widows son
Premium Member
Preserving food is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. It's a great way to save some money, and is a easy feed. I will be putting a few recipes for some different vegetables that can be preserved. Enjoy brethren. Salute.
Kosher Dill Pickles.
3 - 41L mason jars (haha)
5-6 English cucumbers
12 tbsp coarse kosher salt
4 bay leaves.
3 tbsp mustard seeds
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
16 cloves fresh garlic
3 cups white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
3 cups cold water
Put a pot of water on to boil. Make sure you fill enough so water line goes up to the neck of the jars. I will elaborate at the end as to why if your not sure. Put another pot on and boil the vinegar, water and salt. This is the brine liquid. Once its boiled and the salt has dissolved take off the heat. Wash and rinse jars. Quarter cucumbers, cut garlic in half. Wash dill weed. Once the water is boiling, put the jars in without the lids so they submerge. This is to sterilize the jars. Do this for ten minutes. Once they are out of the water bath and dry, put in each jar a tbsp of mustard seeds, 2 springs of dill, 6 garlic halves, and one bay leaf. It doesn't matter if the jars are hot from the sterilization process. Put the lids in the water bath to soften the seals. Proceed to pack in the cucumbers as much that will fit in the jar without breaking them. Pour in the brine up to the neck. Get a butter knife and move around in the jar to get any extra air bubbles out. Make sure this done, any air can cause the food in the jar to spoil, even if it is in a salty, acidic brine. Once the brine is in and the air bubbles are out, take the lids out from the water bath. They should boil for ten minutes to soften the seal. Put them on and tighten the band to finger tight, this means until the bands won't tighten and no continued force to tighten all the way. This will let the rest of the air out. Now once the bands are on put the jars into the water bath standing upright. Make sure the water line is up to the neck. This process pasteurizes the contents. This too will help force the remaining air out, but only if the bands are finger tight. Do this for ten minutes. After ten minutes take the jars out carefully, and cover with a dry cloth. Any air drafts can cause the jars to crack. The cooling process will also push the last remaining air out. Once they cool down, the lids should seal, about an hour, then tighten the bands very tight. The cucumbers take about two weeks to pickle.
Grilled zucchini
3 - 4 1L mason jars.
5-6 zucchini
24 cloves of garlic
4 whole, dried chili peppers
2L extra virgin olive oil
4 bay leaves
8 leaves of fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Follow the cleaning and sterilizing procedure from the pickle recipe. Make sure you have a pot on to boil with enough water. Turn your BBQ or grill on to high heat. Quarter zucchini, season with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill so char marks are visible. Put in a container to hold and seran wrap. This will gently heat through the zucchini and cook it further. Leave out at room temp. Put on the 2L of olive oil with the garlic in with it. Set the heat to medium low, and slowly cook the garlic in the oil. This is called confit. The garlic is cooked when its wrinkly and floating in the oil. Make sure the oil doesn't smoke or you will have to start over. Once the garlic is cooked take oil off the heat and set a side. Put the lids in the water bath for ten min. When jars are ready, evenly split the garlic between the jars, don't put any oil in yet. Place one chili, 2 leaves of basil and one bay leaf in per jar. Pack in zucchini as much as you can without breaking them. Funnel in the oil, and remove air bubbles with a butter knife. Put on lids, put on bands to finger tight and boil for ten min. After the ten min, cool with dry clothes over the jars to prevent cracking. Tighten bands. These are ready to eat at anytime.
Sweet picked onions.
3-4 mason jars
4 red onions
5 cups of white sugar
5 cups of white wine vinegar
2 tbsp coarse kosher salt.
Wash and sterilize jars as you did in the previous recipes. Put on a pot of water to boil, and make sure there is enough water. Once jars are sterlized and out put in the lids to soften the seal. Peel and cut onions into 1/2 inch rings. Bring sugar, vinegar and salt to a boil. Do not stir, or the sugar will crystallize. Boil for 5 min to dissolve the sugar, and keep hot. Pack the onion rings into the jars, as much as they will fit, without breaking. Pour in the brine, and remove extra air bubbles with a butter knife. Put on lids and tighten the bands to finger tight. Boil jars for ten min to pasteurize. Make sure the water is up to the neck of the jars. Once cooled and the jars are sealed, tighten the bands really tight. These take 2 hrs to pickle, they're ready by the time they cool to room temp.
*before putting on the lids, make sure where you put them on is free from any oil or moisture. This will prevent the jars from not sealing properly. any leftover brine or oil can be saved to use again if your jarring or canning. Brine should be stored in the fridge, oil can stay out but make sure it's in a air tight container. Both have to be reheated before using. Brine can last a long time in the fridge, oil should be used within 2 weeks*
I personally like using these in antipasto dishes or hors d'oeuvres.
