Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pickles

I promise to relish your recipes... (rolls drum)

Mastercheddaar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:05:23 -0800

Planning on harvesting my cucumbers and I need the hive mind for relish recipes. Aside from about 10 good sized cucumbers I also have more Hungarian hot peppers than I know what to do with. I was thinking about turning it all into relish. Some dill, some sweet, maybe some hot? Thank you all in advance... Any ideas are welcome.

Canning season is here - we need advice on how to keep our pickled veggies crunchy!

pghjezebel — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:31:19 -0800

Canning season is here - we need advice on how to keep our pickled veggies crunchy! Mom and I are gearing up for our yearly canning weekend. Last years batch was a huge success (taste-wise) but our veggies weren't as crunchy as we would have liked them to be.

What tips can you give us on making our veggies as crunchy as possible? (And any tried and true recipes that you love are welcome as well - the stronger the kick the better!)

We're going to be doing:
Cauliflower, celery and carrots
Garlicky dilly beans
Pickles (if we have the time)

Jam session

rhoticity — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:15:59 -0800

Home canning filter: do I need to sterilize Mason jars/lids by boiling or oven or some other method if I'm using them for fridge pickles and freezer preserves, or am I okay just washing in hot soap and water? I can find stuff on google about pressure canning doing the sterilizing for you, and about sterilizing if you're processing the canned goods for <10 minutes, but I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to give me and my boyfriend a nasty case of botulism or something by just washing and going.

Also if you have any recommended freezer preserves or fridge pickle recipes, I would love to have them. Working on a farm this summer = lots of free produce and time spent at farmers markets. We just don't have the room in our little apartment for a canner that only gets used a few times a year.

Searching for long lost pickle recipe

mudpuppie — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:57:21 -0800

Need the bread and butter pickle recipe from either the Ball or Kerr canning recipe books. Hep me! My mom's bread and butter pickle recipe came from a 1970s edition of either the Ball Blue Book or the Kerr canning book, but she can't find the books (or the recipe). My library doesn't have the books, either.

The recipe was very simple -- vinegar, sugar, onions, mustard seeds and maybe turmeric. No weird stuff, like a lot of the recipes I'm finding online. (And the recipe on Ball/Kerr's own site now calls for "Ball® Simple Creations® Bread & Butter Pickle Mix." That ain't happening.)

This is the version I grew up with, so I'd like to use it.

Any help? I've got 5 lbs of cukes that need to go into jars tomorrow.

Non-Christmassy items for Christmas hamper gifts

i_cola — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:13:47 -0800

I'm looking for some ideas, recommendations & recipes I can use to make up some Christmas hampers for presents this year. As much home made stuff as possible & I'd like to try & avoid overtly Christmassy things. Things that can be used in January & beyond. My girlfriend & I love to cook and we've decided, in proper credit crunch fashion, to make up a few hampers and individual items for close family & bunch of friends that we're visiting over the holidays.

I've got a few ideas from these previous threads.

Prepared items and ingredient packs with a recipe are where we want to go. Currently, chilli jam, fig jam, a Kerelan fish chutney & a buckwheat pancake mix with (quality) maple syrup are on the list.

We want to do most of the prep from next weekend onward but really want the items to be used after the Christmas gorging season is done and forgotten so preserves, pickles, chutneys, flavoured things (everything from sugar to vodka) are all good, as long as they don't need too much maturing time.

Bonus points for recipes in grammes or ounces rather than cups!

Why do pickles and apples make me perspire?

jwfree — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:32:46 -0800

Why do things that are citrusy make me sweat? And is this a potential problem? I know this is strange but I have always been curious. I am in great shape and health and I couldn't be feeling better. For some reason, when I bite into something like a pickle or an apple (green apples especially) I will slowly start to perspire. I have tried to research it but I really don't have a clue where to start.

Picklers of the world unite!

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:28:26 -0800

What's your favourite pickle recipe, and why? And what advice can you offer to a novice pickler? I've embarked on a cautious foray into the world of DIY pickles. So far I've mostly limited myself to trying to replicate the ones I grew up with, i.e. Dutch-style gherkins and onions. They're nice, sure, but not very imaginative.

So in the interest of adventure, let's hear it! What's your favourite pickle? And if you know how it's made or if you've made it yourself, please share! I know I'm not alone in my pickle frenzy, so let's not be coy about these things, shall we.

Some personal quirks:
-I like pickled vegetables. Fruit... not so much. Previous successes include gherkins/cucumbers, onions, carrots, sweet peppers, and celery. I'm very open to pickling other vegetables.
-I really, really like strong tastes. Anyone remember boo_radley's story in MeTa a while ago? That's me. Basically, the pickles I've made so far have come straight from hell. This does not please everyone, however, and they don't have to be super hot or sour or garlicky or anything. But I do like strong flavours. More specifically, I'm looking to add some meat to my pickles, or say a darker / more umami flavour.
-Most of what I've made and/or read about concerns European- and American-style pickles. I'd be interested to hear about other varieties, such as those from our Asian cousins.
-Relishes to relish! Let's not forget about these pulpier, more spreadable citizens of Pickleland (which I'm pretty sure actually exists).
-I'm also interested in advice a pickle master would give to a novice, such as "cold infusions are for total wusses" or "the amount of mustard seeds should never exceed the square root of the amount of coriander seeds". Of course, I'm totally making these up, but I'm sure you catch my drift.

