Showing posts with label pickles and relishes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pickles and relishes. Show all posts
Bread and Butter Pickles are my favorite of all the pickles you can make. Crisp and sweet, they are not too sour and have a nice flavor that goes with just about anything.
No surprise that they are amongst the most popular pickles out there. They have been around a very long time and have been gracing many a table for many, many years!
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
This recipe which I am sharing today is for a refrigerator version, so there is no real cooking involved. A simple brine is made and poured over cucumbers and onions, along with a few seeds, in jars. The jars are then left in the refrigerator to "age" for a few weeks.
The end result is a pickle that everyone is going to love! This is a small batch recipe, making only two pint jars. But to be honest, you don't want to have any more than that cluttering up your refrigerator! Small batch recipes suit me well because there is really only myself to please these days!
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
When my children were growing up I made tons of pickles every year. And they all got eaten. My children's favorites were always the dill pickles, but mine were always these! They are sweeter than dills and go well with just about anything.
It was said that they got their name from back during the depression days when people could only afford pickle and butter sandwiches for their lunch. It has also been said that people traded these pickles for essentials such as bread and butter in yet another theory.
Whatever the origin of the name is, one thing is for certain and that is that these are really delicious pickles!
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE REFRIGERATOR BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
Only a few basic ingredients, not including the jars. I have used canning jars, but in reality you can even do these in plastic tubs. No specialized equipment needed.
- 1 pound (450g) pickling cucumbers (about 4 small ones), blossom and stem ends removed and cut into spears or slices
- 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (240ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) filtered water
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fine sea salt or pickling salt
- 1 tablespoon whole yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns (optional)
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
Pickling cucumbers are cucumbers which are specifically grown for use in making pickles. Their thinner skins, crunchy texture and smaller seeds make them ideal for pickling.
That is not to say that you cannot use regular cucumbers. You can use any cucumber if it is not over-ripe. I have even heard of people making these pickles with small zucchinis.
I never use the black peppercorns because I don't like them in my bread and butter pickles. I like my bread and butter pickles with just the mustard and celery seeds.
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
I have seen people add all kinds of things to these pickles however. Hot peppers or red chili flakes seem to be very popular. I like them just as they are however.
I use my mandolin to slice them into 1/4 inch coins. I also use the mandolin to slice the onions. It makes for better uniformity in the sizes. Some people like to crinkle cut them. By all means do so if that is what you enjoy and if you have a crinkle cutter!
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
HOW TO MAKE REFRIGERATOR BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
Nothing could be easier. No real cooking involved. Nothing but patience is needed while you wait for the brine to do its job and then they get better tasting with every week that follows!
Make sure your jars are scrupulously clean. Wash them in hot soapy water, rinse well and dry with a clean dish towel.
You can cut your cucumbers into 1/4 inch coins (crosswise) or into spears (lengthwise). If cutting into spears you will get about 8 spears per cucumber. I cut into coins using a mandolin.
Pack the cucumbers and onions slices into the jars, using onion slices to keep the cucumbers separated.
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
Top with the mustard and celery seeds, and peppercorns (if using).Combine both vinegars, the sugar, salt and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium high heat until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved and the mixture is hot.
Pour the hot mixture over the cucumber mixture in the jars to cover completely. I fill them to the top. If there isn't enough you can add a bit of boiling water to make sure. You want to make sure the cucumbers are completely covered.
Screw on the lids and place into the refrigerator. Leave for at least two weeks before using. These will keep for three to four months in the refrigerator.
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
As I said, the hardest part of making these is waiting for the brine to do its job. It is the same with any pickle I guess. The longer they sit the better. These are lovely and sweet and crisp.
I enjoyed some on this day with an air fryer grilled cheese sandwich, made on bread machine white sandwich bread. Oh boy but this was a delicious lunch.
To make a grilled cheese in the air fryer. Just butter your slices of bread and put them together with sliced processed cheese, butter side out.
