The Other Pickle

When the word pickle is mentioned, most often we think of the cucumber in its myriad pickled variations. But nearly every food can be pickled, and indeed may have been at one time or another. I love Chinese pickled vegetables (mustard green, radish, turnip, etc.) in soups, stir-fries, or just plain, like kim chee.

What are your favorite pickled foods? Any good, unusual recipes? Any veryBAD experiences?

Japanese Pickels, good kosher half sours, kim chee, pickeled tomatoes, italian pickeled veggies, chinese pickels, I love them all

Pickled garlic cloves. Pickled okra is what I most often eat, though.

My grandmother's lime pickles; next, any home-made lime pickles. Then Fanning's (?) Bread and Butter Pickles.

As a true Baltimoreon I have to admit to a love of the sour pickled onion. Not them little things called cocktail onions, but big pickled onions found in gallon jars at the deli counter.

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

Pickled garlic cloves. Pickled okra is what I most often eat, though.

I love pickled okra, the hotter the better.

Speaking of the hotter the better, nothing beats a pickled habanero.

I make my own bread & butter pickles as no one slices them as thin as I do. I also enjoy some of the medium examples of kim chee.

John

Pickled cheese anyone? While most people don't know it, feta is actually a pickled cheese, being cured and stored in whey brine.

(Not to mention that little bit of blue cheese stuffed into green olives.)

I love pickled cauliflower, peppers, onions, okra and green beans !

I like them to have a little heat in them too !

I love those little pickled pearl onions...so sweet and sour and amazing along side any dish...

Russian Cuisine utilizes many items pickled. This weekend in Brooklyn, I ate at a restaurant that served a platter of the usual suspects, cukes, cabbage, etc. But then had some things I never had before. Pickled red tomatoes, Apples, Grapes, Watermelon (fruit and rind), Pears.

It was an interesting twist to the classic sweet vs. sour scenerio.

10X10...
The company I work for.. I'm the only one who doesn't speak 99% of the time in Russian.. the things these guys bring in for lunch all the pickles... I think I died and gone to heaven

I like vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles, japanese pickled cucumber, umeboshi (plums), korean radish and cabbage etc. kimchee. I had some great pickled eggplant and turnip on my shawarma the other day, too. And for something potent and different, how about chinese fermented tofu with chili

Pickled herring in sour cream, like my Litvak gramma used to make.

Chicogo.. man your awesome.. even Ian.. who is 8, loves creamed herring...

Great cultural food that is not given enough time. Pelmini(little russian dumplings filled with veal or sweet cheese, served with sour cream or vineger)Fantastic cold salads using cucumber or eggplant, great soups made with fish. The list goes on and on.
Ask your peers to take you out for some good soul food.

quote:

Originally posted by IansMom

10X10...
The company I work for.. I'm the only one who doesn't speak 99% of the time in Russian.. the things these guys bring in for lunch all the pickles... I think I died and gone to heaven

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned beets, which I love. I also like pickled okra, green beans, onions, and saurkraut, which is basically pickled cabbage.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned pickled meats. Note that I do not list any preferences.

10x10.. there are no Russian restaurants her in Louisville.. closest thing.. a Russian store not to far down the street...

There are so many pickled items in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Most common is pickled cabbage (or with the addition of green pepper, pepper cabbage), finely chopped or ground cabbage with a sugar and cider vinegar dressing. Celery seeds are usually added to it.

Then there's pickled red beet eggs, pickled green beans, pickled cauliflower, chow-chow, and pickled peaches, to name a few.

Pickled peaches? What are they like?

PICKLED RED(purple)BEET EGGS! I love those things although we just call them pickled eggs. I have a gallon glass jar just for making those. I could eat them with every meal. The only kind I'll eat are my own though. Those in conveinent stores scare me. Besides the fact that other people put their hands near the product, you never know how long that jar has been there I also prefer mine refrigerated.

In the NYC area we are blessed to have so many ethnic choices. They have nicknamed the Coney Island and Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn "Little Oddessa" after the city in Kiev.

However, though we get to taste some exotic foods from all over the world, NYC does not do the great regional american foods the justice they deserve.

