Monday, November 16, 2020

Hot Pickle Mix Vegetables


These Hot Pickle Mix Vegetables came about at the request of a friends father, who used to purchase them from a well-known pickle company. Unfortunately, that company recently discontinued them, and I was asked to try to recreate them. After a little bit of research, this is what I came up with.


Hot P
ickle Mix Vegetables are mild to medium hot, so if you want more heat, I would recommend adding a few small red chili peppers or perhaps some dried red pepper flakes. Another option would be to swap out the banana peppers with some habanero or ghost peppers if you really want to amp up the heat.


No matter what you do, remember the heat tends to intensify while the finished jars sit in the pantry, so be careful how much heat you add. 

What do you need to make Hot Pickle Mix Vegetables?

  • pickling cucumbers
  • cauliflower florets
  • carrots
  • pearl onions
  • banana peppers
  • red or mad hatter peppers
  • jalapeno peppers
  • garlic
  • white vinegar (5% acidity)
  • sugar
  • horseradish


Serve Hot Pickle Mix Vegetables on a cheeseboard/charcuterie platter, alongside your favorite deli meat sandwich or with a hot Italian beef sandwich.

RECIPE
Ingredients

4 cups (approx. 1 pound) pickling cucumbers, trimmed and sliced into 1/4 -inch slices
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1 cup peeled pearl or pickling onions (cut larger onions in 1/2)
2/3 cup pickling or canning salt
3 cups sliced seeded hot yellow banana peppers (about 6 peppers)
3 diced Mad Hatter peppers or 1 diced red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, or 1 tsp minced garlic
8 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3 to 9 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded

Method
In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the cucumbers, cauliflower, red peppers, carrots and onions.

In another large glass or stainless steel bowl, dissolve the pickling salt in 7 cups water. Pour it over the vegetables. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a colander placed over a sink, drain the vegetables. Rinse with cold running water and drain thoroughly. Add the hot yellow peppers and mix well.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the garlic, 1 1/2 cups water, vinegar, sugar and horseradish. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 15 minutes, until the liquid is infused with garlic flavor; strain liquid through a mesh strainer over a bowl retaining the liquid but discarding horseradish and garlic.

Pack the vegetables and 1 to 3 jalapeno pepper halves into hot jars to within a generous one-half inch of the top of the jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into the jar to cover the vegetables, leaving one-half inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe the rim and cover with lids and bands tightening until just fingertip-tight.

Process jars in a boiling water bath or steam canner for 15 minutes. Remove the jars, and allow to sit undisturbed on your countertop 24 hours. Lid is sealed when button on top is fully depressed and won't flex up or down. Store in pantry up to one year; open jars need to be refrigerated.

Yield: 6 pint jars

Cooks note - wait for 4 to 6 weeks before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Boozy Holiday Cherries

 


Whether you are a novice with a cocktail shaker or an expert in mixology, a really good boozy holiday cherry is your home bar’s best friend. 


So many classic drinks call for a red cherry garnish – Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Manhattan, Pina Colada, Mai Tai, and even the non-alcoholic staple, the Shirley Temple. 

Additionally, these boozy holiday cherries are delicious topped on pound cake with whipped cream, used on top of vanilla ice cream, or with pineapple upside down cake instead of maraschino cherries.


Fresh cherries are best, but I have used cherries I bought fresh in the summer and put in my freezer, so go with whatever you have available. Simply thaw the frozen cherries first.

What do you need to make Boozy Holiday Cherries?
  • 6 cups sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted 
  • sugar
  • water
  • lemon juice 
  • cinnamon sticks
  • maple syrup
  • quality whiskey
  • half-pint canning jars

RECIPE
Ingredients
6 cups sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1-2 sticks cinnamon
1 tbsp whiskey per half-pint jar

Method
Pack stemmed and pitted cherries into the half-pint canning jars until jars are about 3/4 full.

Add sugar, water, lemon juice, maple syrup and stick cinnamon to a heavy bottomed pan and bring to a low boil to dissolve sugar. Allow to simmer softly 10 minutes. Remove from heat; remove stick cinnamon and discard.

Top each jar with the hot liquid leaving 3/4-inch headspace. Add 1 tbsp whiskey or slightly more to each jar, until each jar has 1/2-inch headspace.

Cover jars with lids and bands and process in boiling water bath or steam canner 15 minutes. 

Remove jars and allow to sit undisturbed on your countertop 24 hours. Jars are sealed when button on top is fully depressed an won't flex up and down. 

Store sealed jars in a cool dark space, letting the cocktail cherries cure in the sugar-liqueur mixture for at least 3 weeks before using. Once opened, store jars in the fridge and use within 3-4 weeks.


Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Orange Basting and Grilling Sauce



This Orange Basting and Grilling Sauce came about because my daughters were coming to visit and we had planned to do a small amount of canning while they were here. What? Doesn't everyone plan to do some canning while they're visiting? Hahahaha maybe not, but this is not at all unusual for us since we all enjoy it and especially enjoy sampling the results ... which were delicious.

Fresh sweet onions and chicken tenderloin basted with Orange Basting and Grilling Sauce.
Photo courtesy of Darren Jones.


If you are looking for something new to try, this homemade grilling sauce is perfect. It uses simple ingredients to create a rich and flavorful sauce that will enhance anything you grill or roast.


It's perfect for pork, ham, chicken, or shrimp and is so delicious everyone will be coming back for more. It's also very easy to make and perfect for holiday gift giving.

What do you need to make Orange Basting and Grilling Sauce?

  • Orange Marmalade
  • Pineapple Juice
  • Brown Sugar
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Brown Mustard
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Granulated Garlic
  • Rosemary
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Chili Flakes



RECIPE

Ingredients
2 cups orange marmalade
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
pinch fresh minced rosemary* (or omit)
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

Method
Add orange marmalade, pineapple juice, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, brown mustard and Worcestershire sauce to a heavy saucepan. Place over medium-high heat.

Whisk in fresh rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Bring mixture to a rolling boil, whisking often; reduce heat and cook until slightly reduced and thickened.

Ladle sauce into prepared half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Top with bands and lids and process in a boiling water bath or steam canner 10 minutes.

If not canning, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

*Note - Rosemary is a very strong herb, especially when used fresh. A small pinch of minced rosemary is all this needs. It can easily be omitted, but I like the flavor the small amount of rosemary imparts.

Yield: 6 four-ounce jars or 3 eight-ounce jars. Recipe can be easily doubled.

Original recipe adapted from outgrilling.com

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.