Pop into your air fryer basket and fry at 370*F/185*C for 8 minutes, flipping the sandwich over halfway through the cook time. Delicious and crisp with perfectly melted cheese!
.JPG "Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles")
This is the season for pickling. If you are a person who loves do make pickles and relishes you might also enjoy these recipes:
GREEN TOMATO CHOW - The perfect recipe to use up some of the green tomatoes in the garden. This was my MIL's recipe and my family just loved it. I love this sweet green tomato chow better than any other kinds I have tried. Its perfectly delicious!
MILLION DOLLAR RELISH - Another small batch recipe, this tasty relish goes with just about anything. Nice and sweet, its is wonderful on hotdogs and hamburgers!
Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles
Yield: 2 pint jars
Crisp and sweet, these are my favorite pickles. This is a small batch recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) pickling cucumbers (about 4 small ones), blossom and stem ends removed and cut into spears or slices
- 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (240ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) filtered water
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fine sea salt or pickling salt
- 1 tablespoon whole yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns (optional)
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- Make sure your jars are scrupulously clean. Wash them in hot soapy water, rinse well and dry with a clean dish towel.
- You can cut your cucumbers into 1/4 inch coins (crosswise) or into spears (lengthwise). If cutting into spears you will get about 8 spears per cucumber. I cut into coins using a mandolin.
- Pack the cucumbers and onions slices into the jars, using onion slices to keep the cucumbers separated.
- Top with the mustard and celery seeds, and peppercorns (if using).
- Combine both vinegars, the sugar, salt and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium high heat until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved and the mixture is hot.
- Pour the hot mixture over the cucumber mixture in the jars to cover completely. I fill them to the top. If there isn't enough you can add a bit of boiling water to make sure. You want to make sure the cucumbers are completely covered.
- Screw on the lids and place into the refrigerator. Leave for at least two weeks before using.
- These will keep for three to four months in the refrigerator.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I have a really delicious recipe to share with you today. It is a Mexican barbacoa recipe for some beef barbacoa tacos made with leftover cooked roast beef.
I tried doing a pot roast in my Instant Pot/Electric Pressure Cooker at the weekend. It was okay, but I had to cook it twice as long as the recipe suggested. I think maybe it was because I used a rolled brisket.
Perhaps I will try it again another time, but with a different cut of beef I might also cut it into smaller pieces instead of leaving it whole. It was tender but not as tender as I wanted it to be.
I found myself with a fair quantity of leftover cooked roast that I needed to use up. More often than no I will make a hash of it, but to be honest we didn't really feel like hash or a pie, etc.
This recipe is a combination of several recipes which I discovered online. The Beef filling is an adaptation of one I found on the Betty Crocker site.
I don't really have a difficult time adapting recipes for my own use. I am fairly knowledgeable in the art of switching out ingredients, substituting, etc. That's probably because I have been cooking now for a very long time.
Their recipe was for a beef taco filling created in an Instant Pot using stewing beef. I adapted it for cooking in a saucepan or large skillet, using leftover cooked beef.
If you don't have leftover roast beef, you could also use ground beef in its place, browning it along with the onions.
The Pickled Onions are adapted from a recipe I found on David Lebovitz, which he adapted from Ms Glaze and Simply Recipes.
This wealth of sharing is one thing I love about the online cooking community. We learn from and inspire each other. Its a beautiful thing.
He had served them with Carnitas. I loved the look and sound of them.
I thought they would go well with these tacos. I was right. They were fabulous.
They are incredibly tasty with an eye-popping pink colour that is oh so, so, so pretty!
The filling is very tasty also. Not too spicy, just enough to wake up your tasty buds and say "¡Arriba, Arriba! ¡Ándale, Ándale!"
I like to heat my tortillas over the open flame of a gas burner. I read about doing that a year or so ago and it was a life-changer for me.
I have never done them any other way since. They end up wow! I just love them!
Lightly toasted, charred a bit, and beautifully soft for folding in something like tacos. Seriously if you have never done this before, you need to try it!
Just take a pair of tongs and hold them over the open flame, first on one side and then the other. It only takes about 10 seconds per side.
