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Home canning has been on my to-do list for several
years, and this summer, at long last, my wish came true. While on vacation
in Seattle last month, two girlfriends and I teamed up and embarked on a
self-taught canning extravaganza, “putting up” peaches and
berries for jam.
It was an enlightening experience, opening my eyes to
the amount of work, time, and biceps strength involved in preserving food
for the long winter ahead. We of the instant-presto generation know nothing
about squirreling away food in Mason jars for times less abundant. For us
girls this was a fun way to pass the afternoon, but it got me thinking:
Maybe we need to take this home-canning thing a little more seriously.
Wouldn’t it be nice to know how to preserve the goods from the garden
or the farm market rather than rely on those tinny cans of mush from the
supermarket shelves?
The only people I know who know how to can (other
than me and my two pals) are either dead or receiving Social Security
checks. Now is the time to learn and keep the art of canning alive before
all of the teachers are long gone.
With that reality check in mind, I’ve been
preservingly preoccupied, thinking about the next project (tomatoes this
week) and trying to embrace a different mindset about my winter larder.
In all fairness, canning does require a rig — a
few big pots, jars, seals, lids, special tongs, and a rack — but if
that’s not gonna happen till next year I understand. In the meantime,
there’s a preservation starter project with your name all over it, no
special equipment required. There are cucumbers that need pickling —
and quick, before autumn begins in earnest. Your burgers and franks will
thank you.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Ed McFarland’s Pickles Adapted from the Aug. 27, 2007, issue of New York
Six small Kirby cucumbers (which contain smaller and fewer seeds; alternatively, use larger seedless cukes) 4 cups water 1 cup pickling or kosher salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar Four habanero peppers 2 cups red-wine vinegar (Use a combination of vinegar and water for a milder, less sour result; alternatively, use a milder vinegar, such as cider or rice) Two cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 1/8 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 3/4 teaspoon coriander One allspice berry 3/4 teaspoon mustard seed
Using a knife, or, preferably a mandoline, slice cucumbers approximately 1/8 inch thick. In a large nonreactive bowl or plastic container, mix water, salt and 1/4 cup of the sugar with a whisk. Add cucumber slices and whole peppers to the mixture, thoroughly covering them with the brine. Cover container and let stand for 12 hours. Remove cucumber slices and peppers from brine, place in a colander in the sink, and rinse well with cold water, making sure all of the water drains. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, vinegar, garlic, and spices in another nonreactive bowl or plastic container. Add cucumber slices and peppers. Cover and refrigerate for five hours before serving. Pickles should last refrigerated for as long as 60 days.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Ed McFarland’s Pickles Adapted from the Aug. 27, 2007, issue of New York
Six small Kirby cucumbers (which contain smaller and fewer seeds; alternatively, use larger seedless cukes) 4 cups water 1 cup pickling or kosher salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar Four habanero peppers 2 cups red-wine vinegar (Use a combination of vinegar and water for a milder, less sour result; alternatively, use a milder vinegar, such as cider or rice) Two cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 1/8 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 3/4 teaspoon coriander One allspice berry 3/4 teaspoon mustard seed
Using a knife, or, preferably a mandoline, slice cucumbers approximately 1/8 inch thick. In a large nonreactive bowl or plastic container, mix water, salt and 1/4 cup of the sugar with a whisk. Add cucumber slices and whole peppers to the mixture, thoroughly covering them with the brine. Cover container and let stand for 12 hours. Remove cucumber slices and peppers from brine, place in a colander in the sink, and rinse well with cold water, making sure all of the water drains. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, vinegar, garlic, and spices in another nonreactive bowl or plastic container. Add cucumber slices and peppers. Cover and refrigerate for five hours before serving. Pickles should last refrigerated for as long as 60 days.
