Its time to PICKLE

Ray Speed

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Time to have some fun with some vegies and get my pickle on or get into a pickle?

not sure, but cant wait, really want to get our Nasturtium going well so I can pickle some seed pods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Wedgetail

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Hi Ray I am really interested in learning more about pickling I do a lot of tomato, cucumber, onion and chilli but don't know how to get all the great flavours as per shop bought stuff I use malt vinigar but I find it a bit tart and often add juice out of gerkins or pickled onions from the shop to tone it down a bit still a work in progress Cheers Dave
 

Ray Speed

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Hi Ray I am really interested in learning more about pickling I do a lot of tomato, cucumber, onion and chilli but don't know how to get all the great flavours as per shop bought stuff I use malt vinigar but I find it a bit tart and often add juice out of gerkins or pickled onions from the shop to tone it down a bit still a work in progress Cheers Dave
Hi Dave
When I have some time I will flick u a few recipes i use :)
 

DTK

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Hi Ray, maybe, if you're happy to, you can upload recipes to the forum . I reckon that would be a great contribution because I'm sure a lot of us has feast n famine.
 

Mark

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add juice out of gerkins or pickled onions from the shop to tone it down a bit
I usually add 1 part water to 2 parts vinegar in order to tone it down a little (if I'm making a vinegar pickle). A small amount of raw sugar to balance the vinegar helps also and that's why store pickles taste kinder on the palate.

Lacto-fermentation is the true pickle though and you will find the taste sour but not as tart as a vinegar preserve and sugar isn't usually required either.

Both vinegar and lacto-fermented pickles have notable health benefits with lacto being better due to the live culture helping the gut.

The only thing is fermenting can be finicky at times and not as reliable as pickling in vinegar - not that it's dangerous it's just that relying on living organisms to transform the food can be unpredictable.

I like both ways... Fermenting is probably my fav.
 

Wedgetail

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Thanks for the great info Mark. Cheers Dave
 
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Rachel

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Can you buy the lacto fermented type? I’ve never tried any.
 

Simone Pennington

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Hello again, our cucumber and courgette harvest just got underway last week and we are experiencing a bit of a glut. Apart from preparing everything fresh in salads, pasta etc. we have now started to pickle them. These are the first jars, there must be dozens more to be done. Our family, friends and work colleagues are in for a treat. We have three types of courgette (zucchini) this year, long yellows, long greens (with light green stripes) and round green stripy ones, which we grew from seed. As every seed developed into a little plant, we gave them all a go, they are thriving in our well prepared soil (cow muck and chicken manure), we now have 11 plants set up and they are all producing, everytime we go to the garden we have to laugh, because they just produce and produce. Another two weeks and we will be going up the walls. :nuts:
 

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Mark

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Great stuff! I'm trying to nurse a few cucumber plants through our winter to get a head start coming into spring but it's slow growing... our zucchinis are suffering also with leaf disease due to the cool damp conditions.

I really love to have pickled cucumbers handy especially homemade ones
 

Simone Pennington

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Great stuff! I'm trying to nurse a few cucumber plants through our winter to get a head start coming into spring but it's slow growing... our zucchinis are suffering also with leaf disease due to the cool damp conditions.

I really love to have pickled cucumbers handy especially homemade ones
Hello Mark, we sometimes get white patches on the leaves, but the plants never slow down producing their gifts for us. Picked more zucchinis today and cucumbers, will definitely take some to work for my colleagues and there are still enough left for more batches of zucchini relish and pickled cucumber. It is summer here now, no problems trying to keep anything alive. We have a slight triffid situation on our hands. We hope your plants make it through your winter.
 

spector

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When I went through the Master Food Preservers program, we learned how to make zucchini relish. Similar taste to pickle relish, but I like it better. And it is a great way to get rid of all that extra zucchini!
 

DTK

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I usually add 1 part water to 2 parts vinegar in order to tone it down a little (if I'm making a vinegar pickle). A small amount of raw sugar to balance the vinegar helps also and that's why store pickles taste kinder on the palate.

Lacto-fermentation is the true pickle though and you will find the taste sour but not as tart as a vinegar preserve and sugar isn't usually required either.

Both vinegar and lacto-fermented pickles have notable health benefits with lacto being better due to the live culture helping the gut.

The only thing is fermenting can be finicky at times and not as reliable as pickling in vinegar - not that it's dangerous it's just that relying on living organisms to transform the food can be unpredictable.

I like both ways... Fermenting is probably my fav.

Thanks Mark, this is the practical guidance that makes this forum so worthwhile. Dan
 

DivingTemptress

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your fave
Hi Ray that sounds great cheers for now .
Both vinegar and lacto-fermented pickles have notable health benefits with lacto being better due to the live culture helping the gut.

The only thing is fermenting can be finicky at times and not as reliable as pickling in vinegar - not that it's dangerous it's just that relying on living organisms to transform the food can be unpredictable.

I like both ways... Fermenting is probably my fav.

Could you share the recipe please
 

Justin M

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I usually preserve any excess fruit and veggies. Previously this has consisted mostly of chillies, onions, cucumbers and other chutney ingredients. This week with Victoria going back into lockdown i have just done my first batch of preserves lemons.

What is everyone else doing to prevent waste? I have been told candied orange rind can be quite nice.

Currently thinking about doing some pickled eggs after watching Mark's videos on eating only what he can produce. May help to preserve protien for a longer period.
 

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nzmitzi

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I have been told candied orange rind can be quite nice.

There is so much you can do with any citrus peel - I never throw any away.

Candied is awesome especially dipped in some nice chocolate (this works well for gifts too). Do make sure to boil 2 or 3 times for about 10 or 15 mins and replacing the water - before adding the sugar to remove most of the bitterness.

In fact candied citrus peel was known as Sweet Meat in the olden days! PS: that citrus-water is good added to a spray bottle and used to make a room smell nice.

Dried and powdered is awesome for adding to your homemade cleaners. I prefer lemon as orange has a very overpowering smell to me, but orange, lime, grapefruit - in fact any citrus peel is awesome to use.

Marmalade is another awesome way to use up those peels as well.

Another good use for citrus peel of any kind is to clean the gunk (lime scale) from the bottom of pots, jugs/kettles, I just boil up a full kettle with some dried peel in and let it sit overnight then rinse once and continue to use. Usually a weekly task for me due to our having only rainwater as a source of water.
 
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