i think it's time i let you in a few things, but first go get yourself a cup of tea, get comfortable.
all set?
ok...this right here is the shizzle.
it's how i got my stripes.
it's hot! and spicy and my favorite kind of pickle in the whole wide world.
and it's pickled in oil. you know what the USDA says about foods preserved in oil? well, first they mention the b-word. and then they tell you that whenever you cover an uncooked vegetable in oil you need to put it directly in the fridge and eat it quick. because vegetables are low in acid and once they're covered in oil they are damn near free of oxygen, creating the perfect environment for those pesky clostridium botulinum spores to multiply into dangerous digits.
oh no!
well, before i was so well versed in the whys and hows of food safety, i made chile pickle in oil and even garlic pickle in oil. oh yes, i was living dangerously and i didn't even know it! you see, these kinds of recipes abound in indian cookbooks. they go something like; chop up said vegetable, mix in the spices, heat oil, pour over veggies. cap the jar and let sit on a sunny windowsill for oh, 3 or so weeks shaking once a day. then and only then does it go in the fridge.
(gulp!)
and believe me, they do get 'pickled' - the vegetables actually ferment in this way, so i'm sure there is something to the process that works. because this kind of pickling has been going on for eons in india. regardless, once i knew what the USDA had to say about it i could never, dear readers, suggest you live as dangerously as i.
(ahem, actually equipped with that knowledge i couldn't bring myself to make another traditional indian oil pickle, lemon pickle aside of course. i mean, i don't know, maybe the soil is different there or something. maybe indian botulism spores are just, nicer...srsly, my pickling style was cramped!)
yes, of course i thought about mixing the whole thing together and putting it all in the fridge upon making. but the chiles don't get pickled, they just get covered in oil and put in the fridge. boring.
meanwhile, back at the preserving books, i discovered a gem of an idea in linda ziedrich's the joy of pickling
. she utilizes 'brined' chiles to make an oil pickle.eureka!
chile pickle in oil
adapted from indian home cooking
by suvir saran1/2 pound fermented chiles
1 & 1/2 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons sea salt
1/2 cup light sesame oil
juice of 1-2 lemons
day 1
1. drain fermented chiles and place in sterilized jar.
fyi, this is what they look like once fermented.
1 & 1/2 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons sea salt
1/2 cup light sesame oil
juice of 1-2 lemons
day 1
1. drain fermented chiles and place in sterilized jar.
fyi, this is what they look like once fermented.
this is about 2-3 weeks after i started the fermenting process. the chile turns an olive green and loses that raw green chile look. similar to the difference between a fresh cucumber and a cucumber pickle.
2. place the mustard & fenugreek seeds, and the asafetida in a dry frying pan and roast on medium heat just until you begin to smell the most lovely aroma and the fenugreek seeds get one shade darker - about 3 minutes.
3. once spices have cooled, grind in a spice grinder and add to chiles, add salt and turmeric. stir with a spoon to coat. let this mixture sit at room temperature overnight. (all is ok, they are already fermented, and you have not submerged them in oil yet).
day 2
1. heat sesame oil just until the smoking point and take off heat. pour directly over chile mixture and let cool.
2. once the mixture is cool. squeeze the juice of 1 or 2 lemons, enough to make sure the chiles are clearly submerged. mix gently with a clean spoon. cover and refrigerate.
the beauty if this method is that though it is most definitely safety-improved, it tastes just like my ole' dare devil style did! you get that lovely mouth puckering tang of fermented pickle soaked in spice that is so distinct in a traditional indian or south asian pickle.
this will last for months and months in the fridge. a little goes a very, very long way, as the spices are potent on their own, and i make it with a very hot chile variety. you can certainly make it with the chile of your choice. try a small dollop with rice, yogurt, all manner of curries or stir-frys. anything really, it's addicting.
so thanks linda ziedrich, for sorting this conundrum out for me...
next up; garlic pickle in oil.
i'll do it!
2. place the mustard & fenugreek seeds, and the asafetida in a dry frying pan and roast on medium heat just until you begin to smell the most lovely aroma and the fenugreek seeds get one shade darker - about 3 minutes.
3. once spices have cooled, grind in a spice grinder and add to chiles, add salt and turmeric. stir with a spoon to coat. let this mixture sit at room temperature overnight. (all is ok, they are already fermented, and you have not submerged them in oil yet).
day 2
1. heat sesame oil just until the smoking point and take off heat. pour directly over chile mixture and let cool.
2. once the mixture is cool. squeeze the juice of 1 or 2 lemons, enough to make sure the chiles are clearly submerged. mix gently with a clean spoon. cover and refrigerate.
the beauty if this method is that though it is most definitely safety-improved, it tastes just like my ole' dare devil style did! you get that lovely mouth puckering tang of fermented pickle soaked in spice that is so distinct in a traditional indian or south asian pickle.
this will last for months and months in the fridge. a little goes a very, very long way, as the spices are potent on their own, and i make it with a very hot chile variety. you can certainly make it with the chile of your choice. try a small dollop with rice, yogurt, all manner of curries or stir-frys. anything really, it's addicting.
so thanks linda ziedrich, for sorting this conundrum out for me...
next up; garlic pickle in oil.
i'll do it!
"i think it's time i let you in a few things, but first go get yourself a cup of tea, get comfortable."
ReplyDeleteI actually finished my laundry and made myself some tea. I'm also guilty of living on the edge, so to speak, as I speak of the jar half filled with garlic in oil resting in my fridge.
I can't wait for your pickled garlic results...
That sounds so good. I cannot say no to anything with some heat to it. This was my first year canning and I haven't tried fermenting yet, but I'm going to have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI had two good-sized handfuls of Thai bird peppers from my garden this year. We decided we weren't terribly interested in drying them, and there weren't really enough to pickle, so I put them in a jar of honey and left them for about two weeks. My husband had leftover cornbread with the pepper honey on it for breakfast this morning and pronounced it "awesome". I just picked up about two pounds of jalapenos for $2 today, and I'm planning to slice a few into another jar of honey for him. He's also asking for jalapeno/"some kind of berry" fruit leather.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big chili girl, but this is some brilliant sleuthing to get what you want. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteSo your fermented chili recipe had me almost convinced, but it was this recipe that got me into the kitchen and started on my very first fermentation! I'm so excited!
ReplyDeleteWill you ferment your garlic with the same process?
afreckledlip, anduin - do it! this is such an amazing pickle!
ReplyDeleteanduin, leah - yes, i will do the garlic ferment first and then do the traditional indian garlic oil pickle that i love.
bldrnrdx - that pepper honey sounds amazing but i wonder what the USDA would have to say about it. did you put it in the fridge?
julia - thanks! :)
We haven't put it in the fridge, no. My understanding is that honey is a preservative.
ReplyDelete