Most of us don’t think about preserving avocados. But if you find a good buy on avocados—or are lucky enough to have an avocado tree in your yard—then knowing some ways to preserve the fruit (yes, it is a fruit, not a vegetable) is handy information. One of the best ways to preserve avocados is to mash them with a… …click to read more…
Use this brining recipe to make corned beef with or without pink curing salt that contains sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite gives cured products such as corned beef brisket its characteristic pink color and flavor. If making corned beef without sodium nitrite, the meat will be gray as for any roast meat and the flavor will be slightly more pickled than… …click to read more…
In this unusual pickle recipe, eggplant is seasoned with Italian herbs, spices, olive oil, and vinegar. Eggplant makes a delicious vegetable pickle to serve with any meal. Eggplant is popular all around the Mediterranean and across Asia. I think of eggplant like the potato; it is bland but soaks up other flavors deliciously. Italian-style Pickled Eggplant Makes about 3 to… …click to read more…
Salting is an old-fashioned fermenting or curing method for preserving vegetables. This technique was a popular food preservation method in the early twentieth century, especially during the first and second World Wars. Layering food with salt to preserve seasonal vegetables was promoted as an alternative to canning in order to conserve glass, metal, and fuel needed for the war effort.… …click to read more…
This smoked pepper and eggplant relish, known as ajvar (pronounced EYE-vahr) is a salsa-like staple in southeast European countries including Croatia, Serbia, and Turkey. There are several styles of ajvar, some using red and others using green peppers. Some recipes simply chop and boil the vegetables, while others roast the peppers to bring out spectacular flavor. This recipe uses roasted sweet… …click to read more…
This grilled and pickled eggplant is spicy and well flavored with ginger, garlic, and spices typically used in Indian cooking: cumin, mustard, fenugreek, and turmeric. I find the flavors quite addicting. This eggplant pickle makes a delicious accompaniment to chicken or lamb dishes, or alongside a vegetarian meal of grains and vegetables. If you have no eggplant, use any firm zucchini or… …click to read more…
Pickled peppers have a multitude of uses. Pickled pepper rings can go on sandwiches, burgers, and tacos. Sprinkle them over salads or chop them with onion and add to mayonnaise for a quick tartar sauce. Serve them with vegetarian meals (such as rice and beans) to add interest to grain dishes. Or serve them with smoked fish or cheese on… …click to read more…
A rumtopf is a German tradition that layers fruit with rum and sugar. The traditional recipe uses a mixture of fruit, beginning with berries and cherries in spring or early summer and ending with stone fruits like peaches and apricots in early fall. Left to marinate until December, the rumtopf is consumed during the Christmas and New Year holidays. This… …click to read more…
Salted cauliflower retains the flavor, texture, and nutrition of the fresh vegetable. Of course, it becomes very salty. However, many people familiar with salted vegetables consider them to be superior to either canned or frozen vegetables. Salted Cauliflower (food preservation technique) Makes 2-3 cups Ingredients: 3 to 4 cups (1 pound) cauliflower florets (about 1 medium head) 1/3 cup (3.2… …click to read more…
The intensely flavored Italian limoncello liqueur recipe is made in Sorrento, Italy from lemons. While in Sorrento, I purchased a dish towel with a homemade recipe for limoncello printed on it (in Italian, of course). I’ve used the recipe often, and found that it adapts to many other fruits, such as strawberries, cherries, and surprising, also to rhubarb. All of these… …click to read more…