I envy those like yourself in the areas like Kentucky and the other states that have so many great dishes. Enjoy, and if you are ever in NY the Vodka is on me.

quote:

Originally posted by IansMom

10x10.. there are no Russian restaurants her in Louisville.. closest thing.. a Russian store not to far down the street...

quote:

Originally posted by ocdreamr

As a true Baltimoreon I have to admit to a love of the sour pickled onion. Not them little things called cocktail onions, but big pickled onions found in gallon jars at the deli counter.

OC--I am with you on this one! YUM! Though I do like the little coctail onions too. And gherkins. Not only do they taste good, but gherkin is such a fun word to say!

Awe 10x10 if your ever in KY.. the hot brown, the bourbon balls, the Ale-8-One all are on me

quote:

Originally posted by 10X10

In the NYC area we are blessed to have so many ethnic choices. They have nicknamed the Coney Island and Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn "Little Oddessa" after the city in Kiev.

However, though we get to taste some exotic foods from all over the world, NYC does not do the great regional american foods the justice they deserve.

I envy those like yourself in the areas like Kentucky and the other states that have so many great dishes. Enjoy, and if you are ever in NY the Vodka is on me.

quote:

Originally posted by IansMom

10x10.. there are no Russian restaurants her in Louisville.. closest thing.. a Russian store not to far down the street...

I used to go to a watering hole down there called the Blue and Gold. They always had pickled things on the counter -- and at the bar when I was there.

quote:

Originally posted by skylar0ne

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned beets, which I love. I also like pickled okra, green beans, onions, and saurkraut, which is basically pickled cabbage.

Oh yeah....beets! Love beets and red beet eggs!

Throw in a burger at Kaelin's and you got a deal

quote:

Originally posted by IansMom

Awe 10x10 if your ever in KY.. the hot brown, the bourbon balls, the Ale-8-One all are on me

I know of a Blue and Gold on 1st ave. Great sandwhiches and chicke

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

quote:

Originally posted by 10X10

In the NYC area we are blessed to have so many ethnic choices. They have nicknamed the Coney Island and Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn "Little Oddessa" after the city in Kiev.

However, though we get to taste some exotic foods from all over the world, NYC does not do the great regional american foods the justice they deserve.

I envy those like yourself in the areas like Kentucky and the other states that have so many great dishes. Enjoy, and if you are ever in NY the Vodka is on me.

quote:

Originally posted by IansMom

10x10.. there are no Russian restaurants her in Louisville.. closest thing.. a Russian store not to far down the street...

I used to go to a watering hole down there called the Blue and Gold. They always had pickled things on the counter -- and at the bar when I was there.

One of my Mother's specialties is watermelon pickles. She pickles the rind. People that like sweet pickles love them. I am strictly a sour pickle person, preferably dill.

Cakes

I pickled some boiled eggs a few months ago. I used beet juice, vinegar, jalepenos, garlic, onions, bay leafs and etc. I let them set for a week and they were super. Then I got afraid cause I read that you had to use pickling salts which I did not use. I thought the vinegar was enough to keep pure.

I think they were OK, but I tossed them and have not tried it again.

The eggs were a beautiful dark red cause I used concentrated beet juice that was also pickled.

I did about two dozen in a huge pickle jar that I bought from Walmart and threw the pickles away.

Tasted real good with evening libation and a salty cracker.

One other thing, I had a Bloody Mary at Uglesich's in NO. It was better than wonderful. Mrs. Uglesich made each one personally and it took her several minutes. They were expensive and she used a special pickled Okra. She also used a habanero sauce. It sure kicked it up a notch.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

f

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

Giardenera. Or how ever it's spelled. The stuff on an italian beef.

Yum.

I think I here lunch calling.

I don't think that it is pickled. Just cured in oil.

I'm also a sucker for pickled mushrooms. It seems that wherever you went in Europe, there was always a different variety, particularly at tapas bars. Of course, these are all usually vinegar based, and not brined.

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

Pickled peaches? What are they like?

They are small whole peeled peaches canned in jars with a syrup of cider vinegar, sugar, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks.

Mr. Sundancer, I will post my family pickled red beet egg recipe for you tomorrow. I keep the jar in the refrigerator but they usually don't last too long.

Another treat my stepfather used to make was pickled eggplant.

quote:

Originally posted by meowzart

quote:

Originally posted by ocdreamr

As a true Baltimoreon I have to admit to a love of the sour pickled onion. Not them little things called cocktail onions, but big pickled onions found in gallon jars at the deli counter.

