Let the preserving commence!

[retropants]

I always make pickled sliced gherkins with dill, and very basic beet root in vinegar, both for my dad. This year, I am feeling a bit adventurous....... Last week I made pickled cucumbers, radish and red onion with mustard seeds and herbs in sweetened vinegar. Today I have made some pesto with our extremely prolific basil, potted it up in 1oz deli pots and popped into the freezer and also pickled sliced red chilies with mustard seeds and peppercorns. The next batch of pickled chilies I will add garlic and lemon rind. What do you all make re: pickles?

[Redfox]

Not so good on the pickles, but can make a mean saourkrout. . Did make a passable tomato chutney last year.

[Primrose]

Have made several jars of dill pickled gherkins from home grown gherkins but think I,m going to be a little disappointed with them. Initial tasting suggests they're not going to exactly replicate the commercially bought ones which we like. It is difficult to get hold of quality dill. The plants I sowed died in the heat. We used to be buy to a product which had tiny little concentrated cubes of it packed in a tray which looked like a mini ice cube tray but can no longer find it in the shops. Retro pants, do you grow your own dill. We have put dill seeds in the vinegar mixture but I think you probably need the "weed" as well to get the right flavour balance.

[retropants]

Primrose, yes I do, but it got severely slugged this year, so I am using dried weed instead. My dad loves it. Sliced and soaked for 8 or so hours in brine, rinse well, then pop into jars with normal malt vinegar and a tsp of dried dill weed per jar. If I am using my own dill, I pop in 1 flower head per jar. He is currently eating it faster than I can make it!

[Geoff]

My wife makes masses of pickles, relishes and chutneys. Quite a few people get Christmas hampers of them. Probably can't remember them all but there are pickled Gherkins, Shallots and Damsons (also Damson cheese but not sure that counts), Beetroot relish, lots of different variations on chutney depending on what is in surplus at the time; the most popular is probably the Runner Bean chutney.

[John]

I wish someone would tell the supermarkets that the pickling season is upon us. Can't buy any pickling vinegar or pickling spice round here yet. The store managers just say 'Oh well, they're a seasonal items - they'll be in soon'.

John

[Ricard with an H]

I dislike the very-vinigary conventional pickles, what I do enjoy is the Polish/German style. How does that differ ingredient-wise ?

In the meantime I'll buy my gherkins from Lidle or Aldi, even the Spanish picked garlic, olives and other weird stuff is lovely.

Come-on Emma, lovely soap. What about the pickles ?

I would love to pickle stuff but it would have to be in that Euro-style, I really do find the vinegar in our pickles far to strong.

[retropants]

Hmmm not sure I can help you Richard if you don't like vinegar. But I do agree about the lidl olives stuffed with garlic, they are bloody lovely!

[Ricard with an H]

The euro-pickles don't seem to use the same pickling as the conventional English pickle which sends my digestive-tract into spasm.

When I make salad dressing I use wine vinegar which seems more gentle on my poofy digestive system. How does that differ from what you call pickling vinegar ?

[alan refail]

The euro-pickles don't seem to use the same pickling as the conventional English pickle which sends my digestive-tract into spasm.

When I make salad dressing I use wine vinegar which seems more gentle on my poofy digestive system. How does that differ from what you call pickling vinegar ?

As I understand it, "pickling vinegar" is malt vingar with added spices (which I have no idea).
I've always found malt vinegar a vile substance. After all we get the word vinegar from the French vin aigre (sour wine). Of course, wine vinegar and cider vinegar do come in rather pricey for pickling. We would not use any other for chutneys and the like.

I wouldn't say your digestive system is "poofy" - just rather refined

[retropants]

I am using regular malt vinegar for the beetroot and the gherkins. For the cucumber/radish/red onion, the recipe called for white wine vinegar.

[peter]

The spice company Schwartz lists the ingredients for a pack of its Pickling Spice as;
Pack Contents: 26g Coriander Seed (40%), Yellow Mustard Seed, Dried Chillies, Allspice, Ginger, Black Peppercorns (5%), Bay Leaves (4%).

[Ricard with an H]

I wouldn't say your digestive system is "poofy" - just rather refined

Very generous of you Alan.

I'd like to add that the sweet/sour pickling juice in what I'm calling 'euro-pickles' is so far away from our traditional stuff that I could drink it so why use malt vinegar ?

I suppose because some people enjoy it, I also love sourkraut. Don't they use just white wine ? I daren't buy a proper German tin or jar of sourkraut because I can't stop eating the stuff then I get the problems of flatulence. Whilst I live the life of a bachelor most of the time I do get visitors and go out for social and other reasons. Not knowing when a fart is due is a concern for a bloke raised to believe it's not nice to poop in public.

Like the spasms I get from eating pickled things done in malt vinegar the flatulence I get from sour kraut is always uncontrolled. Probably due to an ageing poop-valve.

As a child our family diet during rationing was heavily influenced by German-Jews who were the first to start bringing foods in from the continent and creating what we now call delicatessens, we always had sourkraut with fried pork belly the Germans call speck. I'm sure that isn't the correct spelling.

[Monika]

Your "speck" is fine, Richard, but the "sourkraut" is sauerkraut, but it really doesn't matter two hoots ( not sure I should use that phrase after your explanation of flatulence!!).
By the way, I would think the reason for same is not the vinegar but the actual cabbage in the sauerkraut, just think of what Brussels sprouts do to your guts.

[Ricard with an H]

Thank you Monika, I had this idea that speck might have a c or maybe an h in it. In this case the Mac spell checker was useless. I am getting better.

I do love some pickles and preserves though having overnight to think about I realised my preferences lay with sweet/sour or very mild.

Take the red onion relish I made probably a year ago, I hope it's safe because I'm still having it with cheese and bread. This I believe is a classic I made for the first time, sweet, sticky, oily and I think it was red wine or red wine vinegar that went into it. Lovely