Johannesburg - Pickling is the age-old practice of preserving food, when seasonal vegetables and fruit are bountiful to enjoy when produce is lean.
Nowadays, we are able to get more or less any item at any time of the year albeit at a premium price.
If you have a veggie garden or like to shop for bargains when produce is cheap, then pickling is a great way to have a supply of delectable condiments and accompaniments till next season.
Tips for sterilising jars
You can use old jam and pickle jars if they are in good condition and the lids are not rusted.
Wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids, open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Place in a preheated 150°C oven for 25 minutes.
Or boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
Use tongs when handling the hot sterilised jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven.
You can also sterilise jars in the microwave. Put the jars in the oven with about an inch of water in each. Heat for 1-and-a-half to 2 minutes on full power, until the water comes to the boil. With oven gloves, remove from microwave, tip out the water and they’re ready.
As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. Seal the jars while hot to form a good seal.
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SUMMER GARDEN PICKLED VEGETABLES
Makes 3x1 litre bottles
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
3-4 courgettes, sliced into rings
3-4 small brinjals, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into squares
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into squares
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into squares
250g baby button mushrooms
125g green beans, trimmed and halved
1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
1-2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
salt
125g cherry tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic, cut into slices
100ml olive oil
700-800ml white wine vinegar
sprigs of rosemary
black peppercorns
Combine all the prepared vegetables except the tomatoes in a non-metallic bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Place a weighted plate on top and refrigerate overnight. Drain and rinse well.
Dry on a clean tea towel. Place in a bowl and add the tomatoes, garlic and the olive oil. Toss well to combine. Pour a little vinegar in the base of a sterilised jar. Add vegetables with sprigs of rosemary and black peppercorns. Top up with vinegar until completely covered.
Seal and store in a cool place for a month before consuming.
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PICCALILLI
Makes 3x250ml
875ml apple cider vinegar
30ml coriander seeds, lightly crushed
15ml cumin seeds
1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
250g pickling onions, skinned and quartered
150g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2cm lengths
2 large courgettes, diced
1-2 red chillies, seeded and diced
10ml chopped garlic
180ml castor sugar
30ml English mustard powder
60ml cake flour
15ml turmeric
15ml ground ginger
5ml salt
Put 750ml of the vinegar into a pot. Add the coriander and cumin and bring to the boil.
Add the cauliflower and onions and simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Add the beans, courgettes, chilli and garlic and simmer until tender.
Drain the vegetables through a colander and reserve the vegetables and the vinegar.
Put the vinegar into a pot and add the sugar, stir until dissolved.
Mix together the mustard, flour, turmeric, ginger and salt. Add the remaining 125ml vinegar and mix to a runny paste.
While stirring add this to the vinegar and simmer until boiling and thick.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Return the vegetables to the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into sterilised jars and seal. Store for 2 weeks before using.
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SWEET AND SOUR RED ONIONS
Makes 3 x 250ml
6-8 red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
500ml apple cider vinegar
125ml water
180ml white sugar
15ml pickling spice
15ml salt
Put the onions into a pot and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Drain and discard the water.
To the pot add the vinegar, water, sugar, pickling spice and salt. Bring to the boil.
Add the onions and then remove from the heat.
Fill sterilised jars with onions and brine and seal.
Store for 4 days before using.
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PICKLED EGGPLANTS
Makes 2 x 500ml
about 1kg mixed eggplants
60ml lemon juice
30ml salt
750ml red wine vinegar
10ml chopped garlic
5ml crushed black pepper
125ml chopped basil
Cut the eggplants into halves or quarters depending on size. Toss them in the lemon juice and salt. Set aside for 2-3 hours.
Then drain and rinse them briefly.
Put the vinegar into a pot and bring to the boil. Add the eggplants and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Strain the eggplants into a colander and return the vinegar to the pot. Add the garlic, black pepper and basil.
Pack the eggplants into sterilised bottles and fill each to the brim with the hot vinegar. Seal well. Store for a week before using.
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QUICK PICKLED CUCUMBERS
Makes 2 x 250ml
250g small pickling cucumbers
2-3 red chillies, halved and seeded
250ml rice wine vinegar
125ml castor sugar
3ml salt
2 limes, juiced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 spring onions, chopped
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Pack them tightly with the chillies into glass jars.
Combine the vinegar , sugar and salt in a jug and heat just to boiling in the microwave.
Remove from the microwave and add the lime juice, garlic, spring onions and salt.
Pour this over the cucumbers in the bottle.
Seal the bottles and refrigerate for two days before using.
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BRANSTON-STYLE PICKLE
Makes 3 x 250ml
3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
2 onions, peeled and diced
2 apples, cored and diced
2 large courgettes, diced
6 gherkins, diced
150g dried dates, chopped
20ml chopped garlic
400g brown sugar
500ml malt vinegar
60ml lemon juice
10ml mustard seeds
10ml ground allspice
5ml cayenne pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a pot and simmer gently until all the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are soft.
Bottle in sterilised jars and seal while hot. Store for a week before using.
The Star