Punchy summer pickling

Tag : Farmers Recipes For Canned Vegetables

Where have all the pickles gone?
It wasn't so long ago that every well-dressed American dinner tablewas bejeweled with an assortment of them -- emerald green tomatoes,ruby red beets and opalescent pearl onions, as well as lessglamorous (though certainly no less delicious) okra, mushrooms andwatermelon rind. The pickle tray was a standard part of a Sundaysupper.
Nowadays, almost the only pickle you'll find is cucumber. And whilethere's nothing wrong with your basic bread-and-butter, half-souror dill, there are so many other possibilities to explore.
What about radishes, for example, pickled pink, with a refreshingsweet-tart bite to match their crisp texture? Or tangy peppers,yellow turmeric-stained zucchini or even surprisingly savorypickled grapes?
These are more than mere curiosities. They are perfect for the waywe eat in the summertime. A bite of crisp tart pickle is as coolingas an evening breeze.
Their acidity cuts right through the smoke and richness of grilledmeat, just as their sweetness and spiciness balance and complementit. Do you doubt it? Think about ketchup, which, when broken downto its basics, is really nothing more than a pureed pickle of ripetomatoes.
Pickles also make great antipasti. Like olives (technically, yetanother kind of pickle), their punchy flavors prime the palate forthe bigger dishes to come.
And while many traditional pickles take weeks of aging to mellowand mature, there are also very good pickles you can make in asingle day.
Gadget junkies may want
to buy a pickle press You don't need fancy equipment or advancedcooking skills. If you can slice a vegetable and boil water, youcan make a pickle.
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