Pickles, Round Two

So the first batch of half sour pickles I posted about last week turned out waaaaaay too salty to be consumable.  The spice mixture was perfect, but the ratio of salt to water was just not right.  I consulted this website which contains excerpts from this book and my second attempt turned out perfectly.  

I ended up leaving them in the brine for a total of about 63 hours before sampling them and decided to take them out because the flavor was just as I like it: mild, garlicky, and still containing hints of cucumber.  I think the new pickling crock my husband bought me for my anniversary present may have also helped as it is better than using a plastic bucket.  Here is the final recipe I will now be using to make half sours:

Half Sour Pickles

Thoroughly wash cucumbers and slice 1/8 inch from the blossom end.  While preparing the rest of the ingredients, soak cucumbers in icy water for ~20 minutes to crisp up.

Combine salt and water in a saucepan in bring to a boil to make brine.  Use 2 Tablespoons salt to every 4 cups water, depending on how much brine is needed to completely cover the amount of cucumbers being used.

Grind the following spice mixture until fragrant in a mortar and pestle:

1/3 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1/3 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 whole allspice
1/3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 teaspoons black pepper corns
1/2 teaspoons dill seeds
2 or 3 pieces broken dried bay leaf

Add to the pickling crock/container being used:

4 – 6 cloves garlic

spice mixture above

cucumbers (This recipe is suitable for 6-8 pickling cucumbers.  Using more may require adding more spices or garlic.)

Pour brine over cucumbers and spice mixture and allow to settle.  Use a freshly washed dinner plate or food grade plastic lid and 1-2 sanitized jars filled with water placed on top of cucumbers to hold them under the brine.  Cover the crock/container with cheesecloth. Check the brine daily and remove any scum that has formed on the surface with a spoon. The time required for pickles to attain the desired flavor will vary and can be determined by sampling after 48 hours.

Once desired flavor has been reached, remove pickles from brine using tongs.  Pickles can be placed in a sanitized jar if you plan on canning them, or a container suitable for refrigerator storage if you plan on eating them in the near future.  

Heating and straining the brine through paper coffee filters is said to reduce cloudiness (though I didn't find this to be successful).  This step can be skipped if this is not a concern. Pour brine over the pickles and immediately place in refrigerator or process to seal.  

Pickles, Round One

This week my cucumber vines finally started producing.  Only five were ready (and I couldn't resist eating one), so I decided to try a little experiment with a tiny batch of counter top fermented half sour pickles to see how things go.  

Half sours have been one of my favorite types of pickle ever since I ate them in a deli in New York City several years ago.  Unfortunately, they are pretty scarce and expensive here in the south.  I am hoping if this batch goes well, I can produce these on a larger scale and have a supply year round.

To make these, I used the combination of spices and steps suggested by Tommy J's Kitchen.  Last summer I tried this same method with cucumber slices.  The pickles came out ok, but tasted a little bitter.  I am hoping that whole cucumbers will work better.  I remembered this spice mixture was just about spot on, so I decided to stick with it.

While I was grinding the spices and letting the salt dissolve in the water to make the brine, I let the cucumbers soak in icy water to crisp up.  Then I sliced a tiny bit off the blossom end of the cucumber because this is supposed to eliminate the enzymes that cause pickles to become mushy.

Once the brine was ready, I poured the it over the cucumbers in a food grade plastic bucket.

In order to keep the cucumbers under the brine at all times, they have to be weighted down. A lot of recipes suggest using a dinner plate, but I had to use a food grade plastic lid because a plate wouldn't fit in my bucket.  I placed a sanitized jar filled halfway with water on top of the lid to hold the cucumbers down.

I covered the whole contraption with cheesecloth and placed it in a cool, dry area of our kitchen counter. So far, I haven't had to remove any scum (naturally forming bacteria) from the surface, but continue to check the bucket a few times a day.  I will leave these for 72 hours before testing the results.  Hopefully they will turn out well!