Enjoy brethren. Salute.
Kosher Dill Pickles.
3 - 41L mason jars (haha)
5-6 English cucumbers
12 tbsp coarse kosher salt
4 bay leaves.
3 tbsp mustard seeds
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
16 cloves fresh garlic
3 cups white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
3 cups cold water
Put a pot of water on to boil. Make sure you fill enough so water line goes up to the neck of the jars. I will elaborate at the end as to why if your not sure. Put another pot on and boil the vinegar, water and salt. This is the brine liquid. Once its boiled and the salt has dissolved take off the heat. Wash and rinse jars. Quarter cucumbers, cut garlic in half. Wash dill weed. Once the water is boiling, put the jars in without the lids so they submerge. This is to sterilize the jars. Do this for ten minutes. Once they are out of the water bath and dry, put in each jar a tbsp of mustard seeds, 2 springs of dill, 6 garlic halves, and one bay leaf. It doesn't matter if the jars are hot from the sterilization process. Put the lids in the water bath to soften the seals. Proceed to pack in the cucumbers as much that will fit in the jar without breaking them. Pour in the brine up to the neck. Get a butter knife and move around in the jar to get any extra air bubbles out. Make sure this done, any air can cause the food in the jar to spoil, even if it is in a salty, acidic brine. Once the brine is in and the air bubbles are out, take the lids out from the water bath. They should boil for ten minutes to soften the seal. Put them on and tighten the band to finger tight, this means until the bands won't tighten and no continued force to tighten all the way. This will let the rest of the air out. Now once the bands are on put the jars into the water bath standing upright. Make sure the water line is up to the neck. This process pasteurizes the contents. This too will help force the remaining air out, but only if the bands are finger tight. Do this for ten minutes. After ten minutes take the jars out carefully, and cover with a dry cloth. Any air drafts can cause the jars to crack. The cooling process will also push the last remaining air out. Once they cool down, the lids should seal, about an hour, then tighten the bands very tight. The cucumbers take about two weeks to pickle.
Grilled zucchini
3 - 4 1L mason jars.
5-6 zucchini
24 cloves of garlic
4 whole, dried chili peppers
2L extra virgin olive oil
4 bay leaves
8 leaves of fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Follow the cleaning and sterilizing procedure from the pickle recipe. Make sure you have a pot on to boil with enough water. Turn your BBQ or grill on to high heat. Quarter zucchini, season with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill so char marks are visible. Put in a container to hold and seran wrap. This will gently heat through the zucchini and cook it further. Leave out at room temp. Put on the 2L of olive oil with the garlic in with it. Set the heat to medium low, and slowly cook the garlic in the oil. This is called confit. The garlic is cooked when its wrinkly and floating in the oil. Make sure the oil doesn't smoke or you will have to start over. Once the garlic is cooked take oil off the heat and set a side. Put the lids in the water bath for ten min. When jars are ready, evenly split the garlic between the jars, don't put any oil in yet. Place one chili, 2 leaves of basil and one bay leaf in per jar. Pack in zucchini as much as you can without breaking them. Funnel in the oil, and remove air bubbles with a butter knife. Put on lids, put on bands to finger tight and boil for ten min. After the ten min, cool with dry clothes over the jars to prevent cracking. Tighten bands. These are ready to eat at anytime.
Sweet picked onions.
3-4 mason jars
4 red onions
5 cups of white sugar
5 cups of white wine vinegar
2 tbsp coarse kosher salt.
Wash and sterilize jars as you did in the previous recipes. Put on a pot of water to boil, and make sure there is enough water. Once jars are sterlized and out put in the lids to soften the seal. Peel and cut onions into 1/2 inch rings. Bring sugar, vinegar and salt to a boil. Do not stir, or the sugar will crystallize. Boil for 5 min to dissolve the sugar, and keep hot. Pack the onion rings into the jars, as much as they will fit, without breaking. Pour in the brine, and remove extra air bubbles with a butter knife. Put on lids and tighten the bands to finger tight. Boil jars for ten min to pasteurize. Make sure the water is up to the neck of the jars. Once cooled and the jars are sealed, tighten the bands really tight. These take 2 hrs to pickle, they're ready by the time they cool to room temp.
*before putting on the lids, make sure where you put them on is free from any oil or moisture. This will prevent the jars from not sealing properly. any leftover brine or oil can be saved to use again if your jarring or canning. Brine should be stored in the fridge, oil can stay out but make sure it's in a air tight container. Both have to be reheated before using. Brine can last a long time in the fridge, oil should be used within 2 weeks*
I personally like using these in antipasto dishes or hors d'oeuvres.
Enjoy brethren. Salute.