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Do You Like Canning at Home?

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:30:16 -0700

Summer, with its bounty of exquisite produce, couldn't be a more fitting time to preserve fruits and vegetables for less-than-abundant months to come. Last year, I was obsessed with making quick pickles; this year, I'd love to pick up some professional canning equipment so I can save jams, jellies, preserves, and pickles for the Winter. Have you dabbled in home preserving?

Must-Read: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:00:20 -0700

Given that some say we're in the middle of a food revolution, and local, sustainable, home-grown produce is popping up everywhere, it's only logical that an uptick in home preserving will happen, too. Enter Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, a new book that's focused on making your own artisanal food products, either to keep or to give as gifts. The tome isn't simply limited to fruit jellies and quick pickles - it also includes instructions on making everything from flatbread to watermelon Popsicles to chai tea. But did it live up to its high expectations? Find out when you read more.

Pros:

The cookbook covers a wide range of basic preserving techniques that run the gamut from dairy products to cured meats.
Each recipe provides a general overview of the dish, estimated time required, and suggestions for storing.
Book size and binding make it easy for the tome to stay on the desired page.

Cons:

This do-it-yourself book could benefit from having more instructional pictures.
Recipe directions are written in paragraph form, which can be hard to navigate.

Recipes: I'm excited to create homemade versions of many different comestibles using the book's artisanal techniques and tips. Intriguing projects include:

Baked potato chips
Kimchee
Gravlax
Smoked trout
Ricotta salata
Lemon curd
Jamaican ginger beer

Imagery: While only a quarter of the book contains images, all of them are vivid, visually appealing color photographs.

Overall Rating: If you're looking to be a resourceful kitchen do-it-yourselfer, then this book would seal the deal.

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Sally Winslet Is an Award-Winning Onion Pickler

partysugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:45:58 -0800

Looks like Oscar nominee Kate Winslet isn't the only award winner in her family. The British actress's mother, Sally Winslet, affectionately known as the "Queen of Shallots," is an award-winning pickler. Yesterday Sally won the annual onion pickling contest at her local East Reading pub, the Retreat. This is the third year in a row that Sally's pickled onions won the competition. Upon accepting her title, Winslet explained what made her onions so special:

There are a lot of good onions here. I just boil up the spices with sugar and when the balsamic vinegar is cold I pour it over the onions.

Over the past six months, pickling has become incredibly popular, and Anna Winslet, Kate's sister and Sally's daughter, who was on hand at the competition, couldn't have put it better when she said, "Everyone should be a pickler." No word on Kate's pickling skills, although she is known to be an enthusiastic, yet accident-prone cook.

Are you surprised to learn that Winslet's mother is an award-winning onion pickler? Do you pickle?

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Yummy Links: From Amazon Wine to the Bocuse d'Or Hosts

partysugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:45:32 -0700

Amazon.com is set to debut a wine superstore at the beginning of next month. - Serious Eats
Gear up for Fall with this vegetarian recipe for chickpea, potato, and spinach stew. - Cookthink
Learn the difference between toffee and caramel. - Chow
Leftover pickling brine makes a wonderful, simple vinaigrette.- The Kitchn
Intensive thinking may make you feel hungrier. - Slashfood
How to get a better restaurant table.- The Epi-Log
Make a cake that resembles a pizza! - Baking Bites
Al Roker, Dana Cowin, and John Besh will host the Bocuse d'Or semifinals on Sept. 27.- Eater SF

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Yum's August Must Haves

partysugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:30:08 -0700

The dog days of Summer are upon us, and August is an exciting month this year. Not only is it a time for Summer vacations, but both the Beijing Olympics and Slow Food Nation are happening. Here's my list of everything you need to survive (and celebrate!) August in the most fabulous foodie style.

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Trend Alert: Pickling

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:15:52 -0700

Pickling has been a craft for the past 5,000 years, but its biggest moment may be right now.

With supermarket prices on the rise, the home consumer products industry has seen a spike in canning and pickling at home. The Martha Stewart Show recently featured Momofuku minimogul David Chang giving a pickling demonstration. Prominent restaurants chefs from Los Angeles to New Orleans have been showcasing house-made pickles in menu items.

