In a Pickle

fermented vegetables add bite to your meals and restore optimal digestion

What are pickles?
When one thinks of pickles, usually dilled cucumbers come to mind.
These are delicious and health promoting (if made naturally) however
pickles include many more varieties. They are a vital source of healthy
friendly bacteria and lactic acid which promote a healthy intestinal
environment and optimal digestion and absorption.

Store bought pickles
Commercially available pickles tend to be made with distilled vinegars,
sugar, refined salt and can contain chemicals, preservatives and
colouring agents. They are often not naturally fermented so provide
little benefits other than the satisfying sour taste. These forms of
pickles tend to promote or exacerbate intestinal problems like candida,
bloating and irritated digestive organs while naturally made, live
pickles tend to help enhance digestion and remedy these situations.
Although a much better option, pickles found in natural food stores are
still pasturized and are therefore lacking in the beneficial live
bacteria. It is so easy, quick and inexpensive to make your own and
avoid getting yourself in a pickle.

What kind of pickles are there?
Pickles include sauerkraut, long time pickles radish in rice bran and these very easy to make at home brine pickles.

Brine Pickles - as easy as boiling water
Brine Pickles are one variety that are extremely quick and easy to make
at home. They literally take a matter of minutes which means you can
work making them into even the busiest schedules.

Jar preparation
Sterilize a glass jar and fill to the three quarter level with the vegetables you have selected (see below) and prepared.

How to make the brine
For each litre of water, add 2-3 teaspoons of unrefined Celtic or premium of sea salt. Place
one litre of pure water and the required amount of salt in a saucepan.
Bring  to the boil or warm just enough to dissolve the salt. Allow
to cool. Then pour over the prepared vegetables in the jar. Ensure that
no vegetables protrude from the water. A smaller bottle
can be put in to push the vegetables down. As time passes, the salt
extract some of the water from the vegetables and the water level may
rise.

What can you pickle?
carrots
red radishes
turnips
celery root (celeriac)
cauliflower (break into bite sized florets and finely slice the stems)
broccoli (break into bite sized florets and finely slice the stems)
swede (rutabaga)
celery
broccoli
kohlrabi
beetroot
onions (it is recommended to pour boiling water over them to take out
the sharp flavour. You can also pour the brine over them while it is
still warm but place a stainless steel spoon in the glass pickling jar
if you do this to prevent it from shattering)

Additions

 You can put a small  piece of kombu or wakame sea vegetable at the bottom of
the jar, though this is not essentail

Ilanit’s favourite combinations
daikon radish and carrot cut in half moons
swede and carrot slices
kohlrabi and carrot
kohlrabi shredded in a food processor or Thermomix
mini cucumbers (I often add some brown rice vinegar to these)

How to slice the vegetables
For best results make all the vegetables roughly the same size. Smaller
and thinner pieces will pickle more quickly and reliably. I like to
layer the vegetables.

Covering your pickles
A cheesecloth or sushi mat or piece of plain towel paper folded over
into four should be put on top to keep out bugs and dust. It is
important not to close jar as air is needed for the pickling process.

Out of sight, out of mind
Keep them on the kitchen counter in an out of the way place so you
don’t forget about them. Some cooks like to have each batch of pickles
fermenting in the same place to they get a reliable mix of good ambient
bacteria. It can take from 3-10 days for the pickles to reach the
desired state of sourness. The best way to be sure is a taste test. Be
sure to use a scrupulously clean implement to retrieve your tasting
pickle and don’t double dip to ensure no new bacteria are introduced.
Pickling time is also dependent on ambient temperature. Although
pickles tend to be ready sooner in summertime, indoor heating can speed
the process up in winter so keep an eye on them. Different vegetables
are ready at different paces. Carrots and daikon tend to ferment
quickly though the sour taste ripens with time. I prefer cabbage to be
fermented for longer periods. If any frothy or congealed liquid appears
at the top of the jar, just skim this off. Don’t be afraid of fermented
food that has rotten rather than fermented - your nose will prevent you
from consuming anything that has acquired less than friendly bacteria
long before you can put it in your mouth. Be sure to use all your
senses when cooking and fermenting food. IF it does not smell appealing
sacrifice that batch to the compost heap and try again!

Storing your pickles
Once your creation has reached its desired taste, put the lid on and refrigerate.
Should last about a month or longer(if not eaten up before).
Small amounts of pickle juice can be sipped before meals as a digestive
tonic. Carrot and daikon pickles juice is quite appealing. Sauerkraut
juice was traditionally consumed as a tonic and cure-all for digestive
complaints.

Eating your pickles
Traditionally 1-3 pieces of pickled vegetables were consumed
towards the end of a meal to facilitate digestion, cleanse the palate
and surprisingly to help satiate the appetite and reduce the craving
for sweets. The sour taste often short circuits the impulse to reach
for the cooking jar. This is verified by the Chinese Medicine five
transformation cycle which shows that Sour (wood element) cute Sweet
(earth element). Eating too many pickles at one time can cause
intestinal discomfort and cravings for excessive amounts of food and
digestion is overstimulated. Moderation is the key.

Other type of pickles
umeboshi plum pickles
umeboshi paste pickles
shoyu pickles
tamari pickles
sauerkraut
pressed salad
takuan rice bran pickles
miso pickles
dill pickles

For fool proof, super quick pickles try a unique kitchen appliance - The Perfect Pickler and specialised fermenting crocks.

Once you try making your own pickles you will be pickled pink at the results and wonder how you ever did without them.