let's see your veggie garden {pics}

[workhorse_01]

Deluxestoggie, I cold pack too no pressure canner here either.

 

[deluxestogie]

I actually have some hundred-year-old Mediterranean pickle recipes that use lactic acid fermentation at room temperature, but starting out with no vinegar and hoping for lactic fermentation is a crap shoot. Most of the time, you win. Occasionally, you die.

Bob

 

[Michibacy]

good info. deluxestogie,

i will be using that recipe, sincs all the pickling i do,, is just A DASH OF THIS AND THAT,,, i usually only do peppers,, and okra,,

but this year,am definatlly going to try some beans,

MICHIBACCY i have 3 jars of okra i pickled from last year,,, that i havent tried one yet, ive had some samples tried by others, and they said they were good,

allthough my pepper's supply is running low, about the time i run out, i;ll be re-canning this years crop,

i like to let my okra '' sit'' and soften up real good, and let the spices get into the okra real good,, i shake the jar about twice a month,,

I may have to pickle some, pickled fried okra sounds real good

This whole "southern crop" fever hits me oddly. I have no southern blood in me but magically I feel I belong in the south, growing tobaccy, okra, etc...

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I actually have some hundred-year-old Mediterranean pickle recipes that use lactic acid fermentation at room temperature, but starting out with no vinegar and hoping for lactic fermentation is a crap shoot. Most of the time, you win. Occasionally, you die.

Bob

Fermenting is the only way to go- Pack a mason jar with pickles, add water ,sprig of dill and 1 -2 T of salt ( taste preference may vary). You are now done, total time, 1 minute or so. Once a day vent the jars to allow the gas to escape. This takes 3 to 5 days. Set aside for a few more days and then you can eat the most flavorful crunchiest healthiest pickles there are! The only down side is since these are "natural" they still contain all the enzymes etc in the cuke and as such they will get soft within a week or two after opening a jar. That's a good thing though!

 

[Chicken]

ive never tried to make pickles,,,

perhaps this year i may give it a try,,,,

picking my cukes when they are small....

it is a thought, lord knows i got plenty of mason jars,

 

[deluxestogie]

If you've never tried green tomato pickles, you should give those a try. Collect about 1 quart of tiny green tomatoes, about 1 to 1-1/2" in diameter. I usually slice them in half for pickling.

Bob

 

[Chicken]

im not a big mater fan,,, fried green maters yes,,,,i grow them for the woman,,,

she dont mess with none of my pickling's.... TOO CIVILIZED I GUESS???

 

[deluxestogie]

Chicken,
I don't particularly like fried green tomatoes. Green tomato pickles don't really taste like tomato.

Bob

 

[BarG]

I have six plants with 2" long so called cherry tomatoes that are literaly loaded, they would be a good batch to try pickling maybe?

Fried green tomatoes

large beefsteak or big boy tomatoe[I like the big ones]
Flour
salt
pepper

Slice tomatoes 1/4- 1/2 " thick and roll or pat down in flour w/salt and pepper
I like to fry in bacon grease for extra flavor [but thats me]
cook till flour forms a light brown crust over medium heat and enjoy while hot.

Still waiting for my larger varietys to grow to size but this thread is making me hungry.

Tim

I'm interested in a realy good bread and butter type pickle recipe. Any suggestions.
Cold pack or pressure canner is fine. And the pickled okra has been recommended also.
I'm not a big okra fan usualy but I have a 50' row planted this year.

 

[BarG]

OK Try it with the pepper corns as Bob suggests.

Think we should start a "Recipes, non tobacco" as a sub forum? LOL

I have a couple of mean sausage recipes. Ask BarG

John

Johns pan sausage recipe can't be beat. I'll never buy pre-mixed again. I used venison and hamburger for a
10 lb.batch , 7lbs venison and 3 pounds hamburger. With his permission [I hope] I'll post here but you'll have to ask him for his secret summer sauce recipe. That is absolutely fantastic. I have that one and a great Italion sausage recipe from John also. Somebody twist his arm.



