pickle party

today i pickled sooo much stuff..

i preserved lemons. and i pickled lots of cukes and some asparagus and some beets. and it was so fun.

hilarious that my dad has been saving all these jars for me. but only the jars, not the lids. so its good thing that i will be having pickle eating contests with myself for the next few weeks to get rid of all these goods. nothing better than a pickle on a hot day.

i don't claim to be an expert on the old fashioned process of canning.. they just don't teach you useful stuff like that at culinary school... but i am getting a little bit more comfortable.. and i think that after going through the whole process once with someone, i will be a pro. but for stuff that gets put in a jar and kept in the refrigerator, i am doing great..

for the preserved lemons: you are going to have to figure it out on your own. this is my secret weapon.. and i am going to have to warm up to the idea of sharing. or you could google it and call it your secret weapon. i like to use one in my chimichurri, i like to use one in a chutney, i like to eat one with an anchovy. yum.

for the pickles: pack the vegetables in the jar, boil some vinegar, water, sugar, salt and some pickling spice. pour it over the veggies and let it cool a bit. cover and refrigerate. i start eating pretty much right away. it is fun to taste the difference a day makes on a pickle. but i think day 3 or 4 is probably best... in a few of the jars i put some exciting things, lemon and garlic cloves in with the asparagus. peppers and jalapenos and garlic in with some cukes. extra dill in some. and extra sugar and balsamic in a sweet batch.. the beets got apple cider vinegar, a little olive oil and a pickling spice pumped up on fennel seed. and remember, unless you are skilled at canning, keep the stuff in the fridge for freshness!