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Any Pickling experts out there ?

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Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby PatsyMFagan » Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:24 pm

I have got a quantity of beetroot courtesy of my Oddbox ... about half a kilo each of red and yellow beets

I have found a recipe for pickling red beetroot, but wondered if I could sub the Apple Cider vinegar for Red wine vinegar, or at least 50/50 of each ? Mainly to use up the red wine vinegar. Would this work?

I am also going to use the basic recipe for the Bread&Butter pickle, but use the yellow beetroot in place of the cucumber ... I'll let you know how that one goes . I do already have a batch of the original B&B pickle on the go. :thumbsup :yum

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby Badger's Mate » Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:24 pm

If the wine vinegar is 5% acidity, it will pickle the beets OK, because that's what cider and malt vinegars typically are. It might taste very slightly different but the colour will be right :D

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Jan 08, 2021 4:40 pm

When my chutney company was going, we used a mixture of 75:25 red (or white) wine vinegar to distilled vinegar. That gave me the right flavour for pickles & chutneys. then we had an economic crisis, white wine vinegar became absurdly expensive and I started using plain distilled. I wasn´t happy with the results.
If you mix two different vinegars you´ll get a mixture of two different flavours, so I´d simply taste the vinegar mix before you use it, to see if you like it.
For the bread and butter pickles - there´s a huge difference in texture between cucumbers and yellow beetroot. I always soak the cucumbers in brine before using, but I don´t think that would work with yellow beets. You might have to cook them partially first of all.

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby PatsyMFagan » Fri Jan 08, 2021 4:46 pm

KKK, I have already par-boiled the beetroot as I thought leaving it raw (as the cucumber would be) wouldn't work. It's more the flavour I am after.

But thanks for the info regarding different vinegars :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby Seatallan » Fri Jan 08, 2021 5:14 pm

Patsy, I'm a bit of an obsessive pickler and I think the combo of vinegars will, if anything, enhance the flavour rather than otherwise. :thumbsup
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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby Gillthepainter » Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:30 pm

Is your recipe asking for 100% apple cider vinegar?
If it is, I'd use that only. I think acv is delicious, and like sherry vinegar prefer it. And cabernet sauvignon vinegar. So I'd stick with the flavour the recipe asks for myself.

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby scullion » Fri Jan 08, 2021 8:47 pm

i don't think i'm as much of a purist as many.
if i've produced a glut of vinegar i use it up as colour decides - red wine to replaces malt vinegar and white wine to replace the lighter ones. i'm sort of the opinion that if spices etc are being used they will cover much of the flavour of the vinegar anyway.

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby PatsyMFagan » Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:54 am

All my pickling is done and I now need to find enough jars/containers.

I did use the red wine vinegar for red beetroot pickle. Following a recipe I found online, the rest of the ingredients have completely obliterated the taste of the vinegar, whatever the flavour. ( paprika, ground cumin and coriander ) ...

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby PatsyMFagan » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:19 pm

here is the results of my day spent pickling....From left to right: B&B (cucumber), yellow beetroot using same recipe as for B&B and red beetroot using red wine vinegar. All delicious in my opinion :yum :thumbsup

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby Amyw » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:21 pm

Well done they look fab

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby Seatallan » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:59 pm

Splendid Patsy!! :clap
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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby KeenCook2 » Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:50 pm

Looks great! Nice basil plant, too :thumbsup

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby jeral » Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:13 pm

A fine collection :) You must have felt heady from the fumes :shock:

Does anyone know why the vinegar has to be hot (aside from melting any sugar)? I read that the contraction on cooling helps seal the jar, but you have to open it sooner or later, or what's the problem with just using cold vinegar? Maybe it's for necessary longevity for pickles that need time to mature, but once opened, their longevity is not that long. Brain hurt.

Ta.

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby karadekoolaid » Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:37 pm

Jeral:
Heating the vinegar, as you said, does two things. Firstly, it dissolves the sugar and/or salt, thus creating a preserving liquor. Secondly, when the hot vinegar solution is poured over the fruit and the jar is sealed, it creates a vacuum at the top of the jar which keeps the preserve free of bacteria/mould, etc.
Four important things, however. Firstly, make sure that the jar is filled to about 1-1/2 cms from the top. Secondly, make sure that the jar is sterilised, that the lids are not rusty , that they have been thoroughly cleaned and that the sanitary seal (the thin rubbery ring inside the lid) is not damaged. You don´t want to boil the lids in hot water, because that will damage the seal, but once you´ve washed them, put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure the lids fit tightly when screwed on; any lids that do not fit perfectly will probably cause decay. Thirdly, make sure the rim of the jar is completely free of food particles ( this applies when re-using jars). Finally, make sure the contents of the jar are completely covered with the hot vinegar. A protruding gherkin, or onion, might damage the preserve.
No panic - just a need to be meticulous.

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby jeral » Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:49 pm

karadekoolaid, I accept all of that as the way to do it and good practice, but does it explain why hot not cold vinegar, aside from the sugar/salt melting and vacuum sealing? I'm still stuck on once opened, longevity is limited. Maybe hot vinegar just gives slightly longer longevity once jar is opened? Or am I being thick?

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby scullion » Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:05 pm

could it possibly have something to do with making sure that all unwanted bacteria on the veg etc to be pickled is killed by both the heat and the acidic environment - that seems the obvious reason to me but i may be wrong.

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Jan 10, 2021 9:14 pm

Boiling hot vinegar must give the pickle a bit of a surface clean, though of course there are pickles that are made cold to keep the crunch, relying on salt , sugar, and acidity for antimicrobial actions

They look great Pat :clap

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby PatsyMFagan » Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:28 pm

KeenCook2 wrote:Looks great! Nice basil plant, too :thumbsup


I'm quite proud of keeping that alive for quite a few weeks now...since well before Christmas :thumbsup

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby PatsyMFagan » Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:31 pm

I have to admit to not following ALL the rules as set out by KKK ;) For a start, I could only be sure that one of those lids was vinegar proof (as the jar previously held gherkins), so use greaseproof paper as a liner ...

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Re: Any Pickling experts out there ?

Postby PatsyMFagan » Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:33 pm

Stokey Sue wrote:Boiling hot vinegar must give the pickle a bit of a surface clean, though of course there are pickles that are made cold to keep the crunch, relying on salt , sugar, and acidity for antimicrobial actions

They look great Pat :clap


I have to say they all taste great too ..shame daughter doesn't eat stuff like this :( but weekend man is getting addicted to the B&B pickle. He keeps messaging me with another combination ;) :lol:

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