So today while M.B. was asleep I decided to go all crazy scientist on some cucumbers. To the right we have a canning cook book style original dill pickle, to the left we have a ridiculous random recipe that I pulled out of my ass. Warning: my recipe does not follow any USDA or FDA approved methodologies, follow at your own risk. However, both styles were ten minutes in the cooker, five minutes without the heat, and then I pulled the jars out of the cooker and let them cool on the counter. The dill recipe was pretty strait forward, dill, mustard seed, sugar, vinegar water. Boring in my opinion. When I pulled it out it started to hiss, which means that I didn't get a good enough seal for it to be actually preserved, we are working with second hand material at this point; we haven't had the time or money to buy new materials.... oh well, everyone fucks up. We had to refrigerate it just to make sure we don't kill our selves, feedback on the actual recipe next week. The unorthodox recipe is the one I am most excited about. I used a mix of red wine and sherry wine vinegar. Red wine and White wine vinegar have an acidity percentage of 5%, while Sherry wine vinegar has an acidity level of 7%; there fore making more ideal for pickling and preserving. I also added four chilis, some garlic (duh), mustard seed, worcestershire, rosemary, and a spoon full of horseradish. I have no idea how it's going to turn out, it might even turn bad; this is the first time I have actively tried to preserve before.
Anyway, I will give you updates as soon as I believe my 'pickles' are ready, many more updates on home preserving to follow! One of the classes that I am about to take is called "Extending the Season", which means that I will have a talented Chef teaching me a lot of great ways for you (us) to preserve food instead of having to throw it out.
Keep checking in, school starts soon so that means millions of new ideas!!
---- Chef Z
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