Regardless of your pickled preferences, it’s time to grab your favourite crunchy, vinegary snack to celebrate National Pickle Day, observed every year on November 14. The term pickle comes from the Dutch word pekel, which means salt or brine.

National Pickle Day was first celebrated in 1949, initiated and supported by the Pickle Packers Association. The founder of the day remains unknown.

Did you know? Pickle Polka is the theme song for Pickle Packers International?

But as it’s also only 41 sleeps it’s also time to make some Christmas Pickles…

Most pickles benefit from keeping and if you start making them now they will be lovely for Christmas…we love pickles and since living here I have discovered lots of different ideas and produce for pickling…be it fruit or vegetables I pickle it!

Pickled Cabbage, green onions and Eggplant…

Layer Cabbage, Green Onions, eggplants and salt in the dish add a little water. Mix it all together with your hands. I use lovely yellow eggplants on this occasion but any of the small eggplants can be used except for the pea eggplants.

We then leave the dish covered on the kitchen top or in the sun for 1 day.

Then drain and lightly rinse and add more salt if required. Cover and leave for 2/3 days or until it reaches your ideal taste. With pickled cabbage, it is purely down to personal taste some like it saltier or sour more than others. Just play with it and you will soon discover your ideal version.

My daughter in law who is Thai doesn’t like it as sour as we do… she doesn’t like the Winegar taste as she puts it… Once it reaches your required taste it is ready to eat.

This recipe is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Pickled Garlic…I love garlic and always use far more than any recipe states again garlic is a popular vegetable here which belongs to the onion family and has many proven health benefits. I also think it is the reason why mosi’s don’t bite me…

It is used in curry pastes, curries, stir-fries, dips and sauces, pickled and eaten raw here …Thais eat more raw vegetables than cooked I would say at every meal…

My garlic recipe is a favourite here I always have a jar or three in the fridge and they get dipped into as and when…

Pickled Garlic…

• 8-10 garlic bulbs
• 500 ml white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 90 gm sugar
• 1 tsp salt…I always use salt mined here locally or Himalayan salt.
• 1 tsp per jar of either mustard seed or fennel seeds (optional) we prefer the mustard seeds.

2 x 250-300 ml jars with good lids

Separate the bulbs of garlic into cloves and peel.

In a saucepan bring the vinegar, salt and sugar to the boil, stirring occasionally to make sure the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the garlic cloves to the pickling liquid. Bring it back to a boil and simmer for five minutes.

Transfer the garlic cloves to sterilised jars. Add the mustard or fennel seeds if used. We actually couldn’t decide on Fennel or mustard seeds so initially, I did both we have now decided for us that our preference is the mustard seed…Carefully fill the jars with the hot pickling liquid. Seal.

The garlic will be ready to use in about a week but improves over time…if you can wait that long…

Pickled Cucumbers…

Cucumbers are always plentiful here and pickle nice and quick…Lovely with some nice cheeses…

Pickled Cucumbers…

I used 4 cucumbers ( they are short) ones here not like the ones we used to get when in the UK although I have discovered Japanese cucumbers and they are nice, crispy and very similar to the cucumber I know and love.

The cucumbers here are much smaller with larger seeds in the centre and not quite as crispy and flavoursome. In fact, I think I prefer them pickled.

Lets Pickle!

• I peeled and sliced( quite thickly) 4 cucumbers.
• 1 large Onion peeled and sliced.
• 3 cups of vinegar.
• 1/4- 1/2 cup of sugar or sweetener of your choice. I only used a 1/4 cup of sugar and some salt to season as required.
• 1 cup of water.

Whisk vinegar, sugar and water together in a jug. Put alternative slices of cucumber and onion in pre-sterilised jars, then pour the vinegar mix over the cucumber and onion making sure to cover completely.

Screw the lid down tightly and refrigerate they will be ready to eat in 2 days in fact if you leave these too long they get too vinegary. They are really a quick pickle recipe.

My number two recipe for pickling cucumbers…

Pickled Dill cucumbers. 

• 3 medium cucumber
• 1 large Onion thinly sliced.
• 85g sea salt flakes (essential- table salt will render your efforts inedible)
• 500ml cider vinegar
• 250g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seed
• 1 tsp peppercorn
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• small bunch dill

Wash the cucumbers, split along their length and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into finger-length chunks, then cut into 5mm strips. Mix with the onion and salt in a large bowl, cover and leave to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the juices, rinse the vegetables in cold water and drain well. Put the vinegar, sugar and spices into a very large saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 5 mins to let the flavours infuse.

Add the vegetables and bring the pan to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring now and again. Boil for 1 min, then remove the pan from the heat. Tear in the dill, then pack into sterilised jars making sure that no air bubbles are trapped.

Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

 

We love pickled eggs…Do you love pickled eggs??

