Relishing Fruits and Vegetables

Pickled carrots and pickled cauliflower look innocent enough, and you expect--more or less--the original flavor of the vegetable. But surprise! The vegetables have been transformed into bullets of tang, with only a hint of the original flavor. New flavors have taken over: sweetness, or saltiness, or (most prominently) the sharpness of vinegar.

It’s no wonder that pickled vegetables and fruits make up the traditional relish tray. They add exactly that--relish--to a plate of plainly grilled, roasted or braised meats or poultry. When pickles are on the menu, a fringe of flavor excitement is added to each bite of the other foods.

Of the many vegetables coming out of the garden this time of year, there are some great candidates for pickling. Carrots, cauliflower, peppers, cucumbers, green tomatoes and onions are the most common.

Pickling is simply a method of preserving a vegetable by keeping it immersed in a salty or acid solution that prevents the growth of bacteria. It does not, however, prevent the growth of molds, so these relatively quick pickles should be stored in the refrigerator.

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The usual pickling medium is white wine vinegar. Malt vinegar or rice wine vinegar can also be used, although they add a bit of color to vegetables. Ordinarily you shouldn’t use red wine vinegar; it will discolor the produce. However, you might actually want a dark-red tinge in sweet and sour pickled pears and apples.

Although I love the bite that vinegar gives to a pickled vegetable, it cries out for tempering, usually with sugar or salt. Sweet pickles benefit from the sweet-and-sour juxtaposition of tastes. Salty concoctions are often heavily spiced with a mixture of celery seed, coriander seed, mustard seed, black peppercorns and perhaps cloves.

Quick pickling is quite easy to do at home. First, begin with top-quality, freshly picked vegetables--those coming out of the garden this last month of harvest. These will retain more of the vegetable’s original character.

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Next, the vegetables need to be softened so the pickling liquid can penetrate them. Hard vegetables such as carrots and cauliflower should be lightly blanched in boiling water. Spongy vegetables such as zucchini, yellow summer squash and eggplant are salted for a few hours and the liquid is pressed out. More delicate vegetables, such as green beans or fresh corn kernels, and slices of firm fruits, such as pears and apples, can be covered with a hot brine and left to cool. Leave the produce in the brine for 24 hours.

Prepare a 10% brine by dissolving 1 1/2 cups of kosher salt in a gallon of water, or 6 tablespoons kosher salt to a quart of water. (A rule of thumb to test if the brine is salty enough is that a raw egg will float in a 10% brine, with the shell just breaking the surface of the liquid.)

Once the produce has been softened, drain off the brine and pack the produce into containers. Pour hot vinegar over the produce, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for at least two weeks before using. These pickles will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to four months. To make pickles that will last longer, use canning jars and follow the manufacturer’s procedure for preserving.

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Use these tasty beans in salads or serve on a relish tray.

PICKLED DILLED GREEN BEANS

5 cups water

8 tablespoons kosher salt

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed

3 sprigs fresh dill

6 cloves garlic

2 cups white wine vinegar

Combine 1 quart water and 6 tablespoons salt in 2-quart pan. Bring to boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Add green beans. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Drain beans and discard brine.

Place dill and garlic in square or rectangular plastic food storage container. Arrange beans on top.

Combine vinegar, 1 cup water and remaining 2 tablespoons kosher salt in pan and bring to boil. Immediately pour liquid over beans, making sure that all are covered. Let cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Refrigerate pickles 2 weeks before using. Makes 1 quart.

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This is a great condiment for steaks and burgers.

SWEET AND SOUR CORN

4 cups freshly shucked corn kernels

1 cup finely diced onions

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons salt

3 tablespoons sugar

Mix corn and onions together and place in 2-quart plastic food storage container.

Combine water, vinegar, salt and sugar in pan. Bring to boil over high heat. Immediately pour over corn-onion mixture. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate pickles 2 weeks before using. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

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Serve these as part of a relish tray, or drain and heat in a few tablespoons of cream to serve as a side vegetable.

PICKLED PEPPERS

2 pounds green peppers

3/4 cup kosher salt plus 2 tablespoons

5 1/2 cups water

2 cups white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Halve peppers from stem to bottom and remove seeds and core. Place in plastic food storage container.

In bowl dissolve 3/4 cup kosher salt in 1 quart water and pour over peppers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Following day combine vinegar, remaining 1 1/2 cups water, peppercorns, coriander seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons salt in pan. Bring to boil over high heat.

Drain peppers and discard brine. Return peppers to food storage container. When vinegar mixture comes to boil, immediately pour over peppers. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate pickles 2 weeks before using. Makes about 8 peppers.

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This recipe is a must for a relish tray.

PICKLED CARROTS AND CAULIFLOWER

5 1/2 cups water

8 tablespoons kosher salt

2 cups 1 1/2-inch-chunks carrots

2 cups large cauliflower florets

2 cups white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Bring to boil 1 quart water and 6 tablespoons salt in large pan. Add carrots and cook 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into plastic food storage container. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Following day combine vinegar, remaining 1 1/2 cups water, mustard seeds, celery seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons salt in pan. Bring to boil.

Meanwhile drain vegetables and discard brine. Return vegetables to container. Pour boiling vinegar mixture over vegetables. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 2 weeks before using. Makes 2 quarts.

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These pickled fruits make a good accompaniment for pork chops.

SWEET AND SOUR PICKLED PEARS

6 firm pears

2 cups red wine vinegar

3 cups red wine

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

6 cloves

Peel and core pears. Place in plastic food storage container.

Combine vinegar, wine, sugar, salt, peppercorns, coriander seeds and cloves in large pan. Bring to boil over high heat.

Immediately pour liquid over pears. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 2 weeks before using. Makes 6 pears.