PICKLED CUCUMBER WITH RADISH SALAD RECIPE. HOW TO PICKLE SAUERKRAUT. COOKING TECHNIQUES – SOURING AND PICKLING

PICKLED CUCUMBER WITH RADISH SALAD RECIPE

HOW TO PICKLE SAUERKRAUT RECIPE

COOKING TECHNIQUES– SOURING AND PICKLING

  SOURING  (sour) is a cooking technique that uses acid to effect a physical and chemical change in food. This acid can be added in the form of vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice etc, or can be produced within the food itself by a certain microbe.
Souring is similar to pickling or fermentation, but souring occurs in minutes or hours, while pickling and fermentation can take a much longer time.

Foods that are produced by souring include: cheese, curd, sour cream, yogurt and crema

PICKLING                     PICKLING

Above image- a Polish style pickled cucumber in a jar- Taste sweet and vinegary with a few composition of pickling ingredients and preserving solutions.

Pickling is the preservation of food in acid, such as to pickle vegetables, fruit, fish, herbs, meat and even hard boiled eggs.

Pickling brine is a moderately strong acid which inhibits the growth of microbes; a high content of salt and/ sugar often enhances this effect. Some foods have a high water content, in which case, brine used must be strong enough to function properly.

Some of the more popular pickled foods include pickled cucumbers/gherkins, sauerkraut (cabbage) and green olives.

The three methods used to produce acidic pickling brine.

1-Adding in the acidity:

Examples: cucumbers and gherkins, pickled in a brine, vinegar (acetic acid) is used to provide all/ most of the acidity required. Often flavored with turmeric and dill.

2-Lactic acid and salt:

Example: Sauerkraut (cabbage) relies on a fermentation process to produce lactic acid.  Proper control of temperature and salt content are crucial to the recipe.

3-Remove the acidity:

Example: Fresh olives are naturally acidic. This acid must be removed before they become palatable. Several batches of brine might draw acid out of the fruit and then thrown away, before a final batch is done for storage.

Pickling tips using salt:

The salt used should be non-iodised salt- Use pickling salt and/or kosher salt. 

Iodised table salt contains iodine.Iodine has anti-bacteria agent. Even though a very small amount the iodine only, it can still affect the bacteria that ferment the food.

Fermentation is where yeast and bacteria are given a chance to multiply and grow. The iodine will stop or slow down this process.

PICKLED CUCUMBER WITH RADISH SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 pickled cucumber (about 5 oz)- do not rinse

Of equal amount of fresh radish

1/2 medium size onion

Cut all the above 3 ingredients into small cubes

Dip the radish in boiling water for 20 seconds.

1 tsp pepper

5 tbsp Caesar’s salad dressing

4 tbsp raisin

1 tsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve fresh prepared

HOW TO PICKLE SAUERKRAUT RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 large 2.5kg- 5 lb fresh cabbage

4 tbsp non iodised salt (kosher salt)

Pickling technique:

Get ready a clean and dry sizeable jar with lid to store the pickles

Quarter the cabbage, remove cores and slice according to the size of your choice. Place in a bowl and mix in salt evenly.

Layer these cabbage slices in the jar. Pack tightly and leave about 2cm or half inch space at top of jar.

If no juice comes out as you packed, add in a little non-chlorine water, just enough to fill the jar. Put the jar on a tray, in case water overflows from the jar later during fermentation. Check daily and remove scum.

Do not seal the jar, set at room temperature, leave it to ferment for about a week- just cover the top with kitchen towel. This is to let the gas comes out freely during the process. In colder temperature, it may take almost 2 weeks to ferment.

Once matured, then cover the lid tight and store in the fridge. Its ready to be eaten but it’s tastier when kept longer (improve with age).

Variations: Grated carrots, onions and chili.

HOW TO EAT YOUR PICKLES: Some suggestions:Sandwich/ burger fillings. Compliments for mixed salad, certain pickles are serve alone on a stick ( a stick pickle as done by the Japanese) or can be eaten fried as in dill pickles.

The famous and trending "Kim Chee" (Korean) hybrid under the label "Pickled Planet" takes on the tradition with carrots, daikon radish, ginger, garlic, and some heat. Fermented as long as Sauerkraut is and using regular cabbage, is a marvelous marriage of the two traditions.

Their “Dill E Gent” is of Fresh cabbage with plenty of garlic, a hint of dill and the remaining host of pickle spices like pepper corn, mustard seed, and coriander. 

Try this with your favorite sausage dish, potatoes, fish, or a little havarti cheese.

PICKLED OLIVES:

PICKLED OLIVES

For original recipe on how best to preserve olives, please visit Jasna’s blog at Jasna's :   http://jasnaskitchencreations.blogspot.com/2011/10/olives-preserved-at-home.html

Olive leaves are used in medicinal teas. Green olives are usually firmer than black olives. Curing can be done by several methods:

Dry/ Salt-curing involves packing the olives in plain salt for at least a month, resulting in a salty and wrinkled olive.

Brine-curing involves placing the olives in a salt water solution for a few days or more.

Fresh-water curing involves soaking the olives in a succession of baths and the water is changed daily..

Nutrition

Sour vegetables and sour pickled cucumbers  are low in calories, with a moderate amount of vitamin K, (K1) and carbo. 

However, most sour pickled cucumbers are also high in sodium; one spear can contain 350–500 mg, or 15–20% of the American recommended daily limit of 2400 mg.

Sweet pickled cucumbers are higher in calories due to their sugar content, but significantly less sodium than sour pickles.

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