my opinion is that maybe the plum tomatoes pickle better than the regular toms because they have less juice inside. Anyway I like to pickle with plum toms. I pick them slightly small and none are really big toms. but if I slice a few in half top to bottom then I can get a few extra into the jars. I also like to use more vinegar in my brines. In fact I have always used all vinegar and no water. that makes for a very sour pickle that I like and it is also more safe because the pH is always low this way. So one thing to remember. You can always use more vinegar and less water. It simply makes for a more sour pickle. I like them this way. if you do use water. the water is important. you really want very soft water. hard water can cause a problem getting the pH low.

Processing time seems awfully short on that one, especially considering the fat. Hi Robin. I'm not generally a fan of green tomato anything; to me most green tomato recipes reflect a kind of end-of-harvest-desperation. But here's a green tomato mincemeat that does pass muster. It's been called "sinful." Green Tomato, Apple & Pear Mincemeat Use completely green tomatoes; they should not show white, yellow or pinkish cheeks. A pint will fill an 8-inch pie. With the addition of diced fresh apple, some nuts, a few snipped dried apricots, a dollop of rum or brandy, it will fill a 9-inch pie. 3 quarts coarsely chopped completely green tomatoes, scrubbed and trimmed of stem scars 1 Tablespoon canning and pickling salt 1 1/2 quarts diced, peeled and cored firm, tart apples, the firmer the better 1 quart diced, peeled and cored firm, slightly underripe pears 2 1/2 cups dark seedless raisins Grated zest (no white pith) and chopped pulp of 1 large or 2 medium oranges Grated zest of 1 1/2 large lemons 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup undiluted frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed 3 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 cup dark rum, preferably Jamaican 1. Stir chopped green tomatoes and salt together, then scrape into a colander and let drain for 2 hours. 2. Combine drained tomatoes with all other ingredients except the rum. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and cook mincemeat, uncovered, stirring often, until thick enough to mound in a spoon. Stir often to prevent sticking at the end of cooking. 3. Stir in the rum and ladle boiling-hot inot hot, clean pint canning jars, leaving 1/2" headspace; remove air bubbles. Seal with two-piece canning lids and process BWB 30 minutes. This comes from Helen Witty's Fancy Pantry, one of the best (if not the best) preserving books ever. I increased the BWB time by 5 minutes to reflect currant standards. Carol

I started some creme fraiche just before I got on the computer, so guess I know what I will be using it for! Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing, San.

petalique’s Notes: I began writing my notes before watching her video. She has a good recipe, similar to how I make mine. I notice she cooks with the Iwatani butane burner. I have one and love it, although my large Samsung electric smooth top works well. I use a wok, but you can use a large fry pan or a stainless steel wide everyday pan. She uses a wok spatula, but I prefer a long handled stainless steel slotted spoon. I probably use more Szechuan peppercorns (this is not a hot peppercorn but actually the husk or fruit from the prickly ash. Remove the dark black seed; you only want to use the husk. I buy my Szechuan peppercorns from my place that has them already prepared so the stems and the black seeds are removed. Before using mine, I pulverize them in a mortar and pestle or you can put them into a Peppermill and grind them into powder. I do this because the husk is rough and is not a good consistency for your tongue. Some of these recipes call for a dried Chinese shrimps. I tend not to do that because I find it’s too strong flavor from my palate. What I do instead it’s just sometimes add a teaspoon or so of Thai fish sauce. Squid brand is good as it is the crabs brand. It should be clear amber color, not dark and cloudy. I store mine in a cool place or you can refrigerate it. You can buy it in a small bottle. It is very salty. I see she uses, instead of dried shrimps, Sichuan preserved vegetable (cabbage), Suimiyacai. I intend yo buy some of this. Incidentally, you can help support Chefs like her if you go through their links (gateways) to purchase the products they use. They get a little bit on money from Amaz and other vendors, the products do not cost you more, and good chefs know good products. About the green beans. I usually get mine from the grocery store and they are tender and do not have a string that must be removed. I leave mine long (unless they are really long, as hers are), and leave the pointed end if it’s wholesome, but remove the stem end. Just as she shows. Some recipes call for charring the green beans and I sometimes do this. Other times I fry them and and get them a bit browned but mostly not over cooked. It’s an individual preference and depending on what you feel like doing that particular batch. This can create a lot of grease or smoke or fumes (hot frying the green beans), and I found that putting a light coating of oil on them and then putting them into an air fryer or a hot oven with convection works really well. In any case you probably want to turn on the kitchen stove vent/exhaust. In the warm weather you can do this outside on one of those butane burners which are portable. I probably use a bit more of the Chinese dried red chilies. These are not intended to be eaten, but offer a flavor, a bit of heat and appearance. (By the way if you want to grow the plant, just plant the seeds inside of one. They’re pretty hearty and you can eat them raw green or red.) If you do not have any of the dry Chinese chilies you can use something like a Serano chili, or the Thai Birdseye chilies. Those are quite hot and so you might want to wear some gloves or use utensils so that you’re not touching the chili & you want to chop it up. (They can burn eyes, ouch). For less heat you can omit the seeds inside the chili. The Thai chilies have a wonderful aromatic taste and fragrance to them and because they’re fresh, are edible. You can omit any chilies if you do not want any heat but it gives some depth of flavor to add even a little bit. Red pepper flakes don’t cut it. And I sometimes add a little bit of oyster sauce, perhaps a half teaspoon. This is salty as well so be sure you don’t try to salt the dish before tasting it. Lately I’ve been adding some dried roasted peanuts at the end of this dish as well as a half cup of chopped scallion. A quick way to get dry roasted peanuts is to buy some thing like the Planters dry roasted peanuts, unsalted. I serve this dish with cooked jasmine rice, but sometimes use brown medium grain rice. If you don’t have a rice cooker, it is a piece of cake to cook rice in a microwave in a Pyrex like covered glass casserole dish. I can offer directions. ⚠️ Caution. Always keep cooked (leftover, say) rice (as well as pasta) in the Refrigerator. Otherwise the rice or cooked pasta can develop a bacteria (Bacillus cereus) that is very toxic and can make anybody very sick. FYI https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/healthy-tips/2020/04/is-it-safe-to-eat-leftover-rice Leftover, refrigerated, day old rice makes the best fried rice and/or rice cakes for Gou Ba (Wor Bar) used in sizzling rice dishes. 🌶🥢 How to Make Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans (Recipe) 干煸四季豆 - YouTube Maggie’s recipe video from Omnivores Cookbook. The music is too loud, but her instructions are good. Goofs in the captured C, some very cute.