Pickling
Pickling is a method of preserving food in an edible, antimicrobial liquid. Pickling can be
broadly classified into two categories: chemical pickling and fermentation pickling.
Quick Sweet Pickles
INGREDIENTS
c. white-wine vinegar or apple-cider vinegar
c. sugar
tsp. salt
2 c. thinly sliced ‘Beit Alpha’ cucumbers (about 2 cucumbers)
2 red onions
2 tbsp. torn dill sprigs
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
3 tbsp. olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring occasionally, until sugar
dissolves. Set aside.
2. In a nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, dill, and peppercorns. Add
olive oil to reserved vinegar mixture and stir well. Pour over vegetables and toss
to combine. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. Store
pickles, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.
Sugaring is a food preservation method similar to pickling. Sugaring is the process of
desiccating a food by first dehydrating it, then packing it with pure sugar. This sugar
can be crystalline in the form of table or raw sugar, or it can be a high sugar density
liquid such as honey, syrup or molasses.
Lemony Pineapple-Pear Preserves
INGREDIENTS:
1 pineapple (medium, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks)
8 bartlett pears (ripe, about 4 pounds, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch
pieces)
4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 vanilla bean
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a food processor, chop the pineapple coarsely. Strain the juices into a large,
nonreactive, saucepan. Reserve the pineapple pieces and pulp. Add the pears to
the pineapple juices in the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the pears are tender, about 15
minutes.
2. Add the reserved pineapple, sugar and lemon juice and stir to combine. Scrape
the vanilla bean seeds into the pot and add the half bean, return pot to a
simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the pears are soft and chunky and the
mixtures has thickened a little, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and discard
vanilla bean.
3. Process or refrigerate preserves until ready to use. Makes 4 pints.
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and
sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning
provides a shelf life typically ranging from one to five years, although under specific
circumstances it can be much longer.
Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce
INGREDIENTS
25 pounds tomatoes (about 80
medium)
4 large green peppers, seeded
4 large onions, cut into wedges
2 cans (12 ounces each)
tomato paste
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons crushed red
pepper flakes
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
sauce
2 bay leaves
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
bottled lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a Dutch oven, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, place
tomatoes, one at a time, in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Remove each
tomato and immediately plunge into ice water. Peel and quarter tomatoes; place
in a stockpot.
2. Pulse green peppers and onions in batches in a food processor until finely
chopped; transfer to stockpot. Stir in next 11 ingredients. Add water to cover;
bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Discard bay leaves. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each of 9 hot 1-qt. jars.
Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and
adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on
jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.
4. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely
covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 40 minutes. Remove jars and
cool.
Jellying is preserving food by cooking in a material that solidifies to form a gel. Fruits
are generally preserved as jelly, marmalade or fruit preserves and the jellying agent is
pectin that is naturally found in fruit.
Homemade Strawberry Jelly
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups strawberries
5 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 tablespoons pectin (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. On a separate pan, heat the center lids to a simmer as well
2. Mash the strawberries using a food masher (steel recommended) and add them
to a large pot
3. Pour lemon juice, sugar and pectin to the pot and start whisking till they dissolve
in the mixture
4. Boil the mixture for around 1 minute while stirring.
5. Turn off the heat and skim off the appearing foam with a spoon
6. Start filling the mason jars with jam one at a time with a wide-mouth funnel.
Clean the resedue from the jar’s exterior.
7. Place the center lids on the jars Tip:Make sure to leave a little space at the top of
the jar
8. Fill the canning pot with water, and boil for 10 minutes
9. Turn off the heat, and let the jars cool off for a few minutes
10. Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the hot water and keep them out for 24
hours
11. After 24 hours, check the lids for seal. If sealed properly, store the jars in a
pantry or kitchen cabinet & Enjoy!
Curing is one of the oldest methods for food preservation, and until about a century
ago, it was the primary way that people prevented meat and fish from turning before
they could consume it. To cure something, you just need to cover meat or fish in a
combination of salt and sugar, as well as a variety of spices for additional flavor.
Duck Ham -- Cured Duck Breast
Ingredients:
2 Pekin (Long Island) Duck Breast
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
3 garlic cloves smashed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon crushed dry bay leaf
Directions
1. If the duck if fatty, place the breast in the freezer for 30 minutes and then
carefully remove the fat leaving a only a thin layer.
2. Mix the salt, sugar, smashed garlic and herbs in a bowl.
3. Lay two pieces of plastic wrap on two two different plates. Add 1/4 of the salt
mixture on each piece of plastic wrap. Top each with a duck breast (skin side
down). Divide the remaining salt mixture on top of each duck breast ensuring
the breast are surrounded with the salt mixture. Wrap each breast tightly in the
plastic wrap.
4. After 24 hours unwrap each breast and discard all the salt mixture. Blot dry with
a paper towel. Slice thinly and serve similar to prosciutto.