OC--I am with you on this one! YUM! Though I do like the little coctail onions too. And gherkins. Not only do they taste good, but gherkin is such a fun word to say!

Gosh I thought I was the only one who felt that way about gherkins! I really like just about anything pickled but the onions are my favorite.

Not in any particular order, but here are some of my favorites...
Cabbage/Kraut- like it in the red variety, and the sweet/sour style.
Beets- done firm, not soft and fall apart.
Okra- It's best is pickled, then spiced hot.
Pickles-- made from golden Patti-Pan Squash in good-sized chunks.
Watermelon Rind...strictly a taste of sticky sweetness.
Herring- Filets not steaks, with lots of onion chunks in a Wine Pickle...not the sour cream.
Mushrooms and peppers (sweet) and garlic and mushrooms and peppers done like the cocktail onions then add a little Italian Dressing.

Dearfolk,
Pickled? Last night, that was me. Y'see, I ate at Copper Creek Brewing. I ordered a reuben, which was superb. Instead of fries, I substituted red beans and rice. I asked the manager, Brian, for some Tabasco(R), and he came out of the kitchen with a garnish cup full of it. Absently, unthinkingly, lost in a conversation with three people at once, I updumped the whole thing on the beans and rice. GENERAL ALARM FIRE INSIDE ORT.! I had to quaff 8 pints of beer, with a glass of ice water with each, to placate those fire demons. Between that and a second order of rice and beans intermixed with the first, some ketchup, some sour cream, and quite a bit of time, I was able to leave in one piece, tastebuds relatively intact.
Next time I order that, I'll bring my own bottle of Tabasco(R), and dripdrop it on myself.
Recoveringly, Ort. Carlton in 30601-Central.

Encurtido, the Mexican/Central American version of jardiniere or giardiniera. Five or six different brands show up on supermarket shelves here, but none regularly. Typically very large chunks of veggies including broccoli, cauliflower, miniature corn, hearts of palm, date palm, carrots, whole green onions, etc. Some versions have lots of whole jalapenos and serranos and are very hot, others have almost none.

Encurtido and pickled eggs are the only varieties of pickled foods I've successfully done at home.

quote:

Originally posted by Rhodes

And for something potent and different, how about chinese fermented tofu with chili

Hey! Don't knock fermented tofu--we use it to flavour certain dishes. It depends on the quantity you use.

Of course, like a lot of Chinese women, I was brought up to love pickles and sour-sweet dried fruits. Pickled chinese vegetables are great.

I've even adjusted my taste buds to accommodate British cooking and now I love cheese and pickle sandwiches too!

PICKLED EGGS AND RED BEETS

1 (1 lb.) can sliced beets
6 peeled hard-cooked eggs
Water
5 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 packed Tbsp. brown sugar
1/ 2 small onion. thinly sliced (optional)

Drain juice from the can of beets and place in a two quart jar. Add sugar and vinegar and stir well to dissolve sugar. Add 1 cup of water and stir again. Layer beets, eggs, and onion (if used) into the jar. Fill jar with water, cover, and shake gently to mix. Store in refrigerator for at least a day before eating.

quote:

Originally posted by 10X10

Throw in a burger at Kaelin's and you got a deal.

quote:

Originally posted by IansMom

Awe 10x10 if your ever in KY.. the hot brown, the bourbon balls, the Ale-8-One all are on me

10X10 you got it.. Kaelin's is not too far from where I live.. I pass it everyday going to work

quote:

Originally posted by Cakes

One of my Mother's specialties is watermelon pickles. She pickles the rind. People that like sweet pickles love them. I am strictly a sour pickle person, preferably dill.

Cakes

My grandma pickles the watermelon rind, too. I think she adds soy sauce...cause it's salty and we have it with rice congee ....

Pickled corn joins fried oysters and country ham in my firmament of favorite foods.

My Mom pickled many jars of it in late summer, cutting the corn from ears locally harvested. Once pickled, the corn was fried with just a little sugar and a small amount of bacon drippings.

We didn't think of it as a delicacy, but I sure do now. I know nothing better than my Mom's pickled corn.

Pickled green beans were also made at our house, but I never developed a taste for them at a young age. I might like them now.

I collected 23 recipes this spring, eventually trying eight of them, two or three at a time. None of the recipes fully satisfied, so I created one I like. This recipe is a hybrid of some of the flavors and proportions in the tested recipes. I did not test recipes containing sugar.

