About Pickling
- Although many vitamins and minerals are leached away in the process,
- pickles remain popular as piquant side dishes and relishes long after
- more efficient food preservation techniques such as refrigeration,
- freezing and canning surplanted this pioneer mainstay as a primary
- food storage method.
- Short Brine Pickling:
- In this process the vegetables are soaked in brine 24 hours to draw
- out moisture but they are not fermented. To keep, they must have
- boiling hot vinegar poured over them which penetrates and preserves
- as well as crisping them. The final step after jarring and sealing is
- a 15 minute boiling water bath to kill any enzymes. If pickles show
- evidence of fermentation after being stored away [bubbles or leakage]
- either discard or immediately re-pickle.
- Because of the acids involved use stoneware, pottery, glass and
- enamel or stainless steel kettles. For stirring and transferring use
- a long handled stainless or wooden slotted spoon. Make sure all
- equipment is clean and grease free. Pickles should be stored in
- sterilized glass jars with glass lids. For sterilizing techniques,
- refer to "About Jams, Jellies and Preserves". [Posted by me last week]
- Fruits and vegetables should be very fresh, in prime condition without
- blemishes or bruises and scrubbed dirt free.
- Garlic should be blanched 2 minutes before adding or removed before
- jarring.
- Spices should be whole not ground and in a removable spice bag.
- Water should be low iron, low sulphur and soft. It can be softened
- with up to 1 tablespoon calcium oxide [lime] per quart. If your water
- supply is inadequate buy distilled water or collect rain water.
- Salt should be additive free Pickling salt. Regular table salt will
- cloud the liquid.
- Vinegar should be 6% acetic acid. Use white distilled vinegar not
- cider, wine or flavored vinegars.
- Lime water or cherry and grape leaves in the liquid will make pickles
- crisp. Use alum sparingly if at all and do not use the Copper Sulfate
- called for in old fashioned recipes as it is mildly poisonous in
- excessive amounts.
- Pickles should be stored at least 6 weeks to achieve maximum flavor
- and although they will keep for years should be consumed within one
- year as the flavor will deteriorate over time.
- This is based on extracts from the Joy of Cooking with amendments and
- additions by Jim Weller.
- Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V3 #235
- Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 21:56:51 -0500
- From: pickell@cyberspc.mb.ca (S.Pickell)
-----
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
Title: About Pork Chops
Categories: Pork, Info
Yield: 1 Text file
SS> But I don't even bother buying pork chops any more, I don't want
SS> to put leather on the table. :(
Don't know if you caught my post to Marlon or not, Sylvia, but the
problem is not with you, it's with the pork. Now that pork producers
are looking for a leaner, lighter product, pork requires much less
cooking than is recommended in most cookbooks. Most cookbook authors
recommend cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160-175 to
eliminate any possible danger of trichinosis (a problem that's been
eliminated in commercially produced pork anyway). These temperatures
are WAY too high for the leaner version, which tends to resemble shoe
leather if treated this way. Try cooking your chops to an internal
temperature of 140 or so instead (still well done, but not
overcooked), and you'll have MUCH better results.
My favorite thing to do with pork chops is to stuff 'em. Allow one
double-thick pork chop or two thinner chops for each person you're
feeding.
Make a stuffing with cornbread (or one of the cornbread stuffing
mixes), chopped onion, chopped celery, a small can of whole kernal
corn, a bit of chicken broth. Simmer the onion and celery in the
broth until tender, and add the remaining ingredients. Season to
taste with salt, black pepper, a generous amount of either sage or
thyme.
If using double-thick chops, cut a deep pocket in the chop, and
insert the stuffing. If using thinner chops, don't stuff yet. Either
way, melt a small amount of shortening in a frying pan, and quickly
brown the chops (brown thinner chops on one side only).
Place the chops in an oven-proof baking dish. (If using thin chops,
place one chop, browned side down in the dish, top with a scoop of
stuffing, and top with another chop, browned side up).
Place just enough liquid in the pan to cover the pan bottom, cover
the pan, and bake in a 350 degree oven until the chops reach an
internal temperature of 140 (35-60 minutes, depending on the
thickness of the meat).
Any leftover stuffing can be baked separately.
I usually make a pan gravy with the drippings from browning the
chops, plus some flour and chicken broth (pork stock would be better,
but I never seem to have any :-). If you don't want gravy, just
deglaze the baking dish with more chicken stock, and spoon this
liquid over the chops.
Sorry not to offer an official recipe here, but this is one of those
home-style dishes that I just throw together. Have never measured
anything for it, and I suspect it's never QUITE the same any time I
make it. Good stuff, though. At least it's one of Mooseface's
favorites :-)
Kathy in Bryan, TX
From: Kathy Pitts
Posted to FIDO Cooking echo by Kathy Pitts from Dec 1, 1994 - Jul 31, 1995.
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/kpitts.zip
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
Title: About Pork Chops
Categories: Pork, Info
Yield: 1 Text file
SS> But I don't even bother buying pork chops any more, I don't want
SS> to put leather on the table. :(
Don't know if you caught my post to Marlon or not, Sylvia, but the
problem is not with you, it's with the pork. Now that pork producers
are looking for a leaner, lighter product, pork requires much less
cooking than is recommended in most cookbooks. Most cookbook authors
recommend cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160-175 to
eliminate any possible danger of trichinosis (a problem that's been
eliminated in commercially produced pork anyway). These temperatures
are WAY too high for the leaner version, which tends to resemble shoe
leather if treated this way. Try cooking your chops to an internal
temperature of 140 or so instead (still well done, but not
overcooked), and you'll have MUCH better results.
My favorite thing to do with pork chops is to stuff 'em. Allow one
double-thick pork chop or two thinner chops for each person you're
feeding.
Make a stuffing with cornbread (or one of the cornbread stuffing
mixes), chopped onion, chopped celery, a small can of whole kernal
corn, a bit of chicken broth. Simmer the onion and celery in the
broth until tender, and add the remaining ingredients. Season to
taste with salt, black pepper, a generous amount of either sage or
thyme.
If using double-thick chops, cut a deep pocket in the chop, and
insert the stuffing. If using thinner chops, don't stuff yet. Either
way, melt a small amount of shortening in a frying pan, and quickly
brown the chops (brown thinner chops on one side only).
Place the chops in an oven-proof baking dish. (If using thin chops,
place one chop, browned side down in the dish, top with a scoop of
stuffing, and top with another chop, browned side up).
Place just enough liquid in the pan to cover the pan bottom, cover
the pan, and bake in a 350 degree oven until the chops reach an
internal temperature of 140 (35-60 minutes, depending on the
thickness of the meat).
Any leftover stuffing can be baked separately.
I usually make a pan gravy with the drippings from browning the
chops, plus some flour and chicken broth (pork stock would be better,
but I never seem to have any :-). If you don't want gravy, just
deglaze the baking dish with more chicken stock, and spoon this
liquid over the chops.
Sorry not to offer an official recipe here, but this is one of those
home-style dishes that I just throw together. Have never measured
anything for it, and I suspect it's never QUITE the same any time I
make it. Good stuff, though. At least it's one of Mooseface's
favorites :-)
Kathy in Bryan, TX
From: Kathy Pitts
Posted to FIDO Cooking echo by Kathy Pitts from Dec 1, 1994 - Jul 31, 1995.
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/kpitts.zip