[QUOTE Johnlee1933]

Recipe -- Pork Sausage

Breakfast
10 lbs. pork shoulder ( I like about 15% fat)
Coarse Kosher salt 5 Tbs.
Rubbed Sage 5 Tbs. (or more to taste)
Rubbed summer savory 2 to 3 Tbs. (I go easy on the Savory)
Nutmeg, grated 1 tsp.
Marjoram, ground 5 tsp.
Black Pepper ground 3 to 5 tsp. (I lean toward the heavy side here)
Dry Mustard 3 to 5 tsp. (Again to taste, I use 3)
Ice water 1 cup

I use the medium hole plate in the grinder. (My D’in’law uses the fine.)
Put it all in a big pan and mix the hell out of it with your hands. I let mine set in the fridge over night for the flavors to blend. I divide it into one pound portions which I roll into “logs” about 2” in diameter. I freeze these in Saran wrap. When I want some I partially thaw a log in the nuke and cut ½” thick slices for frying. (It cuts cleaner partially frozen.) John[/QUOTE]

 

[workhorse_01]

I use 7 lbs. venison,3 lbs. pork & fat in sheep caseings then add everglades season and sausage spice then hickory smoke and get fatter.

 

[deluxestogie]

I have six plants with 2" long so called cherry tomatoes that are literaly loaded, they would be a good batch to try pickling maybe?

bread and butter type pickle recipe. Any suggestions.

Tim,
For pickling larger tomatoes, just cut them into wedges, like quarters or sixths.

The info below is excerpted from 11 pages of pickle recipes that I compiled a few years ago.

*******************
Bread and Butter Zucchini (and/or Yellow Squash) Pickles
• Zucchini and/or Yellow squash, sliced 1/8" to 1/4"
• Onions, sliced (1 part onion to 4 parts squash)
• Distilled white vinegar (enough to fill jars)
• Sugar (2 cups per quart of vinegar) [approx. 2 cups sugar per quart of brine]
• Salt (3 tbsp per quart of vinegar) [approx. 3 tbsp salt per quart of brine]
• Celery seed (2 tsp per quart of vinegar)
• Dill seed (2 tsp per quart of vinegar)
• Dry mustard (1 tsp per quart of vinegar)

1. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt and spices to a boil.
2. Pour over sliced vegetables and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Pack into hot, sterilized jars.
5. Seal. Process 10 minutes.
[4 quarts sliced zucchini; 1 quart sliced onion; 1 quart vinegar makes 6 to 7 pints.]


Bob's Recipe Rosetta Stone
• 3 tsp = 1 tbsp
• 4 tbsp = 1/4 cup
• 1 cup = 1/2 pint
• 2 cups = 1 pint
• 2 pints = 1 quart
• 4 quarts = 1 gallon
• 1 peck = 2 gallons
• 1 bushel = 8 gallons


The True Meaning of the Pickle Universe
There are tens of thousands of pickle recipes floating around. Every one of them has a sacrosanct air about it, once its arcane formula has been written down. All the precise measurements and incantations exist because, when someone tried it that way, he, she or an unsuspecting third party taster liked the results. If it calls for nine black peppercorns per quart jar, and you're going to pack yours into pint jars, well, you might be tempted to split one peppercorn in half in order to stick to the recipe.

Here's my sense of quick-pack (non-fermented) pickle recipes. Regardless of the vegetables, they fall into two groups: sour and sweet.

For sour, use a brine of vinegar and water that ranges from [1 part vinegar : 3 parts water] to [1 part vinegar : 1 part water]. The salt for the brine is usually increased as you dilute the vinegar. It typically ranges from 2 tbsp salt per quart of brine to 4 tbsp (that's 1/4 cup) salt per quart of brine. So we can successfully pickle most vegetables in the following sour brine:

Generic Sour Brine (for damn near anything)
• 1 quart vinegar
• 1 quart water
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup salt
• (some dill seeds or heads and or sprigs)
• (lots of garlic for Kosher style--multiple cloves per pint jar)
• (some whole peppercorns)
• (some whole mustard seed)
• (some celery seed)

With most of my sour pickle batches I add 1 Japanese chile (dried, sold by the bagfull as "Chile Japones") per pint, 2 or 3 per quart.

For most non-fibrous vegetables (see Cooking, below), just place the washed, possibly sliced or chunked, vegetable into sterilized jars. Add the herbs and spices directly to each jar. Pour the BOILING brine (vinegar + water + salt) over the contents of the jar to fill, leaving headroom. Seal. Process 5 minutes for small pieces in pints; 10 minutes in quarts. Double that for large, whole cucumbers, etc. Ready to eat in about 4 to 6 weeks.

