Pickle Recipes

Cucumbers are a mainstay of Thai cooking, sliced and placed at the base of steaming servings offlied rice, hollowed out and stuffed with seasoned pork for a clear soup, and seasoned with a sweet and tangy brinefor this delicious, ubiquitous little pickle. If you use the big, dark green, grocery-store cucumbers, do this first: peel well, halve lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a spoon, and then slice crosswise into sturdy little crescents. Except when serving it with satay, Thais often crown this refreshing salad with a tablespoon of chopped peanuts and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.

As anyone who has ever cooked with them knows, eggplants soak up oil like a sponge. So to get some flavor into them quickly, we brush them with lemon juice, vinegar, and honey before sealing their surfaces with oil. We like to leave the skins on and stack them like pancakes in a wide-mouth pint jar.

If you have a Walnut tree, or access to one, you may produce this English recipe. Green Walnuts (picked in June and July, before the shell has formed and can harden in the pickle.)are used. If you push a thin skewer or knitting needle into the nut, you will be able to feel when the nut is beginning to form. Be sure to wear rubber gloves as walnuts stain badly.

I know you wanted one that didn't precook the liquid, but have never seen one done as a cold-pack that the pickles stayed crisp. If all else fails, give this a try.

This is an easy recipe using can beets instead of fresh.

* May Substitute 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 tsp. baking powder + 1/2 tsp. salt + 1/4 tsp. baking soda for self rising flour. ** May substitute 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to equal 1 cup (let stand 5 minutes before using) for buttermilk. (I always use these substitutions.) Also a great and easy way to make onion rings!

Pickled mushrooms can be stored in refrigerator 3 to 4 weeks.

For a small batch ... these will only last about 1 week.