Fresh Fruit Kuchen

If you're like me, you can't resist buying way too much fruit at this time of year.  Despite my best intentions to eat yogurt and berries three times each day, at some point the amount of fruit I purchase exceeds the amount I am able to consume and some of it woefully ends up in the compost bin.

Enter the solution: Fresh Fruit Kuchen.  This is a simple cake, adapted from Joy of Cooking, which welcomes fruit at its prime or even slightly past.  It's a great way to use up those slightly soggy blueberries you overzealously purchased two quarts of despite being the only one in your household that will eat them.

Joy of Cooking suggests putting the fruit on the bottom, but I put mine on the top.  Here is the recipe:

Fresh Fruit Kuchen
Position rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350.  Grease a 9 x 2 inch round cake pan.  Prepare streusel topping below and set aside.


Streusel Topping: 
1/3 cup sugar or brown sugar
2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour (if using brown sugar, increase flour to a total of 4 Tablespoons)


Whisk together in a bowl:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt


Beat in a large bowl until fluffy:
1/2 cup (1/2 stick) softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar


Add to the butter/sugar mixture 2 large eggs, beating in one at a time until blended.
Stir in the flour mixture until incorporated.


Scrape cake batter into the pan and top with fresh fruit, distributing it evenly over the batter. This could be peach slices, cherries, apricots, berries, or any combination.  Use a fork to break up the streusel topping and distribute it over the fruit.  Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool to room temperature on a rack before serving.

This week I actually made three of these cakes, one with blueberries, one with peaches and blackberries, and one with just blackberries.  It goes well with vanilla ice cream for dessert or even with coffee for a light breakfast or as part of brunch.  The best thing about this cake is that it really highlights the flavor of the fruit without being overly sweet or sugary and it is really easy to make.  Enjoy!

Purchased Plants and Progress

After my last post, I swallowed my seed starting gardening nerd pride and headed to the greenery shed during my weekly farmers market trip to see what kind of tomato and pepper plants were available.

Any feelings of defeat I had immediately disappeared when I met The Tomato Lady, a local who organically cultivates 21 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in her backyard and offers her beautiful plants for sale at the Yorkmont Farmers Market (I know, I feel like a broken record, but it IS the best farmers market).

I bought four varieties: Lime Green Salad, Green Zebra, Paul Robeson, and Tzi Bi U (Violet Jasper).  The Tomato Lady was really knowledgeable about which ones would be good for salsas, pickling, or salads, and helped me narrow down what to finally purchase.  It's a good thing, because I could have gone home with one of each type she had for sale!

I also picked up some pepper plants: jalapeno, hot banana, green bell, thai chili and a basil plant to replace my seedlings that either died or stopped growing.

Below are some pictures of how things are going in the garden right now.  It's a good thing the school year has ended because I feel an overwhelming flood of produce coming on.

 Cucumbers

 Tall Telephone Peas and Speckled Calico Lima Beans

 Lolita Zucchini

 Horn of Plenty Yellow Crookneck Squash

 Bright Lights Swiss Chard

 Red Burgundy Okra

 Clemson Okra

 Early Wonder Beets

 Jalapeno Pepper

 Hot Banana Pepper

 Thai Chili

 Paul Robeson and Tzi Bi U Tomatoes

 Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes 

 Basil

Lime Green Salad and Green Zebra (in the background) Tomatoes

WTF Peppers and Tomatoes?!

Despite receiving TLC since I started them indoors way back in February, most of my tomato and pepper seedlings have completely failed me this year.

I started entire packets of pepperoncini, super thai, and jalapeno peppers and now, in June, am left with a few measly seedlings that seem to have hit a growth plateau.  I am afraid to even attempt transplanting these tiny guys into the garden because I know they will fry right up.

As far as tomatoes go, I started entire packets of Aunt Ruby's German greens, mortgage lifters, and yellow currants back in February as well.  I am currently left with only five mortgage lifter plants (below) which have yet to reach a decent size.  They are about five inches tall and adding compost hasn't even seemed to encourage them to grow.  All of the Aunt Ruby's and yellow currant seedlings are tragically deceased.

