In our post-carbon city we imagine a widespread culture of food preservation. For our community it is important to preserve the seasonal surplus, in order to minimize waste and store a diverse array of food options year round. Preservation techniques such as fermentation, and solar food dryers use zero carbon and will be a key element of our future food system.
Who doesn’t love pickles? The word alone is fantastic. Take a moment and say it aloud… you can’t help but smile as the letters cluck with a particular happiness. Pickling is one of the fundamentals of food preservation, a skill that is becoming ever more in demand and will help communities become more resilient. Preserving food is necessary for folks trying to be self-sufficient but it is also a great intermediary step for others who are interested in building skills or simply making tasty high quality foods. There is room for everyone at a pickle party. While working for a small pickling company in California I have had the pleasure of helping out with a variety of pickle making workshops. The highlight of the day is always people sharing stories of their pickling memories. Some of the pickle enthusiasts attend workshops motivated by their nostalgia of pickling in hot summer kitchens with their Polish grandparents, or growing up in New York City, making the trek to the Lower East Side for the perfect pickle. Others are on the search to recreate a tasty pickle they came across in Eastern Europe or perhaps Japan. And there are always a few who are simply curious about pickles.
The magic in preserving food is not just savoring the summer harvest during long winter nights; it is also history and traditions that have been passed down over generations. Take a look at a home-canners cupboard in the middle of December. They will recall not just the recipes, but the provenance and story of each jar. A jar is the history of weather patterns, or maybe a jar of tomatoes recalls nurturing them through a 30 day drought, or a peck of cucumbers that struggled to withstand the mighty slugs of your garden. Perhaps a jar of pickled carrots reminds you of the day you strolled down to the Farmer’s market and talked to vendors about chioga beets and rainbow carrots. Each jar leaves a map of growth, harvest and processing, dotted with friends and family, from farm to table.
My favorite pickles are classic fermented Sour Dills. A true pickle connoisseur will tell you the following recipe is for ½ sours, because they don’t have quite the kick as a whole sour pickle. But they still crunch and zing happily on your tongue, illuminating taste buds and childhood memories.
Fermentation is the oldest form of food preservation and is used for many everyday foods from yogurt, to chocolate and salami. Fermentation employs salt and the naturally present lactic acid bacteria in vegetables to turn fresh foods into preserved, hearty and nutritious food to eat alone or as accompaniment for a special dish.
For those who are fearful of fermentation, Vanessa Barrington, author of DIY Delicious has some sage advice, “ Fermentation occurs when beneficial bacteria and yeast colonize food. Once the good bacteria colonize a food item the bad bacteria don’t stand a chance. On occasion, bad organisms get into a food before the good ones-- usually early in the process. That’s why it is important to keep things (jars, utensils, etc.) clean. If it happens, you will know it. Your nose will tell you in no uncertain terms. I can’t stress it enough. Trust yourself.“ So as you make your way through this recipe and wait the allotted one-two weeks with a mysterious jar of pickles on your kitchen counter, anticipating the day when your pickles will reach their tasty climax, don’t be scared, be patient and use your nose as a guide.
The following Recipe is adapted from Happy Girl Kitchen Company.
Tasty Sour Dills
Preparation: 4 Quarts
4 Pounds of washed Pickling Cucumbers
1 Bunch of Fresh Flowering Dill
4 Grape Leaves(optional)
4 Tsp. pickling spices
12 Cloves of peeled garlic
1 Gallon filtered Water
¾ Cups of Sea salt (absolutely do not use iodized salt)
Step 1: Start off with very clean jars (and lids). You do not need to sterilize them, but clean them well with hot soapy water, especially if they have been used to store other goods. Make sure to rinse out all of the soap, not ideal flavoring for pickles.
Step 2: To each jar add a sprig of dill, a generous teaspoon of pickling spices, 3 cloves of garlic and a grape leaf. Spice is a personal preference, so feel free to experiment with your own mix of spice, garlic or no garlic and even chili flakes.
Step 3: Pack Pickles. Keep the pickles whole and try to pack in as many as possible so they are tightly wedged up against the glass. Leave about 1 inch from the top of the jar. Packing the pickles tight gives you more tasty pickles and helps the contents not float up to the surface, which can encourage mold.
Step 4: Combine the water and salt to make a brine. ¾ cup salt to 1 gallon creates a 5% salinity, which is a good ratio for fermentation. If you decrease or increase this recipe make sure to maintain 5% salinity.
Step 5: Pour the brine into each jar up to the brim. Make sure the pickles are completely covered.
Step 6: Wait. Set your jars in an area will they will not be disturbed, out of direct sunlight and approximately 55-70° F. Let your pickles ferment for about 7-10 days. Every other day or so check for mold, skim it off the top, but don’t worry your pickles are doing great. The mold is only on the surface where the spices have floated to the top and reacted with oxygen, all the submerged veggies are protected by the brine and lactic acid.
After the first 5 days give them a taste and check progress. When they taste good to you put them in the fridge. They will stay freshest and crunchy for about one month.
Enjoy your pickles!
Tips:
· When buying or harvesting your own pickling cucumbers make sure to use small, fresh cukes. If you are purchasing them ask when they were harvested, the more recent the better, same day is the best. Old cucumbers won’t be as crunchy in the end. Also make sure to wash well and remove any of the blossom ends(can be bitter).
· Preserve food with friends and family. Sometimes cleaning, chopping, and packing can be a bit tedious so invite your friends and make it fun! Especially if you are tackling a large amount of produce that will spoil quickly.
· Fermentation can be done in any non-porous vessel. Feel free to experiment with other vessels such as stainless steel pots, or ceramic urns. Many folks use food grade plastic buckets but I personally steer clear. Just make sure your veggies stay submerged and can breath. To allow “breathing” use lids that are not air tight, either cover with cloth and rubber band/string or simply place the inner circle of a canning lid on your jar without tightening the rim.
· When making brine make a bit extra for topping off jars. In case there is a lot of evaporation you may want to top of the liquid in the jars so that the pickles stay submerged.
· The more the better! You will not get sick of these pickles. You will hope you made more, so always make extra. If you can’t manage to finish your pickles you can also give them as much appreciated gifts.
For more pickling inspiration check out:
Books
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz
Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich
Workshops
Happy Girl Kitchen http://happygirlkitchen.com/workshops/
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