|
I am drowning in Jerusalem Artichokes (sunchokes). They really do grow like weeds. As a bit of background, they are a plant that is native to North America and they are perennial sunflowers that regrow each year from the roots, which are also the edible portion of the plant. They are impervious to weeds, insects, or disease, and are highly productive. I found this recipe for pickles to try to use some of them up. A couple things happened that I hope didn’t mess everything up. First, the recipe said it would make 3 quarts. Instead I barely fit everything into 4. The vinegar/sugar/water solution didn’t cover up the entire vegetables, probably only 85% of them, so I topped them off with another 1.5 cups of vinegar and a quarter cup of water. I hope this was OK. Then I became paranoid if 10 minutes was enough time to sterilize everything, so I let them go for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath. But then I’m reading today that pickles are a product of fermentation, and pickling isn’t the same as canning. Did I kill all the good bacteria? So what have I done, and how will I know if what I did worked or not? http://homecooking.about.com/od/condimentrecipes/r/blpickle3.htm
|
#
¿
Oct 28, 2011 19:19
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 08:22 |
|
|
Joe Friday posted:First, let me reassure you that you're probably going to be ok. Depending on the size of the chokes and other ingredients used, how tightly you packed the vessels and other considerations the volume the recipe makes can change. Pack your veggies in there tightly and make sure you thoroughly bubble your pickles. I tried the pickles and they came out! Like you said, they were a bit on the vinegar side, but after you rinse them off and let them soak for half an hour, they are quite pleasant. I wanted to wait to respond in case Jerusalem Artichoke pickles tastes like rear end, but since they don't I would be totally up to trying to the lactobacteria method.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 25, 2011 20:54
|
|
|
Joe Friday posted:If you are interested in making pickles by fermentation, you would use a completely different method. If you have a crock or a clean food safe bucket and a lot of chokes to still go through, I have a recipe that was designed for the very same predicament you are currently in. I'm still interested in fermenting my chokes. I'm not finding that many recipes. Can I find one for carrots or another root vegetable and use sunchokes instead? Are these vegetables interchangable?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 8, 2011 19:46
|
|
|
Joe Friday posted:Store in the fridge and enjoy the best pickles you have ever tasted. Looking forward to it! Thanks.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 9, 2011 05:30
|
|
|
Joe Friday posted:Please post pictures and/or results, action shots, etc. and let me know how yours turns out. Every crock is different, but have been nothing but pleased with mine. I was reading more, and realized I don’t own a crock. I will ask for one for Christmas. (You made my family’s life easier because I am super hard to shop for). In the meantime could I use a glass jar with the lid on top, but not screwed on? I’m curious about temperature. Right now the chokes are being stored in my root cellar where the temperature will hover around 40 once it gets cold out. I also have an unheated that stays about 50. I think I will try two batches and see what I like better.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 9, 2011 18:48
|
|
|
Joe Friday posted:Please post pictures and/or results, action shots, etc. and let me know how yours turns out. Every crock is different, but have been nothing but pleased with mine. I'll let you know how they turn out. Started them a couple day ago. Here are the ingredients. I bought the garlic and dill, sunchokes and the onion came from my parents garden (started the onion from seed in my house so it came home) The carrots are still growing in my garden. Bizarre fall in Massachusetts. My cat wanted to help.  I packed them in a Costco sized glass jar that once contained their 4 bean salad and cut out the top of a plastic container to form a disc that just barely fit inside. It is being weighted down with a jar of Trader Joes curry flipped upside down.  So far it's been a couple days, and things look identical to when I packed them in, but I put my finger in the brine and it tastes phenomenal, with a mixture of dill and vegetables. In a couple weeks, if I don't kill myself I will let you know how they taste.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 17, 2011 22:34
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 08:22 |
|
|
Time to start using my new Christmas present! I asked for a crock, didn't realize I was going to get a 5 gallon one. But those pickles I made a couple weeks ago are already gone. The sad thing is they never quite made it to the stage where they were completely done fermenting. I couldn't stop eating them, and then I wanted to give some to my brother-in-law who is into this raw food kick. I still have a mountain of chokes, and I was thinking of creative ways to use them up, but as pickles I'm looking forward to eating through the pile. Also the brine is incredible in soups. I made a chicken soup last week and instead of adding more salt I used half a cup of brine. It is to die for. Thanks Joe!
|
|
#
¿
Jan 3, 2012 00:16
|
|