Even this shriveled up volunteer tomato plant I found popping out of the side of my compost bin didn't survive the move into the ground despite being huge and hardy in its original location.  Several other volunteers I discovered in various random spots in the garden sadly died soon after I moved them into the row reserved for tomatoes.

I'm not sure what is causing this.  It might be the early onset of heat we're having this year down south.  A few friends have told me they've also had trouble with tomato and pepper seeds this year, so it could also be related to crop damage or issues with the plants from last year.  I am so diligent about watering and taking care of seedlings and the garden that it is quite discouraging when things like this happen.  

I guess I'll be hitting up the greenery shed tomorrow at the Yorkmont Farmers Market to see what kinds of plants I can find to replace my shattered dreams.

Controlling the Weeds

Taking care of what you're growing is the fun and rewarding part of having a garden, but unwelcome weeds can quickly become overwhelming and cut into the time you have to do the fun stuff.  Here are a couple of tips on how to keep weeds under control so you can focus on your veggies.

Grass clippings are great way to smother any weeds that may want to pop up in your garden.  The most important thing to consider is whether you have treated your lawn with any kind of chemicals or fertilizers.  If so, you'll unfortunately have to skip this idea.  Even if you're not trying to stay organic, the harsh chemicals many people use on their lawns will kill just about anything except grass and could potentially harm your vegetable plants. 

If your lawn is chemical free, putting grass clippings down between your rows can lock in heat and kill any weeds that may be trying to invade.  As veggie plants grow larger, you can also start to place clippings around the base of the plants to keep weeds down.  Continue to add clippings each time you mow until a nice cover forms over your garden's walkways and beneath your plants.

Spraying is another easy way to manage weeds.  There are a lot of nasty chemical weed killers on the market, but you can make your own non-toxic version with the household items and directions below.  

Vinegar Weed Killer:

1. Fill spray bottle almost to the top with distilled white vinegar.

2. Add three generous squirts (not drops) of dish soap.

3. Add two tablespoons of canola or other cooking oil.

4. Secure the lid and shake. 

Spray this directly onto weeds you want to kill on a hot sunny day.  This mixture won't work very well on overcast days.  The soap and oil help coat the weeds and the vinegar works with the sun to burn up the plant.  You can reapply as needed, just be sure to safeguard your vegetable plants from any of this spray as it will burn anything it comes in contact with. Spray again after any rainfall or after watering.   

Prepping and Planting

Last weekend I finally made enough time to get my seeds in the ground.  Our garden had been tilled about a month prior, so my first step was to re-loosen the soil in the rows with a rake.

Next, I added some organic composted cow manure into the rows and mixed it with the native soil to increase the nutrients.

Then it was time to pull out the garden plan I'd made way back in February when my seeds had first arrived in the mail.  Planning is important to ensure you'll have a steady supply of vegetables and that everything will have enough space.  You can also plant certain things close together to fight off some pests.  I recently learned that placing dill between tomato plants can reduce the number of aphids on your tomatoes.  Sketching things out ahead of time can help you make the most of your space.

After a little fine tuning of my plan, I created labels for everything, stuck them in the dirt, and began digging holes and dropping in seeds.

Less than a week later, thanks to warm temperatures and plentiful rain in our area, everything has pushed up through the soil and started to grow.  

Early Wonder Beets

 Bright Lights Swiss Chard

 National Pickling Cucumbers and Homemade Pickle Cucumbers

 Speckled Calico Lima Beans

 Clemson Okra and Red Burgundy Okra

 Tall Telephone Peas

Lolita (Zucchini) Squash, Horn of Plenty (Yellow Crookneck) Squash, 

and Scallop Sunburst (Pattypan) Squash

In the next week or two, I will add our tomato plants and pepper plants to the garden and start thinning out some of the extra plants that have sprouted.  Until then, we'll be watching these continue to grow!