Look what I brought home from the market.
There has been a crazy lot of food preservation going on here. I’ve been squeezing in canning sessions between regular site inspections on a fun landscape project, and recipe writing (some new canning projects are coming.) Wearing these two hats has forced me to be organized, and focus on projects that can be accomplished with a very limited time commitment.
I made Luvey’s Eight Day Sweet Pickles, a ritual every Spring. It’s a project, but worth it. I hope this will be the year you try them out.
I marinated some baby artichokes using Melissa Clark’s video as a springboard for the ideas. These are not shelf stable, but they’ll last in the refrigerator for awhile. At the rate I’m adding them to everything but my breakfast cereal, they really won’t last that long.
I’ve got half sours brewing, and sauerkraut sauering. It’s very briny around here.
When I read this post from Winnie at Healthy Green Kitchen. I started to think about how pretty it would be to combine pickled vegetables in layers. I puzzled over the different vegetables requiring different types of treatment – blanching, brining! It was so fun to think about!
I was inspired – I wanted to preserve the color and fresh appeal of these pretty foods and I’m really happy with the way the combinations looked and tasted. These jars of quick pickles will be perfect hostess gifts for a weekend full of get-togethers.
Makes two pints or tall 12 oz jars, depending on the size of the carrots
2 bunches small new onions, red or white
2 bunches new young carrots, on the small side
1 good handful of fresh thyme
1 T + 2 T Pickling Salt
2 T Sugar
1-1/4 c White Vinegar
1-1/4 c filtered water
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
Day one
Peel the onions.
Make the brine: Add 1 Tablespoon pickling salt to each pint jar, divide the onions between the two jars, and fill with filtered water.
Shake the jars to dissolve the salt, and leave them on the counter overnight.
Day two
Drain and rinse the onions.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and add the thyme.
Trim and peel the carrots and blanch for 3 minutes in boiling thyme scented water, then strain and cool the carrots down in an ice bath.
Bring the vinegar, salt, sugar and water to a boil.
Place the onions and the carrots decoratively into each sterilized pint jar.
Divide the crushed red pepper, half in each jar.
Pour the vinegar brine into the jars, over the vegetables.
Cap the jar, then set it on the counter to brine overnight.
The next day, put the pickles in the refrigerator.
Eat within a week.
adapted from Winnie Abramson’s Pickled Radishes
Makes 2 pints
1 pint sugar snap peas, very fresh
1 bunch bright red radishes, freshly harvested
1/2 cup Unseasoned Rice wine vinegar
2 Tbls. kosher salt
2 Tbls brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
2 tsp Dill seed, divided
1 tsp Crushed red pepper, divided
Stem and string the snap peas.
Scrub the radishes clean and slice paper thin.
Add the peas and radishes to two sterilized pint jars. Make ‘em pretty.
Bring the vinegar, salt, sugar to a boil.
Add garlic slivers, dill seed and crushed red pepper to each jar.
Pour the hot brine over the vegetables into the jar.
Cap and allow to brine overnight, then refrigerate.
Eat within a week.
What will you be pickling?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh there will be pickles. (And don’t forget to submit this to PD!)
Kimchi and giardinera are just around the corner. Then the peppers come in…
Great post, Cathy – making your sweet relish tomorrow….All out and sort of panicked
How fun! I have Atomic Red Carrots growing and 3 different heirloom cuc’s.
Ya big trouble maker. Now I have to get started on pickles! I am growing watermelon radishes and now I know what I am going to do with a boatload of em. I love reading about your escapades. You have more energy than anyone I know!
Wow, we’re still at the radishes and lettuce stage of the season….although my tomatoes and peppers now have flowers! This year I have to stock up on dilly beans, dill pickles, and sweet pickles. But all those mixed veggies look delicious. I guess I’ll be expanding my repertoire.
Beautiful photos, as always.
The Italians from southern Italy pickle many different type of vegetables including eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, etc. However, my favorite thing to pickle are wild mushrooms. Our family from Calabria has been doing this for hundreds of years and we continued the tradition when we came to the States in the early 1970′s. Here’s how we do it:
http://www.scordo.com/2011/02/pickled-wild-mushrooms-recipe.html
Vince
Wow. Gorgeous pickles you’ve got going…and thanks bunches for the shout-out!
These look beautiful!! Since pickling is new to me I was wondering in the Pickled Snap Peas and Radishes if 1/2c. vinegar is enough liquid to cover for 2 pint jars? Can someone help before I try them? Thanks