Jalapeno Pickled Eggs:

 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 a cup of Cider Vinegar.
• 3/4 a cup of water.
• 1/2 cup of sugar plus 1 tbsp sugar.
• 6 cloves.
• 2 Jalapenos cut in half lengthwise and deseeded.
• 1 tsp cumin seeds.
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 onion sliced.
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 9 Hard-boiled eggs, peeled.

Let’s Cook!

Boil eggs for 10-15 mins until hard. Remove from heat and put into cold water.

In a medium pan, put vinegar, water( or beet juice) if using, onion, jalapenos, sugar, and spices. Bring to the boil and cook until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Pour vinegar over eggs making sure they are completely covered.

If using beet juice also put some beet in the jar with the eggs. You will then have pickled beets as well.

Make sure the lid is tight and refrigerate. The eggs will be ready to eat in a few days and will keep for up to a month if you haven’t already eaten them.

Curried Pickled Eggs:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cider vinegar.
• 3/4 a cup of water.
• 1/4 of an onion.
• 3/4 cup white sugar.
• 3 cardamon pods
• 1 tsp mustard seeds( yellow or brown)
• I tbsp yellow curry paste.

Let’s Cook!

As above bring all the ingredients to the boil until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool a little and then pour the vinegar mix over the eggs making sure they are completely covered.

Allow to pickle for a few days in the fridge they are then ready to eat…

Pickled jalapenos:

 

This recipe was given to me by a Texan friend and it has carrots in the Jalapenos something I hadn’t thought of. His mum’s recipe and they are the best ones. The carrots taste lovely when pickled with jalapenos. It is our go-to recipe and I make them all the time …The current batch has some blow your head of Jalapenos isn’t it funny how they vary in heat just like chillies. But pickled they are oh so scrumptious.

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 large Jalapenos sliced into rings.
• 1/2 to 1 carrot sliced into rings.
• 3/4 cup of water.
• 3/4 cup of distilled white vinegar.
• 3 tbsp white sugar.
• 1 tbsp salt.
• 1 clove garlic crushed.
• 1/2 tsp oregano.

Let’s Pickle!

Combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic and oregano in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil.

Add carrots bring back to boil and lower heat slightly, cook for 5 minutes. Stir in Jalapenos and remove the pan from heat. Allow cooling for about 10 minutes.

Pack carrots and Jalapenos in sterilised jars using tongs. Cover with vinegar mix or put in a sterilised storage container and keep in the refrigerator.

Thai Pickled Cabbage ( Pak Dong)

• 1 white cabbage. cut or torn into pieces.
• 8 large spring onions chopped
• Coarse Salt.

Pickled cabbage is very easy to do and there are many variations I have seen it with fresh chillies. It can also be made with Chinese cabbage or Pak Choy..Our preference is just plain old white cabbage and spring onions it is quick, easy and very moreish it can be eaten on its own, stirred into soup or with a curry as an accompaniment. It doesn’t last long here at all as our little granddaughter loves it and just eats it on its own.

To Pickle:

Layer Cabbage, Onions and salt in the dish add a little water. Mix it all together with your hands.

We then leave the dish covered on the kitchen top or in the sun for 1 day.

Then drain and lightly rinse and add more salt if required. Cover and leave for 2/3 days or until it reaches your ideal taste. With pickled cabbage, it is purely down to personal taste some like it saltier than others. Just play with it and you will soon discover your ideal version.

Then refrigerate and enjoy!

A while ago I was having a fancy for a kebab and my thoughts turned back to the beautiful kebabs we used to get that had these wonderful pickled chillies/peppers…I found this recipe and it is delicious and goes lovely with a salad or a kebab filling…

Piperies Mikres Toursi…

• 36 thin peppers, such as Anaheim peppers, about 3 inches long, stems trimmed to 1/4 inch long
• 3 tablespoons coarse-grained salt
• Water, enough to cover the peppers
• 5 cups red wine, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or spiced vinegar (any flavour)

Add the peppers to a large glass bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and then fill the bowl with cold water until it just covers the peppers. Soak for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Drain the water after 6 hours. Lay the peppers on clean towels until the peppers dry. When the peppers are dry, stuff them into clean and sterilized 1-quart mason jars. Pour vinegar into each jar, making sure to cover the peppers. Seal the jars according to the package instructions for the Mason jars.

Store the peppers in a clean, dry place for up to 3 months.

The only jar I could find was quite a big one and my peppers floated…What I did was fill 2 bags with salted water(just)in case they split and dropped them in the jar…the vinegar rose and my peppers are submerged so if you have a jar that is just too big then this little tip is a godsend…

Left with lots of pickle juice ????

Don’t want to waste that pickle juice???    Then have a …Pickleback shot or cocktail…

What is a pickleback? You are about to find out!

It’s a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice and some even follow that with a beer chaser…

A popular drink in bars around the world and apparently very good….Have you tried a pickleback????

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week ahead xx

I would also ask that when you are shopping for presents, food, and decorations that you think about its origin and how it was produced…carbon footprint, child labour…Please think about the packaging can it be recycled or reused…Do you really need it? Every little helps…x