Sweet and Sour Green Bean Freezer Pickles

Yield: ~ 2 pints 

Adapted from DK Publishing's 2010 book "Preserve it!" 

Note: You can use jars or plastic storage containers. I prefer to put them in BPA-free plastic bags and heat seal them using a FoodSaver system.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 6 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2+ tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• Handful of raisins

Directions:

1.) Trim the green beans and cut into diagonal slices. Place them in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss the beans well and let stand for 2 hours.

2.) Rinse the beans well under cold water, turning them to remove salt. Drain thoroughly and press down well with your hand to remove excess moisture.

3.) Mix together, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, allspice and ginger in a bowl. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add the beans, shallot, and raisins and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours, stirring occasionally. 

4.) After 24 hours, stir the mixture well and pack into freezer-safe containers (glass, plastic or plastic bags) leaving 1 inch headspace. Seal and freeze for at least 3 weeks or up to 6 months.

5.) To use, thaw in fridge overnight. Once thawed, use within 1 week.     

Spicy Pickled Garlic with Chiles and Oregano

Yield: ~4 half pints (1 quart)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs garlic
• 3 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp-1 TBS kosher salt (depends on how much salt you like!)
• 4 Arbol chiles, fresh or dried
• 4 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)

> Always prepare canning jars first, and keep hot until ready to use, and prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Directions:

1.  Peel garlic cloves.

2.  Combine vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar dissolves, then turn to lowest temp to keep warm.

3.  Add garlic and hot peppers, bring back to a boil and boil 5 more minutes.

4.  Put an Arbol chile pepper and a sprig of oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano) into each hot jar, and add the cloves of garlic to within 1" of the top of the jar.

5.  Fill with jars with brine mixture, covering garlic by ½ inch with liquid, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid of the top of the jar.

6.  Pop any trapped air bubbles using a chopstick or plastic knife. 

7.  Wipe the rims spotlessly clean with a paper towel. 

8.  Center lids on the jars and screw on jar bands until fingertip-tight and process for 10 minutes.

9.  Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. 

10. Remove jars from canner, placing on a towel on counter, and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

11. Check seals, and if sealed, store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. If seal failed, store in the refrigerator and consume within one month.

12. Let the pickled garlic rest for 2 weeks before opening.

Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes

 Yield: 1 wide-mouth quart (or 2 pints)

Ingredients:

Brine:

• 1 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

 Basic Pickling Spice:

• 1 teaspoon yellow or brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 or 2 whole allspice
• Optional - garlic cloves and red chile flakes

Directions:

NOTE: Always prepare canning jars first, and keep hot until ready to use, and prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions.

1.  Rinse, de-stem, and drain green tomatoes. Cut large ones in half, in desired.

2.  Make brine by combining vinegar, water and salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the salt dissolves. Remove from heat.

3.  Place pickling spices in bottom of hot jar. If using garlic and hot chile flakes, add them at this time. Using a wide-mouth canning funnel, add tomatoes - pricking each one with a needle a few times before dropping them into the jars. Fill to within 1" of the top of the jar.

4.  Fill with jars with brine mixture, covering tomatoes by ½ inch with liquid, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid of the top of the jar.

5.  Pop any trapped air bubbles using a chopstick or plastic knife. 

6.  Wipe the rims spotlessly clean with a paper towel. 

7.  Center lids on the jars and screw on jar bands until fingertip-tight and process for 10 minutes.

8.  Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner, placing on a towel on counter, and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours. 

9. Check seals, and if sealed, store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. If seal failed, store in the refrigerator and consume within one month.

10.  Let the pickled green tomatoes rest for 2 weeks before opening.

Pear-Pineapple Jamtini Cocktail

Yield: Approx. 6 ounces 

Ingredients:

• Pineapple (fresh or canned)
• 1 oz. pear nectar (found in juice section of grocery store)
• 1 oz. simple syrup*
• 2 oz. vodka or rum
• Quarter-size  slice of fresh ginger  (optional)
• 1 heaping spoonful Pear Honey (or pear or pineapple jam)
• Club soda or sparkling water
• Ice
• Sprig of any type of mint as garnish (optional)
• half-pint Mason jar

Directions: 

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle a few pieces of pineapple. Add the pear nectar, simple syrup, vodka, ginger (if using), jam and some ice. 

2. Put the lid onto the shaker and shake. Shake some more! You need to distribute the jam.

3. Add some ice to a new jam jar and strain in the cocktail. Discard solids from shaker.

4. Top off with a splash of club soda. 

5. Garnish with some mint and a piece of pineapple if you wish. 

6. Serve!

*Simple syrup is just a boiled solution made of equal parts water and sugar. It needs to be made ahead of time and allowed to cool before using. In a small saucepan, combine at least 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let mixture cool completely before making cocktails. Store in fridge and use within 2 weeks.

Blog post about Pear-Pineapple Jamtini Cocktail

Homemade Sauerkraut

    A simple recipe to make traditional lacto-fermented sauerkraut using only cabbage, salt and time.

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients

• 1 medium cabbage head, about 4 to 5 pounds
• 1-2 tablespoons sea salt 

 Optional: Feel free to add a few caraway seeds or Juniper berries if you'd like.

Directions

1. Peel 1 or 2 outer layers from the head of cabbage and set the leaves        aside.

2. Cut cabbage head into quarters. Cut out core from each quarter and set core chunks aside.

3. Using a sharp knife, slice cabbage into thin shreds, about the thickness of a nickel and place in a large mixing bowl.

4. Sprinkle salt  over cabbage, then toss cabbage and salt together.  Begin to squeeze the cabbage and salt together with your hands, kneading it thoroughly to break up the cellular structure of the shredded cabbage. Knead for at least 10 minutes.

5. When the cabbage has become limp and releases its juice, transfer it to 2 clean Mason jars, packing the salted cabbage into as tightly as you can, eliminating air bubbles. 

6. Continue packing the cabbage into the jars, leaving about 1" headspace. The cabbage should now be completely submerged by the liquid given off by the mixture. Cover the mixture with a leaf of cabbage and press down. Now put a chunk of the core on top of the leaf, and make sure it extends above the lip of the jar a bit. Now screw a lid onto the jar and as it closes, it should force the cabbage leaf under the liquid.

7. Allow jars to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for a few days, opening the lid briefly every day to release pressure in jar.

Important: Place jars in a loaf pan or on a plate because the brine sometimes overflows out of the jar as the cabbage begins to ferment. 

Very important: IF YOU DON'T RELEASE THE PRESSURE ONCE PER DAY THE JAR MIGHT EXPLODE. 

8. Test the sauerkraut every few days until it is done to your liking. Transfer to the refrigerator or other cold storage where it should keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.

Brook Hurst Stephens - www.LearnToPreserve.com - Copyright 2013