Thursday, April 20, 2017

We Are Quick Pickling This Month #fijchallenge

Dill Quick Pickles
We are now in the fourth month of our year-long food preservation Mastery Challenge hosted by Marisa of the popular canning blog, Food In Jars. This month we are focusing on quick pickles. This type of preserving method is a simple process used to pickle almost any type of fruit, vegetable or even an egg in a vinegar, water, and salt solution that is stored in the refrigerator. The purpose of this challenge is to expand our skills while preserving a food ingredient that we will actually use. This time I pickled eggs and cucumbers.

Now on to the refrigerator pickles also known as quick pickles. These are typically made in small batches in a vinegar brine with herbs and spices. I bought fresh dill and Persian cucumbers at the farmers market. The cucumbers were sliced and then stuffed into two clean pint jars. Coriander seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and fresh dill sprigs were added and then the chilled brine was poured into jars, covered and then refrigerated. Pickles will keep for one month.

The recipe has been slightky adapted and is from, “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving”.

Ingredients:

2 pounds Persian or Gerkin cucumbers
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
6 tablespoons pickling salt
¼ cup sugar
16 dill sprigs
5 teaspoons mustard seeds
5 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 ¼ teaspoons black peppercorns

To prepare:

Put cucumber slices in a large heatproof bowl.

Combine vinegar, water, pickling salt and sugar in a medium-sized stainless steel saucepan over medium high heat and stir occasionally until sugar and salt dissolve. Let the mixture come to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for approx 10 minutes. Pour the hot brine over cucumbers.

Cover the bowl with waxed paper and let it rest until the mixture cools to room temperature. Divide dill sprigs, mustard, coriander seeds and peppercorns evenly into jars. Fill jars with cucumber slices until they are 1/2 inch from the top. Pour pickling liquid into each jar until the liquid covers the cucumbers. Screw lids onto jars. Place in refrigerator. For best results let pickles marinate at least 2 weeks.

Quick Pickles with Fresh Dill

Since it was Easter I decided to prepare pickled red beet eggs, It was a relatively simple process. The eggs were hard boiled. Then a pickling brine was made and heated in a medium-sized saucepan. The brine consisted of white vinegar, salt, brown sugar, and water with shredded red beets. After mixture cools eggs are added and refrigerated. I kept the eggs in the pickling brine 2 days. Sadly these did not turn out the way I thought they should, they were very salty and the texture was a little off. Next time I will try Marisa’s recipe. On a positive note the eggs were a beautiful shade of pink, loved the color.

This recipe is from the April edition of the Bon Appetit magazine.

Red Beet Pickled Eggs




Cheri Savory Spoon
Cheri Savory Spoon

Mysavoryspoon was first started in 2010 as a way to journal recipes that I had collected from cookbooks, magazines, family and friends. Most everything was savory, using legumes and whole grains. Along the way I discovered a love for baking. Now a couple times a month you might see some type of sweet pie or treat.

41 comments:

  1. Those beet pickled eggs are just wonderful!

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    1. Thanks Angie, it's amazing what beets can do as a color.

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  2. The eggs are pretty but sadly I've never had the opportunity to try one. I love deviled eggs, with relish so I may love this too! The pickles look fantastic - great shots too!

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    1. Thanks Tricia, I love deviled eggs too with pickles.

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  3. Love the pickles Cheri and the dill leaves look so pretty in the jars Sorry the eggs didn't work as planned but they too look very colorful and pretty.

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    1. Thanks Peggy, this canning and preserving stuff is easy but it takes some skill. I need alot of work.

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  4. Wow, that is a gorgeous shade of pink. Too bad they weren't great. I think that's the hardest thing about pickling is not knowing how things will come out. I tried some dill pickles but they were really salty and not garlicy enough. But your pickles sound great!

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  5. Those pickled eggs are gorgeous! And I'd be happy to take a jar of those pickles off your hands ;)

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    1. Thanks Liz, I am learning so many new techniques with this foodinjars challenge, really enjoying the experience.

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  6. I love making pickled quails eggs, even if they are time consuming. But I've never tried colouring them. Your eggs look lovely so I'm sorry that they didn't work out.

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  7. I would love to have some of those pickles you made. They look like bread and butter pickles which I love.

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    1. The pickles did turn out very well, next time I will use a gerkin cucumber, still these were crisp and delicious!

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  8. Looks wonderful, Cheri. The perfect condiment for summer grilling.
    D

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  9. This is another thing I've never done. So interesting! Thanks for the inspiration.

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    1. Hi Monica, I am enjoying the preserving challenge, so many things to learn.

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  10. Yum, you've got me hungry for pickles now!

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  11. I love quick pickles - the eggs are so pretty!

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  12. Those pickled beets looks so vibrant and gorgoeus, Cheri. I like homemade pickles and those pickle jars look so delish. Would love to give them a go.

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    1. The pickles were so easy to do Anu, we are on our way to Oregon but when we get settled I am going to try pickling carrots.

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  13. The color on your beet eggs came out much better than mine did Cheri. I will be trying the last of our in egg salad this weekend. I guess I should have tried a second recipe this month...

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    1. Hi Inger, the texture of mine were way off, will try again soon. Preserving food is harder than I thought but so rewarding.

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  14. Sorry if the eggs were not to your liking, Cheri, but they are indeed very pretty. BTW How many cucumbers did you use? Maybe my eyes are funny but didn't see it in the ingredient list.

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    1. Hi Kim, no your eyes are not funny I did not add it, will add in now, I used roughly 2 pounds. On our way to Oregon, will be there sometime Sunday. Have a great week-end!

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  15. I can't wait to make these! Both Mark and I love dill pickles (and bread and butter pickles, too) and so many have garlic!

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    1. I noticed the same thing when I was searching for recipes for quick pickles, lots of garlic.

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  16. Those pickled eggs are so pretty, sorry that they didn't turn out as you hoped! I'm so glad you posted the dill pickle recipe. I've made lots of sweet bread and butter pickles, but I have yet to make homemade dill pickles! They look amazing, Cheri :)

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    1. The pickles were amazing Marcelle and so easy to make.

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  17. Hi Cheri,
    Once in a blue moon, I'll make some cucumber pickles (the Asian style) in vinegar brine with some chilli and carrot and pineapple. Yours with dill and black peppercorns looks wonderful and appetizing. Oh, sorry that the eggs not to your liking but they look pretty !

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    1. Thanks Karen, you are so sweet, will have to try the Asian style I bet they are delicious!

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  18. Oh my Cheri! The pickled eggs are so vibrant! Good to know that the eggs soak up the salt.... They really are so pretty! I very much enjoyed this months challenge. Quick pickling is a wonderful way to amp up flavor without any extra calories.

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    1. Thanks Deb, yes, i enjoyed this challenge as well. Want to try Karen's Asian style cucumbers and carrots next.

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  19. I'm in love with those eggs! Definitely going to check out that recipe. Very excited that you guys are quick pickling those pickles as well! Thanks for the recipe! Definitely excited to follow these mastery challenges by FoodInJars!

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