or vegetable can become your new favorite pickle. Canning Chemistry Canning and preserving is all about creating an inhospitable environment for the things that make food spoil. This includes inactivating food enzymes, killing naturally occurring bacteria, mold, and yeast, and preventing the reintroduction of food spoiling mechanisms for the long haul. Apply Heat! Seal It Up! High-Acid Environment Water-Bath Canning Pressure-Bath Canning RECIPE: Pickled Beets and Pesto and Feta Sandwich We like beets in their pickled form better than any other way. The rich, deep, red-purple color of beets adds significant pizazz to the plate, relish tray, or, in this case, a sandwich. Pickling the beets couldn’t have been easier with this small batch recipe. If you can’t wait for your own pickled beets, make sure find some to include in this fabulous sandwich. They are a perfect accompaniment to the Cilantro and Pumpkin Seed Pesto that tops slivers of feta cheese. Recipes from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff. Copyright © 2010. Reprinted with permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, NY. All rights reserved. Recipe Notes: Tip: Choose vegetables and fruits that are ripe without any sign of deterioration or bad spots. Wash and scrub the vegetables well prior to brining and canning. Peel and cut the vegetables into the size and shape desired, and to a length that matches the canning jar. How to Pickle with Water Bath Processing Water bath processing is a simple, effective method for preserving and pickling. The water bath method is suitable for high-acid foods and high-acid situations such as pickling. Filled food jars are heated to 212°F and held at that temperature for a period of time. (Note: Low-acid foods must be heated under pressure to achieve the required higher temperatures). Here are the general steps for water bath processing adaptable to individual recipe specifics. Step 1 – Clean the canning jars, lids and rings in hot, soapy water. Canning Tools for Pickle Making:
RECIPE: Spicy Pickled Carrots You’ll enjoy these “carrots with a kick” as something a bit different and as something not easily found on the grocery shelf. The carrot sticks had the classic salty-sour taste of a pickle, but with an added punch of red chile heat. We enjoyed our Spicy Pickled Carrots with a panini-grilled sandwich of mild cheddar cheese on sourdough bread, and declared it the perfect lunch! Recipes from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff. Copyright © 2010. Reprinted with permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, NY. All rights reserved. Recipe Notes: Speed It Up: Skip the prep step and start with a package or two of prepped baby carrots to make these pickles. They’re just the right size for smaller canning jars and perfect on a relish tray. Vary the Mix: Try an Italian giardiniera mix! It’s a pickle mix eaten as an antipasto or with a salad. The classic Italian version includes cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, onions, and celery. An American “hot” version might include a Serrano pepper or two! Do’s and Don’ts DO use jars, lids, and rings intended for home-canning. They are designed for the task and inexpensive. DO reuse glass canning jars and jar rings if they are in good shape and free of any cracks, nicks, or chips, especially on the rim. DO place the empty jars in the boiling water bath before filling. This sterilizes them. We recommend first rinsing the jar in hot tap water to temper the glass before placing in the boiling water to reduce temperature shock and prevent breakage. DO use non-reactive pots, (stainless steel, enameled surfaces), during the brining steps. Acids, like vinegar, will react with aluminum or uncoated cast iron pots producing an off taste in the pickles. DON’T over pack the jars. Enough space is required between the food pieces for the liquid to circulate during the hot water bath and for the jar contents to evenly achieve the required temperature. DO leave 1/2-inch of space between the top of liquid, (which should cover the food), and the lid. Liquids expand when heated. DON’T over-tighten the jar ring -– air needs to vent during the water processing in order to form a vacuum. But, tighten enough so that the lid fits securely, and water from the bath doesn’t enter the jar. DO check the seal of each jar once cooled. The lid should be slightly pulled downward. Press the center of the lid; if it rebounds, the jar has failed to seal. Refrigerate that jar and use soon. DON’T use home-canned foods where the seal has been broken, bad odors are present, mold or bacterial growth is apparent, gassiness appears during opening, cloudiness exists, or other spoilage indicators. The Canning Jar Canning jars are special glass jars designed to withstand the heat of a water bath and the pressures created during the vacuum-sealing process.
Glass and Temperature Changes: Avoid extreme temperature changes. Warm jars in the hot water bath before filling. Fill quickly and place in the hot water bath for processing before they cool off. Use a rack at the bottom of the water bath pot to keep the glass jars from coming into direct contact with the bottom of the pan. Don’t rush the cooling phase by placing the hot jars in the refrigerator or otherwise hastening the cooling. Canning Safety Botulism is a serious topic in the canning world. The bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, is destroyed at boiling temperatures, but its spores are not. The spores thrive and produce a strong toxin in the anaerobic environment of a sealed jar. High-acidic environments will kill the spores as will the higher temperatures achieved through pressure canning. Follow canning instructions carefully to prevent botulism. Mandolines What is a mandoline? Evenly sliced or cut foods cook evenly and present beautifully. A mandoline slices potatoes paper-thin for potato chips, or cuts vegetables into perfect matchsticks. OXO “V-style Mandoline - Slices, crinkle-cuts, and juliennes in different sizes. Fold-up legs provide adjustable height. Kyocera Adjustable Hand-held Mandoline - Flat, hand-held slicer offers four thicknesses with little set-up. Ceramic blade stays sharp! RECIPE: Quickest Kosher Dills What would a Chicago dog, a New York Rueben, or a backyard hamburger be without a pickle by its side? Classic pickles made from cucumbers are an essential part of so many meals. There are a million ways to make pickles – from fermented to refrigerated. We’ve chosen one of the quickest ways to make your own tasty, crunchy pickles with this recipe. Small cukes, cut into spears, pack nicely into jars and return a very flavorful bite. It’s too easy not to try! Recipes from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff. Copyright © 2010. Reprinted with permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, NY. All rights reserved. What is Pickling Spice? Most pickle recipes call for something called “pickling spice.” It’s easier to say “pickling spice” than it is to list all of the components. Like curry powder, Old Bay Seasoning, bouquet garni, or five-spice powder, pickling spice is a mixture of several spices. In our featured Dill Pickle recipe, the mix is comprised of thirteen different spices. You can mix your own blend, or find pre-assembled mixes. Pickles with No Canning No inspiration for canning this summer? You can still enjoy a good pickle! Turn a cucumber into a pickle by prepping as you would for canning. Place slices or spears in a glass bowl (or jars), and cover with the brine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. These pickles may be kept for 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. Pickle It: Turn most any vegetable – cauliflower, green beans, peppers -- into a pickle without canning. Prepare the vegetable as you would for canning. If necessary, blanch the vegetables in the brine. Place the vegetables in a glass bowl or jar, add spices, cover, and refrigerate. Pickled veggies are a great flavor burst in any salad. COOKBOOK REVIEWS: Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff. Copyright © 2010. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, NY. The book’s subtitle, “Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry,” aptly captures the essence of this new cookbook. The young author tells of her rediscovery of canning and preserving, and brings this newfound passion into the 21st century. While we chose some tame, classic recipes to feature in this issue, the book is filled with flavors from a global kitchen such as Kimchi, Indian Hot Lime Pickles, and many others. Most of the canning recipes are paired with recipes that use or feature the preserved vegetable or fruit. This ably answers the question of “what should I do with all these lovely jars?” Ms. Krissoff keeps preserving simple and accessible by choosing recipes requiring only water-bath processing – no pressure canning methods necessary. The recipes and methods are tailored to small batches that make putting up a batch in an afternoon or evening a very doable task. You’ll be inspired and enabled to stock your shelves with this book at your side. Put by” some pickles while the sun shines and before the snow flies!
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