Jarred

Beets and Turnip Pickles

‘Is it safe?’ that is the question I always wonder about when it comes to making homemade pickles. My husband and I used to make sweet pickles from Japanese cucumbers we grew in the garden, the recipe found in the Oregonian FOODDAY decades back. The whole process took three days but we enjoyed the strong acidic sweetness, after all it was an award winning recipe. The following year when we were ready to make another batch I could not find the recipe because of my fine organizing skills. I went through an entire box of newspaper clippings (mostly recipes). It disappeared into a black hole of paper mess!

That was before Google. I simply called the FOODDAY canning hotline to unintelligently explain ( I hope it was not recorded) that recipe to the lady on the other end because I did not remember the name. After she had listened to me for a few minutes with great patience, she understood what I was talking about. She sent me a print out of the recipe, free of charge.

My husband wished to make pickles with a much simplified recipe. No hot bath or soak in lime. Just vegetable, salt and water. He researched on-line plus getting tips from Lost Arts Kitchen’s Chris Musser’s Sour Beets recipe in an article publlished in the April issue of ‘MIX’  a Portland based magazine.

After 7 days of the fermenting process it was ready to taste. Oh no darling, you go ahead. I insist…No tingling in your body anywhere? How about your eye sight? Hallelujah, you’re gonna live! We cured the beets! Preserved the turnip!

 

Make 1 quart of beets pickle

Equipment: wide mouth quart jar, disposal glove to prevent staining your hands

• Fresh beets 2 pounds peeled
• Sea salt 4 Tablespoons plus additional 3 Tablespoons
• Ginger roots 1 Tablespoon finely minced (optional)

1. Julienned the beets with mandolin or food processer.
2. Sprinkle with the 4 tablespoons of salt and ginger (if using); mix well.
3. Pack the beets into jar. Press with end of wooden pin to pack tight and to express enough liquid to cover. In case the beets are not submerged in the liquid, add some brine made with 3 Tablespoons sea salt dissolved in 1 cup of water. Leave 1 inch of head space in the jar to allow for expansion.
4. Put lid on and place on the tray or casserole dish to catch overflow. Leave at room temperature for 7 days then refrigerate. Inspect carefully if mold forms on the top – this is not good…

  Turnip – Do the same as aboveCrunchy and tangy, they go well with many dishes.With barbeque chicken

Or crispy pork curry

Meanwhile in news from home front - Wildly prolific strawberries in our back yard are ripening fast. I think I should call my neighbors to spread the joy.I’m supposed to be on a diet so the chocolate mousse I had was in the teeny weeny cup, I made up for it with lots of whipped cream though. The recipe was in the February bon appetite magazine. I used hot chocolate instead of espresso. It was not as good as mine (actually from Marc’s No recipe.com).

Annual ‘Fun in the Park’  was last Saturday and Sunday and was held in one of city’s parks. Right off the bat I saw this banner. Oh Yeah? I’m calling Matsumoto Shaved Ice. But my husband’s attention went to Huge elephant ears – Wow it must be elephanourmas! What?…ah…yup!Copper art – I liked the sun flowerAn artist, Ron Sheldon, with his wife. They happened to be friends of a friend. How about that, a few minutes ago we’re total strangers.

Machine quilts made by Zewei O’ConnorThe rooster quilt, with amazing details!.

Go Ducks!Go Beavers! ….Garden ornaments are neat. Sorry I didn’t catch your name.

Recycle with Soifer original, creative and fun creatures There were many other vendors but they decline the pictures. Also present were several authors and poets signing books. Local singers and dancers performed in the event also.

This tent housed the city’s middle school and high school student’s art and photographs.

The corner of the same park has the Korean War Memorial Wall. My husband and I visited the evening of last Memorial Day.