Persimmons

Oh my goodness!

Have you ever made kimchi? It's the Korean version of cultured vegetables, very distintive, very spicy.

I have to admit it wasn't in my 'to-try next' list at all. Korean food is still so foreign to me. Does anyone know if Houston has a class like this ? The blog e*starLA chronicles a class in LA AND manages to make KimChi accessible to me via ChiliMango comparisions. Click on this post's title to see the entry.

This is just the weekend to find persimmons in our local farmers markets!

Enjoy.

Prepping for a big session tomorrow. Looking for the answer to the age old question: to pre-brine, not to pre-brine our veggies? Tonight the answer was 'yes'. We'll see in 8 days, won't we?

Anyway, during the search for that, found this gem:

Lacto-fermentation is an artisanal craft that does not lend itself to industrialization. Results are not always predictable. For this reason, when the pickling process became industrialized, many changes were made that rendered the final product more uniform and more saleable but not necessarily more nutritious. Chief among these was the use of vinegar for the brine, resulting in a product that is more acidic and not necessarily beneficial when eaten in large quantities; and of subjecting the final product to pasteurization, thereby effectively killing all the lactic-acid-producing bacteria and robbing consumers of their beneficial effect on digestion. Nourishing Traditions, p. 90.

Artisan small-batch deliciousness it is!

Carrots w/ ginger

Oh man!

We had nearly run out of everything pickled, so have been back in culturing party mode for the last few weeks. 2 words: gingered carrots. Just delightful.

We did carrot spears and carrot slaw in 1/2 gallon jars with about 2 Tablespoons of ginger finely diced in each.

I can't wait for our peppers to complete their ferment, so we can get back to mixing hot sauces. Hopefully Brooke will have pictures, soon.

Sept Pickle

We are doing a basic spice pickle this Sunday afternoon at EconGrrl's house. Come one, come all, and bring your garlic peeling expertise. We'll try to take good pictures.

This chart of Asian spices comes via Flickr. Thanks avlxyz!

Cat-sup! a teaser

This weekend All We Need +2 are making living ketchup, from the recipe in Sally Fallon's book. I am really looking forward to this. With Stacey's delicious tomatoes as the base, how can we go wrong?

You'll find out! When we upload the photos and highlights next week. mmm sweet potato fries are going to taste even better with old fashioned, living ketchup!

I can't wait.

Hello and happy holidays, my pickled friends!

So far this season, I've given our pickles as presents to three of my Dearies, and it has worked out well in two cases (the third loves my-quirky-self enough not to mind).

What I haven't managed is to eat much of the darn good stuff we've been making! I am hoping it is just a sign of the holiday crazy schedule and the whirlwinds, both of which will be abating with the ringing in of the new year tomorrow.

The Kvass is rather like radishes for me--I resist beginning to drink it, but once I've 'broken the seal' I really enjoy it. It is good & thirst quenchingly salty.

Let's make a date early in the new year to play pickles! And take that darn poll!!

Wishing you lots of peace, prosperity, & pickles in 2008!

IntraSpeck!