Preserving Your Harvest – Pickled Vegetable, Herb and Fruit Recipes
Brined Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 pound of your favorite root vegetables
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup of your favorite fresh herbs such as dill
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
Items Needed
- 2 Tablespoons Pickling salt
- 2 quarts purified water
- 1/2 gallon jar
- 8 oz jar
- Clean cloth and rubber band
With a large bowl at the ready scrub and peel the root vegetables. Slice into very thin rounds. Add to the bowl.
Thinly slice the red onions and garlic. Add to the bowl with root vegetables and then add the black peppercorns and whole herbs to bowl tossing everything together.
In another bowl, add the pickling salt into 2 quarts water. Place vegetables in a clean 1/2 gallon jar. Pour the salt water over the vegetables until covered by 1 inch.
Take the empty 8oz jar and place it on top of the vegetables to act as a weight. Put the clean cloth over the mouth of 1/2 gallon jar. And then put the larger jar on a plate and store in a cool (65-75 degrees) place.
Take a look at the jars each day to make sure the liquid stays at least 1 inch over the vegetables.
You’ll see the fermentation start in about 24 hours. You should see little bubbles in the brine. There may also be a white film which is a natural, safe yeast that can be wiped out of the jar.
Leave the vegetables for 3 -7 days to ferment. You can check to see if they’re ready by tasting a slice of vegetable. Once the vegetables taste the way, you like then remove the 8 oz jar, wipe jar rim and cover with a lid. You can store these fermented, pickled vegetables in the refrigerator up to 1 month. Makes about 1.5 quarts.
No Vinegar Refrigerator Pickles
- 2 pounds of cucumbers, washed and sliced as you desire
- 5-7 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 bunch of fresh dill – 2 tablespoons of dried dill can be used if fresh is unavailable
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup boiling water
In a large bowl add salt & boiling water stirring to dissolve the salt. Cool the mixture adding ice cubes if needed.
Add all the other ingredients to the bowl. Add enough cold water to cover the cucumbers.
Place a plate on top of the cucumbers in the bowl to help keep them immersed in the liquid.
Taste the cucumbers after 4-8 hours to check for flavor. Taste every so often until the desired flavor has been reached. It can take anywhere from 12-48 hours to get them to taste.
Once they taste delicious to your palate, put them into the refrigerator.
Note: the pickles will keep on fermenting. However, the process will slow in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for up to a week.
Preserving Your Harvest – Pickled Vegetable and Fruit Recipes
Bread and Butter Pickles
- 6-lbs of Pickling Cucumbers
- 3-lbs Onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup Canning or Pickling Salt
- 4 cups White Vinegar (5% Acidity)
- 4 cups Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Mustard Seed
- 1½ Tablespoons Celery Seed
- 1 Tablespoon Pickling Spice
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
Wash and rinse the cucumbers. Then slice the ends off of each cucumber and slice them into ¼ slices.
Slice the onions into thin rings and then add the cucumbers and onions into a large pot and stir gently by hand to mix. Sprinkle salt over the mixture and then cover everything with ice.
Refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 hours, or overnight, adding more ice as needed during this time.
Drain the water from the cucumbers and onions. Rinse well to remove salt and let them drain.
While the vegetables are draining add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, pickling spice, and turmeric in a large pot. Stir everything together and then bring to a boil over Medium-High heat and boil for 10 minutes. Now add the cucumbers and onions to the pot, bring back to a low boil and boil for 1 minute.
Gather your jars together making sure they are sterilized. Remove the pickle mixture from heat and add to the jars making sure to leave ¼” head space in each jar.
Make sure there are no air bubbles. Wipe the top & rim of the jar with a clean, damp. Add the lid and band but don’t over-tighten the lid
Now add the jars to your canning pot and use the water bath process for 10 minutes and then carefully remove the jars. Place the jars in a draft-free location and don’t bother them for 24 hours. Can be stored for up to 1 year.
Easy Watermelon Pickles Recipe
- 3 pounds white portion watermelon rind, cubed
- 5 cups sugar
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp. whole cloves
- 1 Tbsp. whole allspice
- 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 inches each
- 1 lemon, sliced
Cut both the red & green parts off the watermelon then cube the white portion. Put watermelon cubes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover.
Soak the cubes overnight and then drain. Add fresh, cold water to the pot and bring to a boil cooking on low heat until the cubes are tender. Drain the cubes again.
In another large pot, combine sugar, vinegar, and water. Place cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and lemon in a cheese cloth bag and add to the pot.
Stir the sugar mixture over medium heat then boil for 5 minutes. Add the watermelon cubes and simmer about 15 minutes or until translucent. Remove the spice bag and pack pickles in hot, sterilized jars. Refrigerate 2 weeks before using. Makes 4 quarts.
Cabbage Kimchi
- 1 medium head (2 pounds) napa cabbage
- 1/4 cup sea salt or kosher salt or other iodine free salt
- Spring, Distilled or Purified Water
- 1 tablespoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons seafood flavor or water
- 1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 8 ounces Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Slice the cabbage into 2-inch-wide strips. Salt the cabbage and put into a large bowl with salt. Massage the salt into the cabbage until soft then add enough water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy (a can of beans works) so that cabbage stays submerged. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.
Rinse and drain the cabbage: Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times and drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes.
Combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and seafood flavor (or 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste. Mix in the gochugaru to taste – more equal spicier.
Squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage. Add it to a large bowl along with the radish, scallions, and seasoning paste. Mix everything until completely coated.
Add the mixture to the jars packing it tightly until the brine rises to cover the vegetables Leave at least 1 inch of headspace. Seal the jar with the lid.
Let the jar stand at room temperature for 1 to 5 days to ferment. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid; place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow.
Check the kimchi once a day. Make sure the vegetables stay submerged in the brine. Check it daily for flavor and refrigerate when ready. You may eat it right away, but it’s best after another week or two. Makes 1 quart
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