Once you have done this, you will never want to enjoy them any other way. Trust me on this.
In addition to the filling, pickled onions and tortillas I served grated cheese, salsa and sour cream.
These were totally fabulous! We both ate three! I thought I would only eat two, but I just could not resist one more!
Yield: 4 - 6
Beef Barbacoa Tacos with Sweet Pickled Onions
Something I came up with to use up leftover cooked roast beef. These are delicious to say the least! You can make the onions up the day before if you wish. They will keep for quite a while. If you don't have any leftover roast beef, you can use ground beef and just cook as below.
ingredients:
- 1 TBS vegetable oil
- 1 pound leftover roast beef, cut into cubes
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 240ml beef stock (1 cup)
- 1 TBS minced Chipotle chiles in adobe sauce
- 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
- pinch salt
For the pickled onions:
- 180ml white vinegar (3/4 cup)
- 3 TBS caster sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 bay leaf, broken in half
- 5 whole allspice berries, bruised
- 5 whole cloves, bruised
- a pinch of dried chili flakes
- 1 large red onion, peeled, cut in half
- and then into half moons
To serve:
- 6-inch plain tortillas
- Dairy sour cream
- grated cheese (cheddar or jack)
- tomato salsa or picante sauce
instructions:
- First make the pickled onions. Place the vinegar, salt, sugar, spices, bay leaf and chili into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the onion slices. Stir to completely submerge. Remove from the heat and set aside. Allow to cool completely before transferring all to a jar and refrigerating until ready to use.
- To make the taco filling, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped beef and onion. Cook and stir until the beef has begun to brown and the onions have softened without colouring. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks.
- Heat the tortillas according to your favourite method. Serve immediately with the hot meat filling, pickled onions and any accompaniments you enjoy.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I really hope that you will give these a go the next time you have leftover roast beef that you are wanting to use up. If you are a fan of Tex Mex, you will quite simply adore these. I love using up leftovers in an interesting and delicious way. Its a good thing, not to coin a phrase from Martha or anything. Delicious, colourful and no waste here!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
All the pears are ripening on our tree now and I am in a rush to get as much done with them as I can before its too late. I made the crumble the other day and then I made this delicious Spiced Pear Chutney! I call it Autumn in a Jar!
You really can't go wrong with making a delicious chutney. It is a gift that will give back to you all the year through!
We love chutneys in this house. In fact chutney was one of the first things I learnt to make when I went to Culinary College. It is a very British thing. I think I could make a chutney out of just about anything.
When I was at college we were taught the very basics of making a chutney. You need something sweet and something sour, something spicy and a whole lot of spark!
A chutney is a spicy condiment/relish which contains the perfect balance of sweet, sour and spicy! Mango chutney is a favourite, but there is no end to the types of chutney you can create if you stick to a simple rule of thumb.
Whereas relishes mostly contain vegetables a chutney is largely based on a fruit. And you want a perfect balance of the trinity of chutney which is as I said above, sweet, sour and spicy!
This one is largely composed of pears and onions with some dried cranberries. You could also use sultanas if you wished. DO be sure to use firm pears, not soft ones.
Mine were not very ripe which is perfect for chutney as they held up their shape well in the long cooking process. You want to be able to tell that there is pears in it, or why make it?
The sour comes from the use of Cider Vinegar! I love Cider vinegar and it goes very well with the fruity orchard-infused flavour of pears.
Apples and pears, pears and apples . . .the two things just go together like peas and carrots. They have a natural affinity with each other and I don't think that it is any surprise that the two are ripe at the same time of the year.
There is plenty of brown sugar in this chutney, which adds an almost sweet smokey depth to the flavour and then there is the spice . . .
You can never go wrong with a bit of spice. This chutney has them in abundance. Each of them highlighting and showcasing the fabulousness of those pears!
You want your chutney to have a bit of a kick without going over the top. That special kick is what makes a chutney so special and quite different than most other pickles and preserves.
