Time to get yourself in a pickle

If there is a trouble with this time of year it is that everything seems to ripen at once and being a squirrel at heart, I can't stand to see anything go to waste. Is this a part of the female chromosome, genome, or whatever separates the boys from the girls?

A friend gave me a bagful of unripe pears from her tree and suggested that I store them in a paper bag until they ripened. A peek or two later, I decided they just weren't showing the slightest inclination to change colors for me. So I threw in an overly ripe banana and closed the bag once more.

The pears thumbed their collective noses at me. I thought, okay, we will just eat you hard and snappy. Good plan except that there was not much flavor to be found and no delicious juice available to run down the chin.

What to do, what to do? Pickle the balky critters, of course. I then had to resort to a cookbook that is nearly sixty years old to find a recipe for pear chutney. Those spices and that ginger did wonders for the flavor and while no one will ever guess what fruit was used, they really aren't going to care. You could substitute almost any underripe fruit in this recipe. If you use apples, don't use the pectin. As you know most commercial pectins are made from apples.

Pear Chutney

From a Good Housekeeping Cookbook published in 1949. Certo is no longer bottled; instead there are 2 packets in a box. I used only one of the packets.

4 1/2 firm pears
1/2 cup minced green pepper, optional
1 1/2 pounds raisins
4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup crystallized ginger, cut small
3 cups cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, not iodized
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 bay laves
1/2 cup bottled liquid fruit pectin (Certo)

Pare, core, and slice pears. Mix pears with all of the ingredients except the liquid pectin. Stir until it comes to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender and the mixture is thick--about 2 hours. Remove bay leaves. Add liquid pectin; boil 1 minute more. Pour at once into hot sterilized jars; cap and seal at once. Makes about 4 pints.

Pickled Plums

The plums pair well with pork chops, duck or chicken. They can also be served as a salad with greens and feta cheese. The longer they sit in the liquid, the softer the plums become.

1 pound firm-ripe red or purple plums
2 teaspoons butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 piece star anise or 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt, not iodized
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar

Slice the plums in quarters, cutting around the pits. Place in sterilized jars. Melt butter until it foams, then allow the butter solids to brown in the saucepan. Once the butter is browned, be careful not to burn it. Add shallots and star anise and cook until shallots are golden brown and the star anise is fragrant. Add salt, sugar, vinegar and 1/3 cup vinegar to the pan. Bring to a boil. Pour the liquid over the plums. Let plums cool in the liquid (or eat while warm). Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 months. Heat gently or bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 2 pints.

Gherkins

Tiny cucumbers are used in these snappy, crisp, pickles that are so very good with cold cuts and pates. If you don't have an old-fashioned crock, you can use a glass bowl, but don't use any metal container. These take about a week to make and they are not sweet. Well worth the effort.

4 quarts small unripe cucumbers (the smaller the better)
1 cup salt, not iodized
1 tablespoon alum
1 gallon cider vinegar
4 red peppers, chopped
2 sticks cinnamon
2 tablespoons allspice berries
2 tablespoons whole cloves

Wash and wipe small cucumbers. Place in glass bowl and add 1 cup salt dissolved in 2 quarts boiling water; Let stand 3 days. Drain cucumbers saving the brine. Bring brine to boiling point and again pour over cucumbers. Again let stand 3 days. Drain and wipe cucumbers. Bring 1 gallon water with 1 tablespoon alum to a boil; and pour over cucumber. Let stand 6 hours and then drain. Combine vinegar, red peppers, cinnamon, allspice and cloves; heat to boiling and boil for 10 minutes. Add one-fourth of the cucumbers to the vinegar solution and cook each batch for 10 minutes. Put into sterile jars, cover with boiling liquid and seal (or store in a crock as your great-grandmother used to do. Makes about 3 quarts plus a pint.

Home made is best made.

8/25/08
None\7-C

Date: 8/18/08

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