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Informative Articles
Beer and food pairings
Pairing beer with the fine cuisine has recently come to the attention of many eating establishments as they try to cater to the 90's micro-brew crowd. No longer is wine considered the only drink fit for a succulent entree. You too can bring this...
Fast Food and You
If you're dieting, chances are you don't want to eat in a fast food restaurant. But now they offer healthy alternatives, so you can choose a quick, healthy lunch or dinner. Most of the fast food chains, like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Wendy's...
Light Veal Recipes to Barbeque or to Broil
With everyone watching their weight and seeking out recipes that are low in fat and calories you may think that you have to give up some of your favorite dishes, but you can find many light veal recipes that you are sure to enjoy. You will never be...
Locusts for Lunch?
Locusts for Lunch? Could bugs be the next cuisine trend? Just imagine it: 'Restaurant Arthropod's'. Now serving: Locust Louis; Mealy Bug Meatloaf; Centipede Souffle; Moth Broth; Mosquito Fahito au jus.; Chigger Juice. Insects for Dinner? ...
Quick Meal Planning
As every mom no doubt knows, life is hectic! Whether you work out of the home, in the home, or look after your children full-time, a mother's job is definitely straining and stressful. Mothers have to keep their home clean, do laundry, mend...
PICKLESPairing beer with the fine cuisine has recently come to the attention of many eating establishments as they try to cater to the 90's micro-brew crowd. No longer is wine considered the only drink fit for a succulent entree. You too can bring this...
Fast Food and You
If you're dieting, chances are you don't want to eat in a fast food restaurant. But now they offer healthy alternatives, so you can choose a quick, healthy lunch or dinner. Most of the fast food chains, like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Wendy's...
Light Veal Recipes to Barbeque or to Broil
With everyone watching their weight and seeking out recipes that are low in fat and calories you may think that you have to give up some of your favorite dishes, but you can find many light veal recipes that you are sure to enjoy. You will never be...
Locusts for Lunch?
Locusts for Lunch? Could bugs be the next cuisine trend? Just imagine it: 'Restaurant Arthropod's'. Now serving: Locust Louis; Mealy Bug Meatloaf; Centipede Souffle; Moth Broth; Mosquito Fahito au jus.; Chigger Juice. Insects for Dinner? ...
Quick Meal Planning
As every mom no doubt knows, life is hectic! Whether you work out of the home, in the home, or look after your children full-time, a mother's job is definitely straining and stressful. Mothers have to keep their home clean, do laundry, mend...
The true history of the pickle is somewhat of a mystery. Although some believe it dates back to India 4030 years ago. The pickle has been mentioned in the Bible by Jesus and in the Old Testament books Numbers and Isaiah. Napoleon valued its health benefits for his army. George Washington had a collection of 476 different kinds of pickles. In 850 BC Aristotle praised the healing benefits of the pickle, and Thomas Jefferson wrote: “On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout, like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally’s cellar.”
So, what is all the fuss over a pickled cucumber you ask? Who knows…I do know that even today the popular pickle is everywhere. The crunchy tangy pickle is eaten out of jars, on our burgers, and served with our sandwiches. It is sliced, speared, whole, diced for relish, spicy, sour, and sweet. We just love the amazing, multi-talented pickle!
The health benefits of the pickle are incredible:
Raw, lacto-fermented vegetables (pickles) have good bacteria that inhibit the growth of
harmful microbes in the intestines.
They have a higher concentration of vitamin C.
They help you absorb iron better.
Research shows that vinegar can help with weigh loss.
PICKLE FACTS:
* Americans consume 26-billion pickles a year. That’s about nine pounds of pickles per person.
* More than half the cucumbers grown in the U.S. are made into pickles.
* Amerigo Vespucci, for whom America is named, was a pickle merchant before becoming an explorer.
* Pickling has been used to preserve food for almost 5,000 years.
* The pickle is both a fruit and a vegetable
No matter how you feel about pickles…they aren’t going anywhere. So, grab a dill, sit down, and get crunching.
Dill Pickles:
4 dozen fresh, crisp, pickling cucumbers – DO NOT use the commercial, waxed kind!
Fresh dill, to taste (approx. 1- bundle)
1 qt. Apple cider vinegar
8 c water
1 c salt
10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled, and crushed
Several Jars
Wash cukes and cover with cold water. Refrigerate overnight.
Pack cukes into jars, tightly. Stuff equal amounts of dill into each jar.
Meanwhile, bring remaining ingredients to a boil. Boil for 2 min.
Evenly divide whole garlic cloves into jars. Pour hot brine into the
jars. Seal. Makes 12 pints. After processing and cooling, jars should be
stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.
Bread-and-Butter Pickles:
6 lbs of 4- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 3 pounds)
l/2 cup canning or pickling salt
4 cups vinegar (5 percent)
4-l/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp mustard seed
l-l/2 tbsp celery seed
l tbsp ground tumeric
Wash cucumbers. Cut l/l6-inch off blossom end and discard. Cut into 3/l6-inch slices. Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Add salt. Cover with 2 inches crushed or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, adding more ice as needed. Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Boil l0 minutes. Drain and add cucumbers and onions and slowly reheat to boiling. Fill jars with slices and cooking syrup, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process pints or quarts l0 minutes in a boiling water canner. After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.
Quick Sweet Pickles
8 lbs of 3- to 4-inch pickling cucumbers (may be canned as strips or slices)
l/3 cup canning or pickling salt
4-l/2 cups sugar
3-l/2 cups vinegar (5 percent)
2 tsp celery seed
l tbsp whole allspice
2 tbsp mustard seed
Yield: About 7 to 9 pints
Wash cucumbers. Cut l/l6-inch off blossom end and discard, but leave l/4 inch of stem attached. Slice or cut in strips, if desired. Place in bowl and sprinkle with l/3 cup salt. Cover with 2 inches of crushed or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours. Add more ice as needed. Drain well. Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, allspice, and mustard seed in 6-quart kettle. Heat to boiling. Hot Pack: Add cucumbers and heat slowly until vinegar solution returns to boil. Stir occasionally to make sure mixture heats evenly. Fill sterile jars, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Raw Pack: Fill jars, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Add hot pickling syrup, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process pints l0 minutes and quarts l5 minutes in boiling water canner or use the low temperature pasteurization treatment. After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.
About the Author
My name is Lara Velez and I am the Editor-in-Chief of The Recipe Finder's online cooking magazine.
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