How to Make your own Pickling Spice (+ Crushed Red Chiles)

I have an incredibly well-stocked spice cupboard.  And for that I am grateful.  If I don't have a particular spice blend, I can usually make it myself...which is fantastic, because it allows for more control anyway.  One thing we use an awful lot of in our house is crushed red chiles (particularly my better half). But I do use my fair share.  It seems that every time some sort of food is plated up, he's hunting down the shaker.  So we need to replenish more often than it's feasible to run to the market.  Fortunately, we also try to keep a pretty good selection of whole, dried chiles around the house, so it's a cinch to pull the stems from some and throw them in the spice grinder for a quick whirl.

Farmer's Market Treasures & Pickled Currants!

While at the farmer's market this past weekend, I ran into some wonderful treasures!! We arrived home with the scent of fresh, warm, soft pretzels still lingering on our breath and our bags stuffed with abundance- peaches...strawberries...green onions...purple, red and white fingerlings...prosciutto, smoked swiss and freshly baked red pepper focaccia from the Italian deli tucked inside the market...apples...fragrant basil, rosemary and thyme...and the fabulous little treasures that I don't find often- FIGS and Ruby Red CURRANTS! 

They're like sparkling little jewels...I was soooooo overjoyed!  The kiddos didn't remember ever having currants before.  So, they poised themselves...held a little bubble of exploding warmth...and popped it in!  Reaction....POW!  Tart, yet sweet.  I don't know if you can see it on their faces or not, but they liked them.  We ate about half of them straight-up!

The other half I decided to pickle and can.  I'm not sure if I actually did it right or not, because this was my first time trying to do anything with them besides make a jelly.  I used a recipe I found in Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters.  She actually says to pack the fruit into jars with self-sealing lids.  Are these different from normal canning jars (I'm still just getting comfortable with canning at home...branching out)?  Well, I used the normal method of canning and the currants puffed up...from the heat, I'm sure...which is what makes me wonder if self-sealing is different? Either way, they're gorgeous and I can hardly believe I have to wait 6 weeks to find out how it actually worked.  I'll keep you posted.  If nothing else, I'll have some fabulous currant vinegar!

Pickled Currants

from Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters

I just did a small batch, ~1/4 of a recipe

4 c. red currants

3 c. white or red wine vinegar I used red wine vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

1 allspice berry didn't quarter it, still used a whole one

2 cloves used one

Strip the currants off their stems-or leave them be; unstemmed, they make a pretty garnish as little branches of fruit.  Bring the vinegar, sugar, allspice, and cloves to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Let cool.  Pack the fruit into canning jarss with self-sealing lids prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Pour the cooled vinegar over the fruit and seal.  Let sit in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks before serving.

My other treasures I simply wanted eat warm and seedy and wrapped in salty prosciutto...with a little mint from my yard.  Perfection.

Have you run into anything unexpected and wonderful at your Farmer's Market or through a CSA or community garden lately?  What was it and what did you do with it....create or simply enjoy?
 


*If you missed the Two for Tuesdays announcement and wonder what it's all about, just click on the badge or HERE and it'll take you to the explanation page!!

Lacto-Fermented Asparagus

I went a little crazy with the asparagus this Spring.  Each trip to the Farmer's Market yielded at least one bundle of beautiful spears...be it long, thin and green...or thick and purple...or ghostly white...I was really feeling the asparagus this year.  Luckily everybody around our place adores it.  When my pal Diana shared her recipe for lacto-fermenting asparagus, I knew that was a must on my list!  With all the cheesemaking I do successfully or not, I have plenty of whey on hand to use for the process of lacto-fermenting...talk about fate.  Fermentation is a chemical reaction in which sugars are broken down into smaller molecules that can be used in living systems, according to Dictionary dot com.  To read a little more about it, check out Diana's lacto-ferment post!  Okay, I am totally tootin' Diana's horn here, aren't I!? That's okay, she totally deserves it...she's such an inspiration.

Lacto-Fermented Asparagus
adapted slightly from this recipe from Diana of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa...using what I had on hand

•1 bunch asparagus, cut in half...or even thirds if it is long and thin and rinsed
•2 long stalks of spring onions, sliced
•a few sprigs fresh parsley, rinsed
•1/2 TBS. black peppercorns
•1/2 TBS. coriander seeds
•1 TBS. sea salt
•1/4 c. whey (If you do not have whey, feel free to add 1 tbls extra sea salt)
• filtered water (must be filtered as chlorine will disrupt the fermentation process)

1.In a quart sized mason jar, add the asparagus, spears down.
2.Add the parsley in between the asparagus spears.
3.Add the onion, peppercorn and coriander seeds.
4.Add the filtered water, sea salt and whey. Make sure you add enough water to cover and 1" from the top of the jar.
5.Cover and shake it up, making sure everything is underneath the liquid.
6.Allow to ferment in a dark cool place for 3 days up to two weeks (or more).
7. Store in refrigerator after initial ferment. It will continue to ferment once in fridge, but at a much slower rate.

Pack everything into jar

Leave an inch of headroom...I didn't, even though I knew I should have...I just put it inside a container to catch the bit of overflow I knew would come from the fermentation process.

Ready to set aside in a cool, dark place for fermentation

After fermentation...that fade to army green...num, num

Delicious served with farm fresh poached eggs (sprinkled w/ a little Wild Porcini sea salt) and Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf.

I think fermenting this way tastes a bit different than if it were pickled in vinegar...milder, sweeter... Give it a try!  If you want some whey and don't have any on hand, you can always join us over at Forging Fromage where we make our own cheese every month...you're guaranteed to have some whey in no time!