ok maybe this is a lame post. i know you want to start digging in. you want to have jars and jars of all kinds of pickles on your selves, er...shelves. and your counting on me to get you motivated, to show you the way. right?
huh?
why so silent?
here's the deal: i am really trying to be a good locavore (like i don't have enough on my plate) so it's making it kinda impossible to start delving into a bunch of pickle recipes - yet. plus, the fresher the ingredients, the better the pickle...so we have to biden our time.
in the meantime, i decided to take stock of what is left in my larder - slim picklin's i'm afraid (yes i did just say that, and that up there too). and in the process explain the different types of pickles.
indian/south asian 'sun' pickles
you'll find as we go along that this is my favorite pickle category (i'll try to be fair to the others i promise) because they are intense with spices, they make a vegetarian's life more exciting, and they are just plain fun to make. oil or lemon juice and salt and/or sugar are used to preserve, and more often than not they are put in the sun to 'pickle' or ferment. once they are done, they are usually put in the fridge and are very long lasting - up to a year or more. there is a sub-category here, which is an indian 'quick' pickle in which the ingredients are heated on the stovetop rather than over a period of time in the sun. these are put directly in the fridge when they've cooled and do not last as long but are just as tasty.
M is addicted to this chile pickle preserved in oil. if you love chiles go see the chilewoman. i order my seedlings from her every year. if the chile exists, she has it.
this simple lemon pickle is similar to the famous middle eastern preserved lemon but it was set out in the sun to ferment - which is more typical further east.
-it's speaking in tongues.
quick pickles
the above mentioned 'indian' quickies could fall under this category. basically these are pickles that are ready to eat in two days or less. some might argue that they aren't pickles at all. probably because they are hardly preserved and in some cases could even be mistaken for a salad. but i'll venture to say that pickles of this category are inherently more satisfying than your typical vignette of garden greens. with flavors and textures that are crunchy, sour and sometimes sweet.
fresh pickles
this is one of the two major pickle categories. basically fresh pickles are pickles that are not fermented, hence 'fresh'. this doesn't mean that they're not sour, because there is still acid involved in order to preserve the fruit or vegetable. the acid in fresh pickles is in the form of added vinegar, citrus juice or sometimes citric acid.
these are literally the last cornichons left from the 2008 season. people i am telling you if you have a garden, a community plot, a front lawn, a windowsill, a couple of pots and a patio or balcony. GROW CUCUMBERS. because you can go to the farmers market and buy regular size cukes for regular pickles. but these are no regular pickles..and as far as i know i have never seen these baby cukes for sale at a farmers market, et al. plus, they are simple to grow, and these are even simpler to make. just pluck 'em off the vine, wash & dry, put in a clean glass jar and pour wine vinegar in to fill.
see...don't say i didn't give you a recipe this week.
(actually there's a leetle more to the story, i just did that for effect, so don't try this at home -yet)
sugar can also be part of a fresh pickle as in these sweet carrot pickles
i'm not crazy about pickled vegetables that taste sugary-sweet. so when i do decide to make some of the sweet-laced pickled vegetables, say for a scandinavian smorgasbord for my in-laws (lucky, aren't they?) or the type my slovakian great-grandma used to make, i'll lean towards the ones that have a nice balance, with just a bit of sweetness.
as for these - the mack daddy of all fresh pickles - pickled beets:
need i say more?
yes the jar is sweating - its a mean beet i' tell ya.
fermented pickles
this is the other major category of pickles. ingredients are; vegetables, salt and water, with very specific proportions. there is no added acid, the preserving acid arises out of the naturally occurring fermentation process. sauerkraut, kimchi, traditional sour dills, all fall under this category. but many vegetables can be safely and deliciously fermented with salt and water.
i have nothing left to show for this in my larder, because they were so good, we ate 'em all!
sweet pickles
these are preserves that are high in sugar content and acid. mostly fruits fall in this category, here's where i will get jiggy with the sugar. if you're a meat eater (humanely-raised, free-range, organic i hope - i'm just sayin') then these are the perfect accompaniment to many meat dishes - so i hear. they also taste great with rice and or/yogurt, and my personal favorite - in a desert, er, on a dessert. the right sweet pickle over a bowl of ice cream can definitely hit the spot, for either.
pretty much all fruits can be sweet pickled, like these pickled cantaloupe.
i know, i was bored, they were there, what can i say?
japanese miso pickles
i love japanese food, and the pickles (can you guess?) are my favorite. tsukemono as it's called is eaten with almost every meal, and sometimes as the meal with rice. traditionally, miso, rice-bran or soy is used as the fermenting agent. many of these could also be classified as a quick or semi-quick pickle because they are ready within a few hours to a few days. i haven't tried to make pickles of this category yet, but i am really eager to try it.
chutneys
also under this category falls relishes and salsas. basically condiments, that is - pickles that are meant to be eaten in the same mouthful as other foods - because their flavors are intense! this category comes in many forms around the world. common to each other and the reason why we classify them as pickles is that they are most often flavored, and/or preserved with vinegar - and sometimes other forms of acid. many times the fruit or vegetables are chopped or even pureed, but not always
as in this middle eastern dried apricot pickle.
freezer pickles
this is a category i haven't quite warmed up to. basically it's mostly done with cukes, and i've heard that it does work, and that they don't get mushy as you would expect. still i have a laundry list of pickles i want to try - and retry, and so little time. so i don't see freezer pickling in our near future. but if anyone out there wants to convince me otherwise, please feel free!
so besides biden my time (damn i did it again!) what i am trying to say with all of this is-
pickles; not just for breakfast anymore.
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