Even I jumped on the bandwagon, extolling the virtues of rapid preserving in a three-hour pickling recipe. Quick pickles are especially appealing, as they don't require any special canning equipment and the techniques can be used on everything from grapes to watermelon rinds. Because pickles are one of my favorite foods, I'm excited to try all the new ideas I've been reading about. What about you? Have you caught on to the pickling bug?

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Tickle Your Knowledge of Pickles

YumSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:00:27 -0700

Being "in a pickle" means you're in a bad way, but eating pickles is always a good thing, at least in my opinion. Whether it's whole dill pickles that crunch between your teeth or sweet bread-and-butter slices on sandwiches, I can't get enough of pickles. Today is actually the first day of National Pickle Month, so I'm marking the juicy occasion with a pickle - and a pickle quiz! Can you pick out the right answers?

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Take the quiz

Easy Pickling: Farm-Stand Tomatoes

YumSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:15:03 -0700

As a continuation of my (and America's) recent fascination with pickling, I decided to try a recipe in this month's Food and Wine magazine for quick pickled tomatoes. I love the fact that, like my double-dill cucumbers, this recipe only required a few hours before it was ready to eat. These pickled tomatoes have a smoky, slightly spicy flavor that comes from cumin, fresh ginger, and jalapeños. The high proportion of olive oil in the base imparts a mild flavor on the tomatoes (although you can play with the proportions for a more pickled taste), and the tomatoes last up to three days when refrigerated. To see the recipe with step-by-step photos, read more.

Pickled Farm-Stand Tomatoes
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

1 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
6 tomatoes (1 1/2 pounds), each cut into 6 wedges
4 scallions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
2 jalapeños, thinly sliced into rings and seeded

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, brown sugar, and salt to a boil, stirring. Remove from the heat.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic, grated ginger, mustard seeds, black pepper, turmeric, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook over low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour the hot oil into the vinegar mixture.
In a large heatproof bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, and jalapeños. Stir in the hot pickling liquid and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours or refrigerate for 8 hours, then serve.

Serves 6 to 8.

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Quick Pickling: Spicy Pickled Vegetables

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:45:34 -0700

I am a diehard pickle fanatic, but I realize the same doesn't apply for everyone. This easy pickling recipe for spicy vegetables, however, could convert even the biggest pickle skeptic. The medley of crisp haricots verts and pearl onions goes well in conjunction with meaty carrots and a subtle jalapeño bite.
These veggies are the perfect accessory for a Bloody Mary or lunchtime sandwich. Although this recipe makes a large amount of pickles, my supply is dwindling fast! To stock up on your own, read more.

Spicy Pickled Vegetables
From Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients

6 cups water
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound baby carrots
2 cups pearl onions, peeled (about 10 ounces)
1/3 cup sliced jalapeño peppers (about 2 large)
8 ounces haricots verts, trimmed
4 cups white vinegar

Directions

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan.
Add carrots to pan; cook 2 minutes. Add onions; cook 1 minute. Add pepper slices; cook 1 minute. Add beans; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar.
Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Pour into a large bowl; cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Makes 20 servings of 1/3 cup vegetables each.

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Pickles in Under Three Hours

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:00:13 -0700

National Pickle Month may be coming to a close, but pickles are delicious in any month. With a bounty of Summer produce and the rising costs of prepared food, more and more people are taking up home canning. Because pickles happen to be one of my favorite snacks, I decided to take a stab at making them. However, I'm an impatient cook, an attribute that isn't conducive to making pickles. When I came across this recipe for quick dill pickles, I knew it was perfect. To see how these spears went from cucumbers to pickles in under three hours, read more.

Quick Pickles
Adapted from Cook's Country

Ingredients

1 pound pickling (Kirby) cucumbers, each sliced into 4 spears
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup ice

Directions

Toss cucumbers with salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Discard liquid.
Place peppercorns, dill weed, garlic, and 1/2 cup fresh dill in paper coffee filter or several layers of cheese cloth, and tie tightly with kitchen twine. Bring spice bag and vinegar to a boil in medium saucepan.
Reduce heat to low and add cucumbers. Cover and cook until cucumbers turn a dull olive brown, about 5 minutes. Discard spice bag.
Transfer cucumbers and liquid to glass bowl, add ice, and stir until melted. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon fresh dill.
Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 1 hour before serving. Pickles can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 1 jar of pickles.

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