We are really going to be enjoying this over the winter with all sorts. Perfect on cheese trays, in sandwiches, and with cold sliced meats. Boxing Day Lunch with all of he cold leftovers from Christmas day would not be the same without a jar of chutney on the table.
I will let you in on a little secret here. A dollop or two added to a stew, or soup, or yes . . . Swiss Steak, goes fabulously and will have your guests and family wondering just what is that special ingredient you use to make your cookin' taste so good!
Pear Chutney. This is so delicious and it will have your kitchen/home smelling great for a few days after cooking it!
Aside from the deliciousness it is also very easy to make. Delicious and easy, not to mention a great air freshener! That is a combination which is pretty hard to beat.
Yield: 3 Pints
Spiced Pear Chutney
prep time: 35 minscook time: 1 hour and 45 minstotal time: 1 hours and 80 mins
Something delicious to make with your pear glut.
ingredients:
2 pounds firm pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 1/2 pound brown onions, peeled and diced
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and minced
150g dried cranberries (1 cup)
400g soft light brown sugar (2 cups, packed)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
710ml cider vinegar (3 cups)
160g tomato puree/paste (5 1/2 ounces)
instructions:
Prepare the pears and onions. Place them into a large deep saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining
ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 1
to 1 1/2 hours until it is the consistency you want, stirring it
often. Ladle into hot sterilised pint jars, wipe jar rims, and seal.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining
ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 1
to 1 1/2 hours until it is the consistency you want, stirring it
often. Ladle into hot sterilised pint jars, wipe jar rims, and seal.
Created using The Recipes Generator
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The
English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are
reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you
may report it to me at: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I think one of my favourite vegetables has to be beetroot! I just adore it. Steamed, roasted . . . pickled, fried, you name it. Its right there up on the top of my "Love" list!
Last week we were blessed with some fresh beetroot from a friend's garden and I was in beetroot heaven. I used some of it to make a small batch of this Beetroot Chutney!
When I moved over here to the UK in 2000 I went back to school and learned how to be a Chef at a local college. One of the first things we were taught to do was make chutney.
It is something I have never forgotten and which I have used a lot over these past 17 years.
We adore chutney in this house. Its so easy to make and goes very well with oodles of things . . . like cheese and crackers for instance . . . or cold meats.
The principles of making a chutney are pretty simple. You want a bit of sweet/sugar, a bit of acid/vinegar, a bit of heat/chilies, some spice/cinnamon, cumin, etc. and fruit/raisins, etc. . . . and the main ingredient.
Whatever it is you are wanting to use, like today's Beetroot, but also you can do it with mango, plums, tomatoes, whatever . . . the world is your oyster when it comes to making chutney!
Recipes for Eastern
‘chatneys’ begin to appear in cookbooks such as Eliza Acton’s Modern
Cookery for Private Families in the 19th century.
Some were fresh, almost a relish, and others were
preserved and similar to this beetroot chutney I am showing you today. The older recipes were not as sweet as the ready made chutney's we have become used to in modern times.
I kind of winged this when I was making it, hearkening back to what I was taught in my chef's course and this is what I came up with. We were both really pleased with the results.
What you see here is the bit that didn't fit into the jars. It is delicious. I could eat it simply with a spoon.
*Beetroot Chutney*
Makes 2 to 3 small jars
1 clove of garlic, bruised
splash of olive oil
Peel and chop your beetroot and onion. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the beetroot and the onions. Cook over low heat and sweat for about 15 minutes, taking care not to let it brown or burn, you just want it to have begun softening.
Add the remaining
ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a very slow simmer.
Cook, stirring occasionally, over very low heat for about 45 minutes
until thick and chutneyish.
If you think it is going too dry before it
is done you can add a splash of vinegar to keep it looking glossy and
moist. When it is done, spoon into 3 hot sterilized jars and seal
immediately while still hot. Store in a cool dark place.
I have decided that beetroot is not the most photogenic crayon in the box, but what the hey. Taste counts for a lot and this chutney is most delicious! Bon Appetit!
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