In Italian, whenever you see “un cucchiaio di aceto dolce” (1 teaspoon of aceto dolce), what is meant is “sweet vinegar.” This can be a fruit vinegar — say, Raspberry Vinegar — or even Balsamic Vinegar. Italians would regard the Japanese wine vinegar, “Mirin”, as “aceto dolce.” Otherwise Aceto Dolce refers to a pickled mixture…
Pickles
Alum
Alum is a short-form word for an ingredient otherwise known as “potassium aluminum sulfate.” Sold in crystals, there are both food and commercial grades; the food grade is available at some pharmacies. Alum was called for in older pickling recipes to give pickles a good, crisp crunch and helped ensure that they didn’t just come…
International Pickle Week
International Pickle Week is a 10-day long promotional period held in the U.S. each year, usually in May. It spans the American Memorial Day weekend, which is the start to summer in the US.
Italian Pickled Vegetables Recipe
All the work here is up-front, chopping the veg.
Lime (Chemical)
The chemical lime in the form of Calcium Hydroxide (aka Edible Lime, Hydrated Lime, CaH2O2) is used in some food processing, and has been for millennia.Lime (in the form of Calcium Hydroxide) is used in South America in processing corn. Corn is soaked in water to which Calcium Hydroxide has been added. The corn swells,…
Onion Sauce for Hot Dogs Recipe
This is a very nice relish.
Pickle Day
The 14th of November is Pickle Day. It celebrates the simple but timeless wonder of pickles! They exist in some form in just about every cuisine in the world.
Pickled Ginger Recipe
It’s so easy to make your own pickled ginger!
Pickled Onion Relish Recipe
This isn’t a proper, preserved relish. It’s meant to be used either the day it is made, or refrigerated and used up within a few days.
Pickling Cucumbers
Pickling Cucumbers © Denzil Green Pickling is the only practical way to preserve cucumbers. They don’t freeze or dry well. Pickling cucumbers, though, are the only kind of cucumbers that won’t go mushy when canned, because they start off really firm and crisp. Regular cucumbers for fresh eating are called, in contrast, “slicers.” You can…
Pickling Lime
Pickling lime is calcium hydroxide. It’s also called “food-grade lime”, because in making the calcium hydroxide the processors make sure that the process remains pure and doesn’t introduce anything untoward (e.g. it’s not done in rusty old bins.) Pickling lime helps to improve the firmness of pickles by introducing calcium that reinforces the pectin in…
Preserved Lemons Recipe
A classic Middle Eastern condiment.
Quick Summer Pickles Recipe
Admittedly, the work Quick in the title refers more to them being ready right away to eat — there’s just no way to avoid the vegetable prep that has to be done. But this is a fabulous homemade pickle, and you just can’t buy tastes like this.