Naturally Pink Cauliflower Pickles.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOKING TIME: 1 minute CANNING TIME: 10 minutes YIELD: 2 quarts
This meal is my interpretation of a snack that I had while traveling in the Middle East. In that region, hummus and other appetizers are often accompanied by a selection of pickled vegetables and condiments.
The use of a few slices of beetroot, in addition to the cauliflower, is what gives this dish its vibrant pink hue. If instead of cauliflower, you are using a product that already has a vibrant color, such as carrots, you can simply omit the beet from the brine while maintaining the same ratio of vinegar to the water.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium-small cauliflower, weighing between 1.5 and 2 pounds
- 1 miniature beet
- Two sprigs of fresh dill, two flower heads of dried dill, or one teaspoon of dried dillweed, chopped and divided
- 2 peeled and roughly chopped garlic cloves of the smaller variety
- 1 level teaspoon of mustard seeds 1 level half-level teaspoon of cumin seeds 1 level
- 12 teaspoons of dried red chili pepper flakes, split (optional)
- 1 mug of white wine vinegar or white distilled vinegar
- 3/4 ounce of water
- 1 level teaspoon of honey
- 2 tablespoons of kosher salt or any kind of salt that is not iodized
INSTRUCTIONS
- Clean the cauliflower and take off any leaves that are on the outside. It should be halved, and then the florets should be sliced off while leaving a small length of the base connected. Aim for pieces that are roughly 1 inch in size.
- Peel the beet. First, halve it, and then slice each half into half-inch thick pieces.
- Divide the dill, garlic cloves, and spices equally between two clean canning jars of the pint size. Place the cauliflower on top of the spices in the jar, and then add one-half of the beet slices to each jar. Remember to provide a head gap of 1 inch.
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey, salt, and salt, together with the water and vinegar. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly to ensure that the salt and honey are completely dissolved. Remove any foam that has formed on the surface of the liquid. Pour the boiling brine over the other components that are already in the jars, covering them completely but still allowing for a headspace of half an inch.
- Screw on canning lids and process the jars in a boiling water bath for ten minutes (if you live at a high altitude, alter the canning duration accordingly; for further information, see to the sidebar in the chapter titled “Boiling Water Bath Canning”). It is recommended that you wait a minimum of one week before beginning the Boiling Water Bath Canning chapter. At the very least, let it a week to sit before serving. Not only will the tastes “marry” and become more harmonious during this period, but the beet juices will also color the cauliflower.
Chutney made with Green Tomatillo
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOKING TIME: 20 minutes CANNING TIME: 10 minutes YIELD:
3 quarts
You may make this chutney master recipe with other ingredients (try substituting pears or peaches for the tomatoes), but I believe it tastes best when it is prepared with green tomatoes near the end of the gardening season.
- 6 cups of green tomatoes cut very small.
- 1 big, tart apple, peeled, cored, and cut very small.
- two cups of light brown sugar, or one and a half cups of honey
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cups raisins, chopped
- 1 organic lemon, peeled and cut into very thin slices (include the peels but discard the seeds)
- 14 cup of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped, measured out
- 1 whole garlic clove, peeled and chopped
- 1–2 peppers, minced, from the chili plant
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice and a half teaspoon of salt
- a quarter of a teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
- A very little amount of clove powder.
NOTE
The role of chutney as a companion to curried meals is only one of many applications for this multipurpose condiment.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all of the ingredients in a big saucepan and bring it up to a medium-high temperature.
- Bring to a boil, and continue to cook while turning the mixture often until the green tomatoes and apple are very mushy. Once a wooden spoon dragged over the bottom of the pot leaves a path that doesn’t fill up with chutney until a couple of seconds have elapsed, the chutney has reached the appropriate thickness.
- The shelf life of green tomato chutney in the refrigerator is about one month. To preserve the chutney for a longer period of time at room temperature, place it in jars of either half-pint or pint size and process them in a boiling water bath for ten minutes. You may need to increase the canning duration if you live at a high altitude.
How Lacto-Fermentation Safely Preserves Food
Generally Useful Gear For Canning And Preservation.