CAP’N JIMMY’S KENTUCKY PICKLED EGGS
12 large hard boiled eggs
1 ½ cups white vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard seed
2-3 small dried hot red peppers
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced onion

Careful preparation of the eggs is essential so they will be neither too firm nor rubbery in texture. Allow the eggs to warm to room temperature and place in a large kettle of water. Heat the water to just the point of boiling and then simmer for 15 minutes. You will know the water has reached simmering stage when small bubbles form on the bottom of the kettle. If the water reaches boiling, reduce heat. I always boil an extra egg and test for doneness.

Combine the vinegar, water and other ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Be sure to break the red peppers into small pieces (one teaspoon to one tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes may be substituted for the whole red peppers). Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. The considerable amount of red and black pepper do not really make the eggs “hot”, only more flavorable.

A nice variation: If you enjoy flavors of some of the sweet spices, add one teaspoon (no more) of mixed pickling spice. I like the eggs nearly as well that way.

Pack the eggs into a sterilized quart jar and pour the hot liquid over them to within ¼ inch of the top of the jar. Be careful to avoid air pockets and wipe the top of the jar dry with a clean papertowel. Seal with a clean lid and let cool for a little while. Refrigerate. The eggs will be nicely pickled in 2 weeks, but are better in 3 weeks.

Notes: Always sterilize jars by boiling 15 minutes, even when the eggs are to be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure all the equipment you use remains sterile during the canning process.

JimInKy, Lexington, Ky.
May, 1999

quote:

Originally posted by Jellybeans

Originally posted by Rhodes

And for something potent and different, how about chinese fermented tofu with chili

Hey! Don't knock fermented tofu--we use it to flavour certain dishes. It depends on the quantity you use.
....


I didn't intend to knock, I like it! (in small doses ) I think that Chinese and Asian pickles are awesome even if they sometimes scare me

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the pickles-in-barrels from Mom's in the Lancaster Mkt in Germantown - the dills, kraut, bread & butters and pickled beets are all superb!

Pickled Watermelon Rinds. There is a Steakhouse-Linebergers Cattle Company on Lake Norman outside of Denver, NC that has these on their salad bar. They are wonderful.
Pickled beets and eggs. My husbands Grandmother always prepared these every Easter and I carry on the tradition. When we boil our eggs for dying for Easter, we always boil extra and I make pickled beets and eggs.
There is also a lady that sells homemake picles at the Farmers Market
in Charlotte, NC and she sells Salt Pickles. I've never found these anywhere else. She says that this was her Mothers recipe and they are very unusual.

quote:

Originally posted by chicagostyledog

Pickled herring in sour cream, like my Litvak gramma used to make.

Roll mops, pickled herring wrapped around pickled onion slices.

Pink pickled turnips, the kind you can at middle eastern restaurants and at schwarma shops. Just awesome ...

All of these pickle ideas appeal to me, but found that there is one missing. I like the refrigerated kosher dills and when the pickles are gone, I save the juice, parboil a bunch of Brussels Sprouts and put them, hot, into the pickle juice and leave them alone for a day or two. Love those dilled Brussels Sprouts, and one of our boys equally loves them. I always have them on hand when he is expected home for a vacation. The same idea could be used for any number of "quick" pickles I think.....just parboil and put into the brine.

Donna

I once received a gift basket that included a jar 'pickled sugar peas' and a jar of 'pickled asparagus' yummm

I've always wanted to find the same pickles or duplicate them. I think Donna's suggestion may be my answer.

Thanks Donna!

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

Pickled garlic cloves. Pickled okra is what I most often eat, though.

Never tried pickled okra, but I am just finishing a jar of pickled garlic I picked up at a local bbq joint. Slightly sweet, and very tasty. Have yet to find pickled green tomatoes I like, but I do like to try the pickled eggs in bars. All goes back to days in school when we used to do drinking bets based on those eggs; sort of developed a taste for them.

Also like German-style pickles The pickle itself is a finer surface than most pickles and is sweeter.

Finally, there is pickled turnip, Lebanese style -- the kind that tops a shwarma. mmmmmm

My family is from San Angelo, Texas, which is okra pickle central, so naturally I love 'em. I'm also right fond of Branston pickle (an English delicacy that tastes particularly nice on a good ham and cheese sandwich) and Indian lime pickle, which is unbelievably salty and good on a curry.