Pickling Workshop

Hey folks, Chef Stephen here – This post is from my fellow HOG, Molly Fuller.  Go on and dive into the pickle pond, she’ll be sure to enlighten you on the science of preserving.

A few weeks ago, Hands On Gourmet hosted an Urban Peasant Pickling Workshop. It was led by expert picklers, Michelle Fuerst of Homemade Cook and Ingrid Pankonin of Miel Cooking.

What I learned is that pickling is all about experimenting.  There are so many variations and ways to pickle, it’s best just to give it a try, experiment, and see what you like.  The class opened with the questions, what to pickle, how to pickle, and which process to use?  The answer?  It depends.

A good first step is to assess your vegetable and then determine your process based on the type of pickle you want, whether it is crunchy, loose, soft, salty, or sweet.  Other considerations: Do you want them to be shelf stable? Or, do you want them to be ready to eat in a week or a month?

In general, the harder the fruit or vegetable is before it is pickled, the crunchier the result.  If it has loose seeds in the center, it won’t be as crispy.  Slicing cucumbers are loose and seedy versus pickling cucumbers that have less seed bed and tighter seeds.  Pickles can be refreshed by putting them in ice water.  This will drain the cucumbers of some of their water and make them crunchier.  Seedy = not crispy.

Next we talked about the variety of different ways to pickle.  Do you want to use cold brine or hot brine, what is the ratio of vinegar to water, what are the right sugar and salt levels.  Cold brines are for more delicate vegetables, hot brines soften so they are right for crunchier or harder vegetables.  Heat softens.

Note that brine is a liquid with salt, not necessarily vinegar.  The more water you use, the less strong the brine and the pickles.  Also, chlorine messes up fermentation so it’s best to use purified water.

Which vinegar to use?  Consider both the flavor and the cost.  Cider vinegar is fruity, white wine vinegar results in a cleaner more pronounced taste and is good for garlic and dill pickles.  This is another area where experimentation is key to determining what you like.

If using canning jars, when sterilizing them put a towel in the bottom of your pan, heat the water up to 180 degrees to 200 degrees F.  Process the jars for 10 minutes and they will be sterilized.  Fill them with your pickles and pour the brine over the top.  Leave at least 1″ head space at the top, wipe the rim of the jar for a good seal, and close the lid, finger tight.  If you process more than one jar at a time, you can keep them sterile in a 200 degree F oven while you work.

There are three classic recipes that we discussed: Fermented Dill Pickles, Quick Dill Cucumber Pickles and Bread and Butter Pickles.  The quick dill and fermented pickles are pickled in a crock or pottery container, as opposed to in canning jars for the bread and butter pickles.

We also touched on food safety.  This is an area where you will have to access risk and make a decision about your comfort level.  I tend to err on the side of crazy according to the USDA’s safety guidelines.

But then again, I’m not imposing my comfort zone on the general public.

Ready to give it a try?  Michelle recommends the Ball Book of Preserving as a great resource. Below are two basic recipes to start with.

Happy Pickling!
Molly

Fermented Dill Pickles
recipe for one gallon crock

4 pounds of fresh and firm pickling cucumbers
3 to 4 heads flowering dill or a large handful of fresh dill
2 heads garlic
a pinch of black peppercorns
a pinch of coriander seeds
a handful of fresh grape, cherry, horseradish or oak leaves

Wash cucumbers gently and remove blossom ends. If necessary, refresh cucumbers in ice water for up to 24 hours.

for the brine:
1/2 gallon water
6 tablespoons sea salt

Mix salt and water and stir until dissolved. In a clean crock or plastic container, place, garlic, dill, leaves, black pepper and coriander. Add cucumbers to the crock and pour brine over them.  Weigh cucumbers down with a plate to make sure they are fully submerged. If you need more brine, make and add more. Cover crock with a cloth to keep out undesirables and store in a cool place.

The Next Few Days of Fermenting: Check crock everyday and skim any surface mold. If there is mold, rinse plate and replace. Skimming for mold is important because you don’t want your brine to pick up any unwanted flavors. Continue to check the crock and taste the pickles.

After one to four weeks, pickles will be fully sour. Once desired sourness is achieved, move them to the refrigerator to slow down fermentation.

Adapted from Sandor Katz

Bread and Butter Pickles
makes about 12 quarts

4 gallons + 4 cups sliced pickling cucumbers
6 gallons water
4 cups salt
1 gallon thinly sliced onions

Wash and slice cucumbers into 1/8 inch disks. Dissolve salt into water and soak cucumbers in salt water for 24 hours. Drain and reserve.

for the brine:
5 quarts cider vinegar
5 quarts sugar
1/4 cup turmeric
1/2 cup yellow mustard seed
1/4 cup celery seed
1/4 cup cracked black pepper

Combine vinegar and sugar and let dissolve over low heat (do not boil).  When sugar is dissolved stir in the spices. Add onions and drained cucumber slices.

Stir all the ingredients gently together and bring up to a simmer.  Turn off heat and ladle into hot canning jars.  Wipe the rim and softly tighten top.  Place jars into boiling water, making sure the top is covered and the glass jars are lifted from the bottom of the pot.  Boil for ten minutes, remove the jars from the water and let cool at room temperature. May be eaten immediately but taste best when allowed to age for at least two weeks.  Will keep for 1 year or more.

Adapted from Linnton Hopkins

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 10:16 am and is filed under Sides & Snacks , bread and butter, coriander, dill, dill pickle recipe, garlic, jar, mustard seed, onion, peppercorn, pickling, preserving, turmeric, vinegar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.