28 — Wednesday, August 20, 1997 — North Shore News A favorite summertime activity in the kitchen is pickling. Cauliflowers, green beans, cucumbers, beets, pearl onions, cabbage, peppers, car- rots, mus! ms — the fresh harvest of the summer is saved for the winter months. Decades ago in commercial kitchens, especially in hotels and larger restaurants, cooks used to do their own pickles, relishes, herbed vinegars and chutneys. Sadly, only a handful of locations do this today. The signature taste of hotel chains like che CPR are but a page from our gastronomic history. At home, pickling is still relatively popular. One reason is the lower cost of the fin- ished product (usually about a 50% savings from the manu- factured products). The other is the sound knowledge of only using the best, basic, and essential ingredients. The primary components -and star performers of pickling are vinegar and salt. Vinegars in Canada contain 5% to 7% acetic acid, added to lower the pH level of the pickled prod- uct. y vinegars in Europe and Asia contain 10% and more acetic acid. Most pick- ling recipes from overseas should only be converted with compensation for these impor- tant differences. Salt is the second crucial ingredient. Use pickling or kosher salt. Both saits are free of any additives. These addi- tives will cloud the brine used for pickling. ‘The actual process of preservation happens by __ adding acid — the vinegar — to the vegetables or having the vegetable create the aad by the process of fermenta- tion, such as sauerkraut, for example. Pickling and preserving were latecemer techniques of * food preservation. Drying, salting, brining, and smoking have been used for thousands of years as early methods of putting food away for later consumption. It was not until during the early years of the . 19th century that pickling appeared. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte wanted an casi transportable and inexpensive food for his armies. The Emperor initiated a challenge to avard 12,000 francs to any- one who could fulfill the task. A candy maker in Paris, one Nicolas Appert, rose to the occasion. Being a confectioner he had a good working knowledge of food chemistry — acidity — and salinity. He processed , cabbages, and apples for the Emperor. An army marches on its stom- ach. tology heppened dating techno! luring, the 18600. when John Landis Mason of Brooklyn, New York, designed and wisely patented the now famous Mason jar. The jars were a great hit. They eventually replaced the heavy crock and pottery containers. Our recipes this week are for two weil-known favorites. The first recipe uses the “can- ner” method, the second a formula without the canner. Best diiled pickles 3 c. pickling vinegar, 7% acetic acid 3c. pure bottled water 6 tsp. pickling or kosher salt 1 Tbsp. pickling, spice (do not use last year’s) 1 Tbsp. whole black peppers 1 tsp. carawa 9 heads of fresh dill and couple of stems 4% Ib. cucumbers Prepare your canning ket- de and the other accessories. Select the finest cucumbers. Ask your vegetable purveyor to sell you only unwaxed cucumbers. Wash all the veg- etables well — any soil trapped in crevices of the cucumber will soften the pickles. The blossom end of the cucumber has a concen- tration of an enzyme that softens the pickles. It should also Prepare off. your canning jars (six-pint size or three-quart size) as per manufacturer’s instructions. In a stainless steel stock pot add vinegar, water, and salt and bring to boil. Pack cucumbers into the ster- ilized hot jars. Distribute the herbs and seeds equally among the jars. Fill with the boiling brine solution — to % inch from the top for the quart size, and ¥ inch from the top for the pint sizes. Place on lids’ to seal. Prepare the kettle. Place rack to the bottom. Fill with hot water. Check that the ring bands do not over tighten. Place jars into kettle — they should not touch each other. The hot water should cover the jars with five centimetres (two inches) of water, Simmer and process for 10 minutes for the pint size and 20 minutes for the quart size. Remove from kettle and !et cool, Once cold, check for seal and remove ring bands. A great pickle. Pickled sunmimer vegeta- bles 1 tb. fresh carrots 1 Ib. center i heen stalks 8 oz. ved bell oz. green pep 12 oz. white pearl cm 24 oz, fresh cauliflower 4 quarts of pure bottled water 2 quarts pickling vinegar 7% acetic acid 1 c. pickling salt X%c. mustard seed 2 ‘Tbsp. celery seed 1 tsp. dried chile pepper 2% c. granulated sugar Cut up the vegetables into attractive 1% pieces. Carrots peeled, peppers deseeded, cau- liflower stem removed, ete. north sh ore news fe FOOD Vinegar and salt play role in getting pickied Place the water and sait unto a large glass or stainless steel bow! and dissolve salt. Add vegetable cover, keep in refrig- erator 12 hours. Rinse with cold water at least nice. Combine ail the other ingredi- ents and bring to boil in a large stainless steel soup por. Boil four minutes. Now add the vegetables and boil seven to 10 minutes. You will need six to seven pint-sized jars. Get them ready as usual. Fill the hor sterilized jars carefully. Seal jars with lid and ring, band, but do not over tighten. Cool the jars in an even tem- perature. Test for a good seal. If the lids pop, place jar into the refrigerator and use right away. This recipe can be dou- bled. The colorful pickled veg- etables make a nice addition to your pantry. 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