Pickles, brine proportions
Mar. 30th, 2021 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flanerieoconnorIt occurs to me that, writing for the most part for myself only, without much care for audience, I can use this space to, for example, post recipes. It being spring, and Lent, and desiring a healthier vegetarian snack to help wean myself off my unfortunate salty processed snack food habit, and also craving something probiotic and alive to help even out my gut, I decided to make some pickles.
Batch 1:
Carrots, Mustard Seed and Brine- about two carrots all told, chopped into match sticks and stuffed into a pint-sized mason jar- proportions taken from the recipe in "Art of Fermentation"- a rather mild brine, 1 tablespoon/pint of water, which makes, according to another portion in the book, a roughly 3.5% brine solution- enough for a "half sour" rather than a "full sour", if we're talking deli cucumbers.
Batch 2:
The remains of some aging mini orange bell peppers and a bunch of scallions, with some garlic and hot pepper flakes to no particular measured proportion, also in a pint jar. Same brine concentration as above.
Batch 3:
An attempt at Dilly Beans- green beans, half a package of store-bought fresh dill, a couple generous spoonfulls of minced garlic and a vigorous sprinkling of black pepper, in a quart-size jar- this time, a kind with a rubber stopper- NOT a good seal, as I found when I tried to shake the contents, and brine sprayed everywhere. A higher concentration of salt- 1.5 tablespoons/pint, or about 5%.
Made the first two batches on Saturday evening, 3/29- third batch this evening, Tuesday 3/20. As of now, not much activity on the first two batches- a few desultory bubbles, but nothing vigorous, and there's not much of any sourness to the flavor on the samples I've tried. The carrots, which I've really liked when I've made them in the past, taste kind of broad, overly sweet and a bit sickly so far- the scallion/pepper mix, salty and full of infused onion flavor, but without much zip. I'd have expected a bit more by now- maybe the lack of salt is to blame, or maybe the chilly-ish March weather? Obviously haven't yet tested the third, as I made it tonight. Will report back on results.
N.B. tried using ziploc sandwich bags partly filled with rice as makeshift weights- seems a lot more civilized than most of the contraptions I've used in the past.
FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, A NOTE ON BRINE STRENGTHS
3 tablespoons/quart of water (1.5 tablespoons/pint)- roughly 5% solution, or "full sour"
2 tablespoons/quart of water (1 tablespoon/pint)- roughly 3.5% solution, or "half sour"
2 tablespoons
Batch 1:
Carrots, Mustard Seed and Brine- about two carrots all told, chopped into match sticks and stuffed into a pint-sized mason jar- proportions taken from the recipe in "Art of Fermentation"- a rather mild brine, 1 tablespoon/pint of water, which makes, according to another portion in the book, a roughly 3.5% brine solution- enough for a "half sour" rather than a "full sour", if we're talking deli cucumbers.
Batch 2:
The remains of some aging mini orange bell peppers and a bunch of scallions, with some garlic and hot pepper flakes to no particular measured proportion, also in a pint jar. Same brine concentration as above.
Batch 3:
An attempt at Dilly Beans- green beans, half a package of store-bought fresh dill, a couple generous spoonfulls of minced garlic and a vigorous sprinkling of black pepper, in a quart-size jar- this time, a kind with a rubber stopper- NOT a good seal, as I found when I tried to shake the contents, and brine sprayed everywhere. A higher concentration of salt- 1.5 tablespoons/pint, or about 5%.
Made the first two batches on Saturday evening, 3/29- third batch this evening, Tuesday 3/20. As of now, not much activity on the first two batches- a few desultory bubbles, but nothing vigorous, and there's not much of any sourness to the flavor on the samples I've tried. The carrots, which I've really liked when I've made them in the past, taste kind of broad, overly sweet and a bit sickly so far- the scallion/pepper mix, salty and full of infused onion flavor, but without much zip. I'd have expected a bit more by now- maybe the lack of salt is to blame, or maybe the chilly-ish March weather? Obviously haven't yet tested the third, as I made it tonight. Will report back on results.
N.B. tried using ziploc sandwich bags partly filled with rice as makeshift weights- seems a lot more civilized than most of the contraptions I've used in the past.
FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, A NOTE ON BRINE STRENGTHS
3 tablespoons/quart of water (1.5 tablespoons/pint)- roughly 5% solution, or "full sour"
2 tablespoons/quart of water (1 tablespoon/pint)- roughly 3.5% solution, or "half sour"
2 tablespoons
