Pickling & Flavours alike

Bragging Rights in a Jar – A showoff’s guide to making condiments

So you’ve mastered your signature Caesar and are known for your epic BBQ parties, so what’s next? How about more bragging rights? Perhaps a homemade pickled bean to garnish your already righteous Caesar or some bourbon mustard that you “just whipped up.” With gardens and market stands brimming over, there’s no better time to seal summer in a jar. And we’ve got the recipes to inspire: pickled ginger and beans, baby dills, homemade mustard—even Thai sweet chili sauce. Intimidated? Don’t be. This is one jarring experience you’re gonna like.

Bourbon & Brown Sugar Mustard

This truly might be the grainy mustard of champions. But don’t just save it for hot dogs. Add it to BBQ sauces, or use it as a glaze on grilled pork or chicken.

• 3/4 cup bourbon
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup brown mustard seeds
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 5 tbsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small mixing bowl, combine the bourbon, water and mustard seeds. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steep and absorb the liquid for 5 hours or overnight.

1. Place the soaked seeds in a food processor, and pulse to the consistency you like.
2. Add the vinegar, dry mustard, sugar and salt, and pulse to mix.
3. Transfer the mixture to a medium pot, and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
4. Simmer to thicken (3 to 5 minutes), then taste and adjust the salt to your liking.
5. Transfer to jars, add the lids and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

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Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet and sticky with just the right kick. The perfect plunge for a salad roll or glaze for grilled chicken wings.

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems
• 2 cups water
• 2 Thai bird’s eye chilies, seeded and coarsely chopped (wear gloves)
• 3 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the chopped cilantro and water in a small pot, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let steep 15 minutes.
4. Strain out the coriander, reserving the liquid.Add the chilies, garlic and salt to a food processor, and pulse until coarsely puréed.
5. Spoon the mixture into a medium-sized pot, and add the vinegar, sugar, cornstarch slurry and 1 1/2 cups of the reserved cilantro water.
6. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and let simmer until reduced by half.
7. Pour into a jar, and let cool uncovered. Add the lid, and store in the fridge.

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Easy Dill Counter Pickles

A farmhouse favourite, these delicious baby dills require no processing. As for restraint… good luck with that.

• 10 cups water
• 1/2 cup pickling salt
• 1/4 cup pickling vinegar
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 handful of fresh dill, not chopped
• Enough baby cukes and carrots to fill a gallon jar

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the water and vinegar to a very large pot, and stir in the pickling salt until dissolved. Place the pot over high heat, bring it to a boil and remove from heat.

1. Place the dill and garlic in the bottom of a freshly washed gallon jar that has a lid (we used a glass cookie jar).
2. Scrub the cukes, peel and trim the carrots and pack them in the jar.
3. Carefully pour in the hot brine to cover.
4. Pop on the lid, and place the jar on the counter (out of direct sun) for 1 week.
5. Remove the lid, and taste.

If you’d like a more sour pickle, leave the jar on the counter an extra week. If perfect, place in the fridge and enjoy.

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Pickled Ginger

Bragging rights, anyone? They’re all but guaranteed with this perfectly pickled ginger.

2 hands of young ginger with papery skin (old, woody ginger won’t turn pink)

6 tbsp white sugar

1 1/2 tbsp salt

10 tbsp unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

3-by-3-cm square of dried kombu (kelp)

Peel the ginger, and slice it into see-through coins with a mandolin (about 1 1/2 cups). Place the ginger in a bowl, and toss it with 1 tbsp of sugar and all of the salt. Let sit 1 hour. Next, blanch the ginger in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, and strain into a sieve to drain. Pack the drained ginger in a glass jar, and set aside.

In a small pot, bring the sugar, vinegar and kombu to a boil (mixing to dissolve). Then pour the brine over the ginger to cover, and let cool 10 minutes before securing the lid. Let the jar finish cooling, then pop it in the fridge to pickle for 5 days. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

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Dilly Pickled Beans

If you’ve got a weak spot for Caesars, you probably know your way around a pickled bean. These are downright delicious.

• 2 cups pickling vinegar
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup pickling salt
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 10 large sprigs fresh dill
• 8 peppercorns
• 2 medium yellow peppers, seeded and sliced into spears
• 1 heaping ice cream bucket of fresh green beans, ends trimmed

Add the water and vinegars to a large pot, and stir in the pickling salt and sugar until dissolved. Place the pot over high heat, bring it to a boil and remove from the heat.

Divide the garlic, dill and peppercorns evenly between 2 freshly washed quart jars. Pack the beans and pepper spears upright in the jars. Carefully pour the hot brine over the vegetables to cover. Pop on the lids, allow the jars to cool and refrigerate for 4 days before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 2 months. n

Images by, Brenda Lakeman Photography

Food styling by, Little Fire Creative

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