Comments on: Mouneh, Lebanese Mountains, & Pickling

By: Amale

Amale — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:36:55 +0000

What is this i now what it is it is amazing

By: tasteofbeirut

tasteofbeirut — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:23:05 +0000

Fantastic post Beth!

By: FoodieView Blog » Recipe Roundup: Preserving Seasonal Produce

FoodieView Blog » Recipe Roundup: Preserving Seasonal Produce — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:44:39 +0000

[...] Kitchen Secrets has a brilliant article on pickling and shows you how to pickle cornichos cucumbers and over at The Constables Larder pickled lime is served with a slow baked pork. Photo by Citron [...]

By: cantaloupe alone

cantaloupe alone — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:32:52 +0000

Thanks for the link! Yeah that was a huge batch of pickles for some 60 people at summer bbq. The hardest part about smaller volumes of pickles is finding the right size vessel that will cover the cucs with brine, and have a mouth wide enough to get in and out of especially if you are weighing them down. Sometimes bigger is just easier.

By: Global Patriot

Global Patriot — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:53:47 +0000

Pickling was once so common in America. In my grandmother’s day everyone pickled something, and it was a point of pride to have a special recipe that you could share with friends and neighbors on an annual basis.

By: Addie

Addie — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:05:05 +0000

I love you website Beth! the video was touching it gave me goosebumps, i miss home. love ya’ you are doing such a fabulous job!!

By: Jan Van Goyen

Jan Van Goyen — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:45:25 +0000

Again…I look at your recipe
****500g cucumbers, cornichon preferably (or a variety of vegetables; turnips, carrots, onions…*****

So I can follow this recipe and substitute beets, turnip, carrots, cabbage and it will work? My guess is to use big chunks of beets, turnip, carrots but not whole ones because the pickling solution penetrates pickling cucumbers (cornichons) easier because they are less dense. More watery

Plus the cabbage I would pickle this way would be —->>> Whole leafs taken off the cabbage one by one, the greener and more outer the better. Then two to four leafs rolled up and jammed into the one quart jar. And repeat

If *instead* cabbage is sliced up and pickled this way the cabbage will come out too salty because of all the additional surface area for the pickling solution to penetrate

Why eat pickles?
They taste good…..
But they help you digest whole grains beans and meats. They get your intestinal bacteria right to help break down and assimilate complex carbohydrates found in grains and beans

White bread? When your intestinal bacteria are not so good you can still digest and assimilate white bread. This is why people instinctively choose it. It’s baby food

Pickles help digest meat. This is why people like pickles on their hamburger and relish on their hot dogs. Mustard and ketchup are also pickled foods even though the lacto-bacteria may have been killed off same as in lots of the yogurt you find in supermarkets. Only buy yogurt that says “live yogurt cultures” on the label

The sourness in pickles also helps digest meat and fried foods such as fried fish and french fries. This sour vinegar element cuts through fat

By: Jan Van Goyen

Jan Van Goyen — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:06:56 +0000

Thanks Bethany
Here is an example of a person who means well but will overwhelm the first time pickle maker. Too much volume to deal with…One gallon. Good luck making a smaller amount. (More salt that you use by the way!)
http://cantaloupealone.blogspot.com/2009/08/pickles-pt-2-brined-fermented-pickles.html

This is typical of pickle recipes. Your recipe scales up very nicely. Yours is one quart so if you want more you multiply it. I trust you because you come from a pickle making tradition so if you say one teaspoon salt and they will not spoil…. I know this is correct

BTW could you post recipe for making those beet stained cabbage?, turnip and carrot pickles I have had in Mediterranean restaurants? It may have been a Lebanese, Greek or Israeli ones. I forget

Thanks!