If I'm not crazy for making my own marinara sauce, then I am probably guilty for making my own pickles. I guess I always have something to say when I have to do that "say something interesting about yourself" icebreaker game. But seriously, I love me some pickles, and I love almost anything pickled. I've loved sweet pickled cucumbers since I was little, but I was opened to a whole new world of pickling after I started exploring Japanese cuisine. Traditional Japanese meals are accompanied by several small dishes of pickled vegetables, usually whatever has been in season. I like the variety, the colors, the seasonal aspect, and the flavors from sour to salty to sweet. I finally decided last year that I had to try it for myself. Most pickles are surprisingly easy and don't require fancy canning mechanisms or presses (though I got embarassingly excited when my parents got me a pickle press from Japan for Christmas last year). The simplest involve just a few ingredients shaken together in a bag and left to sit for an hour. These are two pickles I made recently, though they aren't exactly typical examples. I'm sure I'll get to my stand-by pickle recipes soon! :)
Green Tea Daikon Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 small daikon radish (about 1/2 lb.)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. green tea leaves
(you're supposed to use Japanese green tea, called sencha, and I jut cut open two tea bags, which provided exactly the right amount)
1. Peel the daikon and cut it into matchsticks of roughly the same size. 
2. Place the daikon, salt, and green tea leaves into a plastic bag and shake well to combine. Let the sit until the daikon softens, about 20 minutes, then seal the bag and place in the refrigerator. These pickles will be ready in an hour or so, and should stay good for several days.
These pickles were ok, but not great. I think they turned out a little salty, and the daikon was very spicy. If I try these again, I will consider par-boiling the daikon first to mellow it out a little and reducing the salt. I didn't really get much of the green tea flavor, either. Maybe I used the wrong kind? Anyway, these sadly fell under the realm of "edible," but I am intrigued enough by the recipe that I may give it another shot.
Basil Green Bean Pickles
Ingredients
- enough green beans to fill a wide-mouthed jar (I think it was about 1/2 lb.)
- 3 Tbsp. basil simple syrup
(directions follow) - 4 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
- a few basil leaves
1. Snap the ends off of the green beans, rinse them in cold water, and then blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain.
2. While the beans are still hot, line them up in the jar so that it is completely full. Pour the remaining ingredients over, then fill with water. Screw the lid on tightly, and shake the bottle to combine, making sure all of the salt dissolves. Once it cools, put the jar in the refrigerator. The pickles will be ready to eat the next day.(3.) To make basil simple syrup, dissolve one cup sugar in one cup boiling water, and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Turn off the heat, stir in a large handful of basil leaves, and cover. Leave overnight to infuse. In the morning, strain the leaves from the syrup and store it in the refrigerator. (This also makes really good lemonade).
These pickles were much more successful than the first ones, and I would definitely make them again. Since I kind of made them up, I used what I had on hand, though, which included some basil syrup I had made a while ago (before starting this blog, so sorry for the lack of pictures). I think I could make something similar without the syrup, though. Can you tell I had too much basil on my hands this summer? I don't really have the dedication to grow an entire herb garden, but the basil I did grow left me kind of grasping at straws for how to use it. I guess I should grow some dill, since I've been into pickling. Anyway, basil pickles well and goes nicely with green beans, as it turns out. Look forward to some more pickling recipes in the future!
2 comments:
Care to venture a guess on how long the green bean pickles would last?
Well, we just ate the last of them for lunch today, and they still seemed crunchy and fresh. I made them last Thursday, so they should last at least a week and probably up to two weeks once they're open.
Since I put them in the jar when they were still hot, there was actually enough heat to seal the lid. They should last even longer if you keep the jar sealed, though I haven't yet experimented with it.
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