Showing posts with label pickles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pickles. Show all posts

Canning 2018

The part about food blogging that bugs me is that if I don't write something up as I am doing the recipe or series, it doesn't get written up at all. Now I have to look at my old social media posts to see if I did any canning in 2017 other than a case of salsa (12 pints). I will surely update this post as the year progresses.

Bitters is a new experimentation series. Instead of taking the bitters class at OMSI, I thought I would just read up on it and try out the experiments myself instead of spending $130 on the course. Isn't that what the library and the Internet are for?

Here's what's been going on so far:

Extracts
Young ginger, 4 oz

Bitters
Cherry bitters, 4 oz

Liqueurs (vodka base, simple syrup sweetened)
coffee liqueur (Stumptown coffee base), 1 litre

Salsas
Control batch salsa (jalapeno peppers), 5.5 pints, 0.5 pints eaten already
Hatch chile salsa, 6 pints plus 2 half pints

Here's what's scheduled to be made:

strawberry liqueur
chocolate liqueur

Completed Extracts
Lemon extract, 1 pint
Vanilla bean extract, 1 pint
Bing cherry-infused bourbon, 1 pint
Cherry blossom extract, 4 oz

Small Batch Bread and Butter Pickles

Did you know that if you chopped these up in a food processor, you can make sweet relish?

As far as pickle recipes go, this is really easy. The secret to a crunchy pickle is the salt brine, or letting the cucumber's excess moisture drain out by using salt. This recipe ratio comes from the TasteofSouthern.com blog. I omitted the onion, of course. Also, my pickle slices are thicker because I don't like wafer thin, transparent pickles. It's a blue ribbon recipe so by default it should turn out great. :)
TheFoodening Blog - Bread & Butter Pickles
Ingredients

3  lbs pickling cucumbers, ends trimmed
1/4 c kosher or sea salt
2 c white vinegar
2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp celery seeds
2 tsp pickling spice mix
1 tsp turmeric powder

Directions

1. Slice cucumbers and place in a large bowl and toss with salt. Let stand for 1-2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator (I did the latter for this batch).

2. Rinse the cucumbers and let drain in a colander until ready to use. Place as many as will fit into half-pint or pint jars. 

3. In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Heat to a boil. 

4. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers in jars.

If canning, process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

If using as refrigerator pickles, cover with sterilized lids and bands. Let this cure in the fridge for several days before using.