Pickles!

Pickles!

Okay, small confession here:  I'm not actually a huge fan of pickles.  There's just something about them that doesn't agree with me.  That said, they were a very important part of period cooking--particularly in the winter when keeping food preserved.  Pickling, drying, smoking, and salting were all very important methods of keeping food to last throughout the winter.

In the picture above are four varieties of pickled "stuff"--a cucumber/onion salad, whey-pickled carrots, homemade sauerkraut, and a pickled egg.  There is also some homemade mustard to try to add a little extra flavor.  So guess what, lucky readers?  You get not one, not two, but five recipes today!  Hooray!

Historical Accuracy:  That somewhat depends.  Charlemagne supposedly had cucumbers in his garden in the 8th century and they were common throughout Rome even earlier.  So, depending on what you are trying to represent, I would call the cukes and onions between a 4/10 and a 7/10.  The carrots should be a different variety, but hey, we can't always get what we want.  Call it a 7/10.  The kraut and eggs and mustard are all extremely accurate from what I can tell (although, oddly, fermented cabbage seems to have disappeared for a period of time before being reintroduced).  Call them 8-9/10,

How does it Taste?  If you like pickles, you'll probably like these.  There isn't much different about them.  Pickled eggs are not my thing at all, but people have told me how good they were, so go figure.  The mustard is HOT, which is a good thing, and you can always adjust to taste.

Time:  Here's the big thing.  Pickles take time.  They can be eaten in a few days, but they'll be better the longer they stay in a jar.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO STERILIZE YOUR MASON JARS, PEOPLE!  DON'T GO GETTING SICK BY THESE!

Pickled Eggs Recipe:

12 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled

1 1/2 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cup water

1 tbsp pickling spice (or, you know, whatever you want--things are easy like this)

1 clove crushed garlic, or to taste (I like to add lots of garlic)

1 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp dill

Bring the water and vinegar to a boil.  Add the herbs and spices and allow to steep.  Place the eggs into a STERILIZED container (mason jar) and cover with the liquid.  Refrigerate for 8-10 days, if not longer.

Whey-Pickled Carrots Recipe:

(Note: I love using whey for pickling--it's historically-accurate for Vikings, adds some good stuff to a recipe, and it's a natural byproduct of making cheese!)

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into sticks

1/4 cup whey

1 tablespoon sea salt

1-2 sprigs dill

4 cloves crushed garlic

Filtered water to fill

Put the carrots in a STERILIZED container.  Add the other ingredients, then fill to 1/4" of the top with filtered water.  Close the lid, shake, and let sit at room temperature for 4-7 days.  Refrigerate after opening.

Cucumber-Onion Salad Recipe:

2 large English cucumbers, halved and sliced, seeds removed

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 cup kosher salt (really, any salt works here)

1 tbsp pickling spice

1 1/2 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cup water

Toss the cucumbers in the salt and place in a colander.  Add weight to the top of the cucumbers and allow the salt and pressure to remove moisture for about 15-20 minutes.  Rinse off the cucumbers and place them and the onion in a STERILIZED container.  Add the flavorings, vinegar, and water, then seal and refrigerate for 4-7 days, if not longer.

Sauerkraut Recipe

2 heads of cabbage, root removed, sliced

1-2 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp pickling spice (optional)

1 tsp mustard seed (optional)

Put all the cabbage in a BIG bowl.  Toss in the salt.  Then, get something heavy--either a heavy spoon or a potato masher or meat tenderizer or something.  This is therapeutic, guys!  Begin to beat the heck out of the cabbage.  Macerate it until all the cabbage is, well, macerated and there is a large amount of cabbage juice in the bowl.  That's the pickling liquid, people!  Toss in the spices at this point.

Stuff the cabbage into a STERILIZED container.  Grab a wooden spoon and really mash that stuff in there.  When you think it's full, you're wrong.  Seriously.  You can get two heads of cabbage inside a mason jar if you try.  Keep smooshing it until it's packed in and coated with liquid, then seal and refrigerate for as long as you can stand.  It'll be ready-ish in five days, but it'll be better with more time.

Mustard Recipe

(This is one of those recipes that requires a little bit of fiddling--adjust all the proportions as you see fit!)

Mustard seed (I used a whole container)

Honey (I used about 1/4 cup)

Whey (Again, about 1/4 cup)

Salt

Mix everything up in a blender and blend until you're happy with the texture.  Historically, mustard was hot and relatively coarse.

Now, I will say that this stuff works wonders on the pickled eggs!

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Want to help me make more things like this?  Click HERE and give me money!  It's worth a shot, isn't it?