If you have a vegetable garden you are bound to have more produce than you can eat at times so pickling it might be of interest. Linda Ziedrich’s book, The Joy of Pickling, provides all the information you need to turn your abundance into tasty treats that can be enjoyed long after the garden seasoning ends. From a variety of dill pickles and sauerkrauts to pickled walnuts and rhubarb chutney, the book provides so many ideas for pickling that you may find yourself getting hooked.
After an introductory chapter on the basics including salts, vinegars, aromatics, firming agents, and procedures, Ziedrich continues by providing chapters giving descriptions and recipes fermented pickles, fresh pickles, cabbage pickles including sauerkraut and kimchi, pickles from the Far East such in those made in rice-bran mash or soy sauce, sweet pickles such as watermelon rind and bread and butter pickles, quick pickles that are ready in two days or less, freezer pickles (yes they manage to stay crisp), relishes including salsa and chutney, and a final section on pickled meat, fish, and eggs. In all three hundred recipes are given and include all the vegetables and fruits that are likely to be produced in abundance such as zucchini, peas, corn, green beans, peppers, eggplant, peaches, blueberries, and apples. Each recipe includes a brief comment drawing on the author’s experience, clear directions for completing the recipe, and suggestions for storing the result.
If you have any interest in making pickles or just finding a new ways to use your garden produce, The Joy of Pickling is an excellent source of ideas. Written in an easy conversational style, Ziedrich shares her experience and enthusiasm that may inspire you to action. Insets scattered throughout the text provide additional information on diverse topics such as growing and harvesting cucumbers for pickling, microbe killers from kimichi, and the Pickle Fest in Atkins, Arkansas. Even if you never make a single pickle the book is a good read introducing you to all the different ways the people of the world have found to preserve food in this way.
To buy The Joy of Pickling Click Here.
Karen Meyers