10 replies to this topic

[BullsEye]

Well I have been having a decent year with my garden and I have been wanting to try a new means of pickling. I have a recipe in one of my favorite cook books called Charcuterie for pickling.It calls for 8 ounces of vegetables (I used Zucchini)4 1/4 cups water50 grams Kosher saltand pickling spice or your own varietyI chose my own variety. Measurements are approximate but I used 22 ounces of Zucchini or 1.5 pounds to give you an idea of the portions.I used a whole flower of garlic3 bay leaves1/4 cup sugara large chunk of ginger (julianed)mixed pepper corns (Tablespoon)3 jalapenos (small)1 banana pepper (large)ground sage (Teaspoon)oregano (dry from garden 2 Tablespoons)I combined everything in the water except for the zucchini and let it simmer till all the salt and sugar dissolved.I then let it sit till it dropped to room temperature. Once the liquid had cooled I combined it with the zucchini and covered it with a ziplock filled with water so that the zucchinis stay immersed in the salting solution.I covered it well with Plastic wrap and then put it in an area that stays cool. It needs to stay at around 75 degrees. They should be pickled a week from today. Hopefully they turn out nicely.

[Yodel Dog]

That sounds yummy BullsEye, and I like the spicy recipe.

[CoyoteHuntress]

Ohhhhhhhh you must posts your results!!

[BullsEye]

Will do Rae.

[ShooterJohn]

I can't wait to hear how your pickling turns out. It sounds like a very good recipe.Instead of a water filled baggie you can use crumpled up waxed paper to hold down your vegetables too. I use the waxed paper when we do our peppers and it works very well.

[BullsEye]

That sounds like a cleaner solution then the ziplock baggie. Thanks John.

[BullsEye]

Well It has been just over a week and the pickles finished up fermenting . They taste surprisingly good, only thing I would change is my scale, I think it is off as they are a little salty but if you love a pickle but not a strong vinegar taste this is the route for sure! I pulled the zucchinis out and drained them. Then I strained the liquid and boiled it for for about 5 minuted to kill any extra bacteria in the solution. I then let the brine cool back down to room temp and then ran it through a coffee filter to remove any extra silt etc. from the brine. Placed the brine and pickles in a non reactive jar and then refrigerated them. They are crisp and flavorful and will last indefinitely. Now I just need to pair them with the right sandwich, I'm thinking pastrami on rye bread. Maybe I will make some pastrami in the near future to make the pair.

[ShooterJohn]

You should have your own cooking show. Cooking and canning with BullsEye!

[BullsEye]

Thats funny John. My family wants me to open a restaurant. Cooking is just a natural part of hunting to me. Take a look at the book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. I get a lot of my recipes from that book. I make my own up too and I also use other recipes as guide maps for my own creation. http://www.amazon.co...g/dp/0393058298

[ShooterJohn]

Alex, I went ahead and ordered a copy of the book to add to my cookbook collection. It looks like a good read for this winter when things slow down. Game cooking got me into everything cooking. I just enjoy growing, cooking and canning whatever I got my hands on. One of my favorite treats to take to high school was something a bit unusual. I used to catch and smoke allot of shad from the river near me. It was the only way I liked them but it got me into preserving what I caught and everyone loved what I made. So one day I had half a canoe of muskrat I had trapped. I hated to waste them and tried every way to find a use for them. Most of the time I'd keep a couple to eat and give the others to friends to feed their dogs. So I decided to try making muskrat jerky and it was one of the most favorite smoked meats I've ever made. You can only eat so much smoked salmon for instance but you can chow down on muskrat jerky forever. It had a very special flavor and was very easy to chew. I wished I'd had a vacuum sealer back then to help store everything I cooked up and smoked. I still enjoy trying different cooking techniques to preserve things. My neighbors seem to enjoy whatever I give them so I guess I'm doing something right.

[BullsEye]

Glad you bought the book John. I think you will really like it. Smoked muskrat sounds very interesting. I have never had it but I would try it in a heart beat.