Then again, feel free to ignore the above, as certainly your suggestion will benefit someone.

Thanks in advance, fellow pickle freaks, and stay sour!

Pickles help

Wulfgar! — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:52:15 -0800

Dill ripens ...well ... now, in Montana. Cucumbers ripen in about 3 weeks to a month. Dill pickles are better with fresh dill, but the dill will have gone to seed. Hep? Do I dry or freeze the dill? Googly searches say use fresh ... like that's any help. Ideers?

Where can i buy preserved lemons?

rorycberger — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:26:23 -0800

Where can I buy preserved lemon in the SF Bay Area? I know, I know, I should make my own, but I need it tomorrow so I can't wait for it to cure. Thanks in advance.

Gherkins or Dills with that Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, madam?

gleuschk — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 06:44:56 -0800

You know that old cliché about pregnant women and the ice cream and pickles? Are the pickles dill or sweet?

Looking for good Indian pickles

jak68 — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:07:36 -0800

What is your favorite brand of Indian pickles? And can you order it online? By Indian pickles of course I mean south asian curry-pickles (what is its English name, anyway?). You know, where they take some kind of fruit or vegetable (most commonly mangoes or limes) cut it into chunks, pickle it in curry powder, usually eaten with rice and yogurt or lentils.

I've been trying to find a brand that isnt all chunks (of fruit) and that tastes good (not just too hot-spicy and not too bland either). I know there are a bunch of competing brands in Indian grocery stores (and I've seen them in regular supermarkets from time to time).

Can you pick me up some string cheese?

tpl1212 — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 05:18:02 -0800

What is the *best* book you can recommend that covers diet and nutrition for a healthy pregnancy? My wife is 8 1/2 weeks pregnant (woo!) and is, as expbeen quite manageable so far...but with all the dietary restrictions (like those mentioned previously here), we'd like to get a good book on a healthy pregnancy diet...preferably one with recipes and whatnot. She's all up on the folic acid, vitamins, don't eat roadkill kind of advice, so we're looking for a day-to-day dietary handbook...or something.

This area seems to be flooded with resources and, well, try as I might, i'm out of my element here.

Fried Pickles

Raybun — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 11:09:40 -0800

Is there a place in southern NH/NE Massachusetts that serves fried pickles? I followed the suggestion of a member of this board (you know who you are) and tried the deep fried pickles in Chattanooga Tennessee. I am hooked and am looking for a source closer to home. help me out here.

Carnegie Deli pickles?

bondcliff — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 09:11:18 -0800

Where can I buy pickles exactly like the ones they put on your table at the Carnegie Deli? It's a christmas gift. They have to taste exactly the same. Exact. I need to be able to honestly say "these are THE SAME pickles."

I do not live in NYC so I'll need to order them on-line.

I just called the Deli and got hung up on by an angry woman after a quick "No. We don't sell pickles." The Deli's website is an animated unicorn.gif shy of looking like it was built by your kid sister.

I'm not looking for opinions about better pickles or delis (delii?), I'm looking for THOSE pickles.

I know they usually give you a couple of different kinds, so I'd need them all. I don't know from pickles so I don't even know what kind to look for.

Two very important pickle related questions

leapingsheep — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 04:40:58 -0800

What is the definitive difference between kosher dill pickles and Polish dill pickles? And, in a related question, is there anything harmful about drinking the juice from a pickle jar when I feel the intense (pregnancy induced) need?

How do I easily pickle vegetables?

houseofdanie — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 11:06:58 -0800

My son and I got to talking about pickles the other day and how various vegetables can be pickled. We ended up at Penzey’s (we’re so lucky to have a store down the street!) and I got their pickling spice blend. We have some baby zucchini and carrots. Now… what the heck do I do? I Googled around a bit and found a bunch of stuff that requires special equipment. I’m very confused. The spice mixture includes yellow and brown Canadian mustard seeds, Jamaican allspice, cracked China cassia, cracked Turkish bay leaves, dill seed, Zanzibar cloves, cracked China ginger, Tellicherry peppercorns, star anise, Moroccan coriander, juniper berries, West Indies mace, cardamom and medium hot crushed red peppers.

Guss' Pickles in NYC

Plutor — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 11:00:34 -0800

As long as I'm in town, I'd like to go to a well-known pickle place on Manhattan this Sunday. I'd prefer Guss' Pickles, but I'm having a really hard time finding official-looking (or even recent) information on it. It seems that The Pickle Guys are in their old Essex St location. Is Guss' on Orchard St still? Are the hours in this review still accurate? Should I go somewhere else altogether?