Pickles!
Today, one of our leaders, Valerie Paul, will show us how to make refrigerator pickles.
Pickled Jalapenos
from Allrecipes
Yield – 2-8 oz. jars
¾ cup water
¾ cup distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon oregano
10 large jalapenos, cut into rings
Combine water, vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, garlic, and oregano in a saucepan over high heat.
Bring mixture to a boil, stir in jalapeno peppers and remove from heat.
Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
Pack peppers into jars using tongs, cover with vinegar mixture, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
Cowboy Candy
Makes about 3 half pint jars
1/2 pound jalapeno peppers (about 10-12 average sized jalapenos)
1 cup sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional, for a bit of heat)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Make these the same way as the pickled jalapenos above.
Refrigerator Pickled Vegetables
Adapted from Ted Allen at Food Network
Yield 2 quarts
For the brine:
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups white vinegar
6 teaspoons salt
Several sprigs of fresh dill
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
For the Vegetables:
6 Kirby or pickling cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
6 carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 handful of scallions or green beans
A few pieces of cauliflower to tuck in open places
4 small hot red chilies or 2 jalapenos
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil, reduce the heat so the water simmers and add the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and salt, raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat.
In 2 clear 1-quart jars, place a few sprigs of dill. Divide the seeds and peppercorns between the jars. Using tongs, remove the garlic from the brine and place 5 cloves in each jar. Then pack the jars full of cucumbers, carrots, scallions or green beans, cauliflower and chiles. You want them to be tightly stuffed.
Bring the brine back to a boil, pour it over the vegetables to cover completely, let cool, then cover and refrigerate. The pickles will taste good in just a few hours, better after a couple of days. They'll keep for about 3 months.