Pickles and Bush:

Now let me clarify that. I plant Burpee bush pickles every year. Today, I looked out the window and there were 5 deer in the garden. Pup and I went out of the door screaming and they ran. Once again, they had eaten my bush pickle plants.

Disaster? Not really. You see, we have a fairly large Islamic population here. Large enough that the Saudi King put out the bucks to build a mosque. They are a relatively diverse group of people [this leads to some humorous observations; last week I looked out my office window and there was a shapely young Iranian girl coming down the walk; she had sandals, very short, shorts, a vanishingly small halter top and her hair covered; like I said diverse] While they come from all over the world, some come from the Middle East. Those from the Middle East use pickling cucumbers in their meals. Therefore, the store I use gets them in fresh, at least, three times a week. So I have started buying them. The deer become a meat source. ;<)

Now back to making pickles. I am making Kosher Dills. It is an easy thing to do. You wash the cukes and put them in jars [quart wide mouth] that have been sterilized [which is not the same as being neutered]. You add cloves of garlic [that I grow], dill [grow that also], whatever else you like in terms of spices or herbs, and hot peppers [I grow 19 varieties; todays were jalapeno and cayenne; when I am really adventurous, I use habanero or Caribbean red; I freeze these things and use them the next year; you would be suprized how long 100 Carribean red last ].

Then you take a mixture of two quarts of water, one quart of vinegar and a cup of non-iodized salt. You boil it and pour it over the cukes. Put on a sealing lid, tighten it down and let is set for at least three months in the dark. These will be good in the fall.

Tomorrow, I make the horseradish stuffed versions. We are in the middle of horseradish country. It is like a wine cona-sewer [sic] living in Sonoma or France. You cut the cukes length-wise and scoop out the small small seed cavity. Fill that with HR and put them back together with toothpicks [you should also consider the wasabi stuffed version].

So much for the introduction to pickle making; and I did mention Bush. :<)

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 06, 2002

Answers

Most amusing Z!

Hey, I could go for some of those horseradish pickles! Thanks for the recipes! I should send you my recipe for hot pepper jelly! We in the desert, KNOW how to sweat!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), June 06, 2002.

For the best tuna salad, add fresh dill, red onions, fresh ground pepper, and jalapeno jelly to the mayo. You will not believe your taste buds.

-- (Her@thighness.), June 06, 2002.

You mean I don't need parraffin to seal the jars any more?

MoM used to make some great garlic pickles, Grandma made a lot of other stuff. I did learn tha you never can tomatos though.... I don't even buy store canned tomatoes, only thos in jars, comes from hearing about tin cans and acidity. Volunteering at food banks I found string beans were the most common food to "go bad" and bulge out.

-- Cherri (whatever@who.cares), June 07, 2002.

Cherri:

Actually tomato breeders have been selecting for low acidity for some time. For most modern varieties, I find that I must add citric acid to them to keep them from spoiling in storage.

Between, underg school and grad school, I worked as an engineer for a steel company. Our plant made, among other things, tin plate. The three foods that caused failure the most often were:

1. kraut

2. pineapple juice

3. hominy

Hominy is made by soaking corn in sodium hydroxide. Sometimes they would forget to neutralize it. That does a can in real good. They sometimes explode. ;<)

Best Wishes,,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 07, 2002.

Z

An uncle of mine used to make hominy. I'm still not convinced it can be considered 'food'.

YUCK!

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), June 07, 2002.

Whoop-de-doo. You act as though you are the only person in the world who knows how to make pickles.

-- (wow@we're.impressed), June 07, 2002.

wow@we're.impressed:

Well, if the two of us were in the same room alone, I am confident that I am the only one who could make an intelligent statement. ; I gess that hi skoole freshpersuns dun't lurn mutch communiKations nowdais". Morons abound.

By the way, I have 20 more recipes that I use. Give us yours. ;<)))

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 07, 2002.

"Well, if the two of us were in the same room alone, I am confident that I am the only one who could make an intelligent statement."

Yeah, we can tell by the way you talk on this forum that you actually believe that. The problem is it isn't true. You're just suffering delusions of grandeur, as usual for you.

"By the way, I have 20 more recipes that I use."

Again, wow, we're impressed! Not.

-- (whoop@dee.doo), June 07, 2002.

whoop@dee.doo:

Another case of shooting blanks. Your dates have documented this on the web.

give us your recipes. We will laud you.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 07, 2002.

Z I appreciate your recipes, and enjoy the food talk. Ignore the jerks.

-- (cin@cin.cin), June 07, 2002.

Ignore the bitches too.

-- (lol@yeah.you), June 08, 2002.

If I had a nickel

I'd buy a pickle

If I had a penny

I'd buy some choong gum

Chew chew chew chew choong gum

How I love choong gum

Chew chew chew chew choong gum

How I love

Choong gum

--ancient novelty song

-- (tin pan @ alley.cat), June 08, 2002.