Spicy Quick Pickles

Ingredients

12 to 14 oz. Persian, kirby or English cucumbers, cut into chunks
4 serrano chiles, halved lengthwise 
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths 
1 c. water 
1 c. distilled white vinegar 
2 tbsp. kosher salt 
1 tbsp. sugar 
1 tbsp. sambal oelek

Directions
Stuff the cucumbers, chiles and scallions into a 1-quart glass or plastic jar with a tight-fitting lid.
In another 1-quart jar, combine the water, vinegar, salt, sugar and sambal oelek. Close the jar and shake vigorously until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour over the cucumbers, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) or up to 1 month.

Note: These quick pickles call for thin-skinned cucumbers, such as Persian, kirby or English. You can also use thick-skinned cucumbers, partially peel them to allow the brine to permeate the cucumber.

Overnight Bread & Butter Pickles

Ingredients
4 to 6 pickling cucumbers
1 sweet onion
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

Instructions
Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds and slice onions paper thin and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients and pour over the cucumber/onion mixture. Mix to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Store in air-tight container(s), keeping in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Candied Jalapenos

Recipe adapted from Foodie With Family.

Ingredients
3 lbs. fresh firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
2 c. cider vinegar
6 c. white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. celery seed
3 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Directions
Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. Discard the stems. Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to boiling again, add the pepper slices, return to a hard boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer for exactly 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.

Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. At this point, you can slap on a lid and stick in the fridge... or can them!

Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.

Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth then label. If you have leftover syrup, and it is likely that you will, you may can it in half-pint or pint jars, too. It's great as a spicy simple syrup.

Makes 4 to 6 half-pints.

Banh Mi Bowl

Ingredients
1 brick extra firm tofu
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. Asian-style BBQ sauce
4 c. kale, stemmed and shredded
4 c. napa cabbage, stemmed and shredded
1/4 c. Jalapeno-Lime Aioli (see blog for recipe)
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 c. carrots, shredded or ribboned
2 c. cucumber, shredded or ribboned
1 c. cilantro, packed and coarsely chopped
1/2 c. pickled jalapenos and red onions

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain excess water from tofu and pat dry. Cut into small cubes. Toss cubes in cornstarch and lay out on baking sheet, spacing 1/4-inch apart. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and crispy. Toss crispy tofu in the BBQ sauce. Lay out the cubes on baking sheet again and bake for 10 minutes.

To assemble the bowls, toss kale and cabbage together in a large bowl with aioli and chopped green onions. Toss to coat well.

Place dressed greens in serving bowls. Top with carrot, cucumber, cilantro, jalapenos, and tofu. Drizzle more aioli, if desired.

Serves 4. 

Pickled Dilly Beans

You can essentially choose any fresh vegetable to pickle here. Try traditional cucumbers or asparagus or peppers!

Ingredients

Enough vegetables to pack six pint jars

1/3 c. pickling or canning salt

Ice water

1/2 c. sweet red or green bell pepper, finely diced

2 tbsp. garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (or 3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper)

2 tbsp. dill seeds, divided (or 4 to 5 fresh dill sprigs per jar)

2 tbsp. black peppercorns, divided

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 tbsp. mustard seeds

4 c. white vinegar

1 c. water

Directions

Prepare canner, jars and lids as directed in a canning book. In a small bowl, combine red pepper, garlic, jalapeno and 1 tbsp. of dill seeds. (If using fresh dill sprigs, set aside for now.) Mix well and set aside. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar, mustard seeds, remaining dill seeds, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and boil gently for five minutes.

Pack jars snuggly with beans and dill sprigs (if using). Place 2 tbsp. of the red pepper mixture into each jar. Add hot pickling liquid to cover vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Slide a small rubber spatula into the jar to release air bubbles and settle the vegetables in the jar. Adjust headspace if necessary by adding more pickling liquid. Wipe rim, place lid and band on jar, and tighten until you feel resistance. Then adjust to fingertip tight.

Process jars in the canner (there should be at least 1 inch of water above the jars) for 10 minutes, at a full rolling boil. At the end of 10 minutes, remove canner lid and turn off heat. Let sit for five minutes. Then remove jars without tilting. Allow jars to rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Check seal before storing.

Makes six pint jars.

Bruschetta

In order to have the time to prepare all the food for our wedding, we had to do some of the cooking in advance. So, having recently gotten into canning, we decided to pickle and preserve all of our appetizers. We then served each with complementary bread and cheese. If you haven't canned before, we recommend one of the many basic books that describes the process. Following specific canning instructions is very important if you want to avoid food-born illness. We like Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving, edited by Kingry and Devine.

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. dry white wine

1 c. white wine vinegar

1/2 c. water

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tbsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. dried basil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

9 c. plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

Directions

Prepare canner, jars and lids (this is where you need to reference a canning book). In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine garlic, wine, wine vinegar, water, sugar, basil, oregano an balsamic vinegar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for five minutes, until garlic is heated through. Remove from heat.

Pack tomatoes into hot jars within a generous 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Ladle hot vinegar mixture into the jar to cover tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles with a small rubber spatula and adjust headspace. Add hot liquid as necessary to maintain 1/2 inch. Wipe rim, center lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in a canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait five minutes, then remove jars, cool and store (without band).

Makes about seven 8-oz. jars.

Curried Cauliflower Pickles

Ingredients
2 heads cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets
1 qt. apple cider vinegar
1/2 qt. white wine vinegar
1 qt. water
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 lg. knob of ginger, peeled and cut into large pieces
6 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 bay leaves
small handful of thyme
2 tbsp. whole cardamom pods
large pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
2 tbsp. whole corriander seed
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. salt

Directions
Combine all ingredients, except for cauliflower, in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil. When the liquid come to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Bring the liquid back up to a boil, add the cauliflower, let boil for one minute, and then remove from heat. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, place the cauliflower in jars and cover with the liquid (do not strain out the spices). Refrigerate. The pickles will be ready in one week and will only get better with age. Once opened, consume within four weeks(ish).

NOTE: If you want to seal the pickles for long-term storage, follow recommended pickling instructions for cauliflower.

Firecrackers

Another pickle recipe from Alton Brown, these Firecrackers start out with a sweet flavor, but kick you in the pants before you're through!

Ingredients
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chili flakes
2 dried chilies

Directions
Place carrots in a spring top glass jar or standard canning jar. Bring water, sugar, cider vinegar, onion powder, mustard seeds, salt and chili flakes to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Boil for 4-5 minutes. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots, filling the jar to the top. Place the chilies in the jar. Allow the carrots to cool before sealing. Refrigerate for two days and up to one week.

Kinda Sorta Sours

Pickles are among our favorite snacks in the Compter-Kalkman household. This Alton Brown recipe for refrigerator pickles (with a few adjustments) has been a hit here in Rochester. It makes only one large jar, so feel free to multiply!

Ingredients
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
5-6 pickling cucumbers, speared
1 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. pickling spice
4 whole garlic cloves, smashed

Directions
Combine the onion and cucumber in a clean spring-top jar. Combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the garlic, in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for four full minutes to wake-up the flavors. Add the garlic cloves to the jar. Slowly and gently pour the pickling liquid over the onion and cucumbers, filling to the top of the jar. Cool to room temperature. Top off the pickles with any remaining pickling liquid and refrigerate. Pickles should keep for about 2-3 months.