For sweet, the salt, if present, is often just for taste, rather than the pickling process. Sweet and Sour is what we're after. The syrup is basically spiced vinegar plus a lot of sugar. Here's the range:

Generic Sweet Syrup (for most sweet style pickles and relishes)
• Select desired syrup:

• A. 2 cups sugar per quart of vinegar: Bread and Butter style (also needs 3 tbsp salt per quart of vinegar, since this is in between sour and sweet)
• B. 4 cups sugar per quart of vinegar: Sweet Relishes (add up to 3 tbsp salt per quart of vinegar for salty relish). Most relishes use only a little brine.
• C. 8 cups sugar per quart of vinegar: Very sweet chunks
• D. 16 cups sugar per quart of vinegar: Almost candied (for kumquats or watermelon rind)

• (some whole cloves)
• (some whole allspice)
• (some whole coriander)
• (some whole peppercorns)
• (some bay leaf)
• (some whole mustard seed)
• (some stick cinnamon)
• (OR mixed pickling spice)

Use the same general procedure as described for the generic sour. For most relish, you may want to use ground spices, or enclose them in a muslin bag for cooking in the syrup and subsequent removal. For whole fruit, you should probably go with a tested recipe, since it may need some carefully timed cooking.

Cooking: A glance at the recipes for specific vegetables suggests that the fibrous vegetables may require various amounts of cooking to make a soft enough pickle. Compare your vegetable to those recipes and just make a good guess. Low acid vegetables, such as green beans, will require a longer processing time, which may be sufficient without additional cooking. Stalky brassicas (like cauliflower and broccoli) need extra cooking in addition to the longer processing. If you undercook a vegetable, it will pickle just fine, but may be crunchier than you would prefer. Whole fruit are often cooked within the pickling syrup until the fruit reaches the desired sugar penetration or it clarifies, like the fruit in marmalade.

The true meaning of the pickle universe is that within some rough bounds, you can and should make up your own vegetable pickle recipes. You can start with one of the generic brine or syrup recipes, season it with just about anything, and still be miles ahead of store-bought pickles.

(Don't try this with low acid recipes, such as meats and herring, etc. Those need to be processed in a pressure canner that will sterilize the food.)
*******************

If you've read down to here, congratulations. I'll add one other pickle "secret." Pickled raw garlic is delicious and crunchy. It's not anything like eating raw or cooked garlic. Pickled onion chunks are likewise wonderful. For garlic or onion or both, fill a jar with peeled garlic cloves or onion chunks, then use a sour pickle recipe for the brine.

Bob

 

[BarG]

Thanks Bob, That sure reads like what I was looking for. I love small whole or halved onions and garlic pickled also,

My problem in the past is having my pickles to vinegary tasting or being too mushy. I haven't had that problem much with my peppers, thats where I always add onions, whole or halved garlics and sliced or baby carrots .

 

[leverhead]

Thanks to all! This is a great thread.

 

[Chicken]

This thread makes me hungry,,,

 

[Steve2md]

I am all for a non baccy recipes thread

 

[workhorse_01]

Me too, there is so much for all of us to gain from one anothers recipe's from pickles and stewed tomatoes to gator nuggets and vinisen sausage.

 

[Rayshields]

Here is my onion patch that I planted March 8 and 9 when it was about 2 weeks old.
View attachment 860

Here it is now.



One of the bigger ones at over 3" diameter.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

gator nuggets

What in the hell is that?????? Alligator testicles????

 

[workhorse_01]

NO !!! I dont eat anything's nads !!! When you skin out a gator and de-fat the tail your left with four long rolls of meat they look like really long narrow tornadoes . You hold all four together and cut across this leaves you with what looks like chicken mcnuggets. Then you season with everglades season (monkey dust) as it's called in south west FL.http://www.evergladesseasoning.com/ , then dip them in crystals hot sauce , throw them in a bowl of flower shake it around and deap fry untill golden brown. Man that makes me hungry. It goes good with swamp cabbage ! Dont ever eat gator fat it must be de-fatted or you wont eat it again !