Pickled Mustard Seed: Thanks, Sleevendog
annie1992
6 years ago
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ci_lantro
6 years agosleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
6 years agoRelated Discussions
I have no pickling pickles.
Comments (15)I understand that you don't want to do any canning but pickling is also food preservation and it has safety concerns attached to it. That's why the Harvest forum - the food preservation forum - exists for discussions such as this and is full of info on how to do it properly and safely. The problem with using slicing cukes for pickles, and this is discussed in great detail on the Harvest forum, is they contain 2-3x as much water as pickling cukes do and have a thinner rind. The result is mushy pickles. Experienced pickle makers will not use them to make any kind of pickles just for that reason. You can off-set some of that mushiness by using Pickle Crisp (calcium chloride). The Mrs. Wages and Ball pickling mixes have it added to them. They also contain citric acid to make the pickles even safer. If using other recipes you have to add your own Ca chloride and citric acid. But the pickles will still be softer if you use slicing cukes and many have sadly discovered that the hard way. You may be happy with the result but most pickle makers are not. Second, since the discovery of listeria, a bacteria which grows even under refrigeration, many of the old 'fridge pickle' recipes are no longer considered safe because they contain too little vinegar, they are not acidic enough for even fridge storage. Cukes are a low-acid vegetable so botulism, in addition to the listeria, is a potential problem when refrigerator pickles are made improperly. Thus the citric acid in the Mrs. Wages mixes. Dave...See MoreFlour is No-No What for Mustard Pickles?
Comments (23)kayskats - Yes, the "police" do show up at farmer's markets and farm stands, the state Dept of Ag can show up anytime (and have for several other vendors) to do a "surprise" inspection at your home kitchen, and yes, I do have to show my certification before I can sell at my quite small market (less than 30 vendors on any Saturday). The state also shows up to ensure that weighing scales have been calibrated within the last year, but that is another story. If you are caught selling BWB canned acidified foods when you do not have the cert. or are selling other stuff you shouldn't be (low acid, pressure canned, refrigerated, etc.), the Dept of Ag and the FDA could inflict very severe penalties on you and your market. We homegrown sellers have to follow pretty much what the rules are for commercial operations. One size fits all, US wide, but some states have lesser rules for farm stands and farmer's markets than my state does. Best to check with your Cooperative Extension office in your county and if they don't know, go on to your State Dept. of Ag. One comment one of my co-student's made was that if he didn't know what the rules were he would be safe from penalties. I don't think I'd buy anything from him, would you? Yes, please ask the sellers HOW their stuff was processed and if their kitchen was inspected, etc. We are consumers and should protect ourselves from bad stuff we might ingest. I even walk out of restaurants with a food grade less than "A". ksrogers - I think dry cured meats are regulated by another mega agency, the USDA. One of the vendors at my market raises cattle and hogs for cuts of meat he sells. He threw up his hands at the regs for slaughtering, curing, and/or freezing and now has a co-packer do it for him and THEY have to handle the USDA inspections and process filings which are really intense. >>I wouldn't go so far as to say that cured meat has no safety issues, because they do!Yes, I know, I make regular strawberry jam that is heated, but sadly it is not nearly as tasty as freezer jam. Horseradish, a low acid food, is not exactly stable and the pH acidification cannot be measured outside a food science lab according to my instructor, and that is why I can't sell it. It is not heated or pasteurized to eliminate bacterias, molds, and toxins, and "sealing" only means screwing on the cap. Refrigeration and acidification keep it stable and unable to grow the bad stuff because of refrigeration. That is also why it is sold refrigerated and you are admonished on the label to keep it refrigerated after opening. Commercial processors ship in refrigerated trucks from refrigerated manufacturing and storage facilities, and they go directly to the refrigerated section of the grocery store. That is something that can't be duplicated in a home processing environment or at an open-air market. Also, adding more vinegar doesn't necessarily make it safer because we can't measure the pH of the horseradish's vegetable interior at home, and with pH meters and test strips all we are doing is measuring the vinegar's pH. BTW - shelf stable jams and jellies are exempt from these regs because they have low water activity and a low pH. Since they are also packed at high temperatures, they are not likely to harbor harmful food borne illness organisms. Molds are the most likely bad thing to form but that is usually from not having sterilized the jars or not heating the lids enough (or, dirty hands packing them, airborne dust in a room with a fan, using overly ripe or moldy fruit, etc. etc.). I can sell as many variations of jelly and jam as I want at market. Without a cert. but with a kitchen inspection. Nancy...See MoreSleevendog and others
Comments (3)The ingredient list is simple. I make it minimal for the same reasons. -toasted sesame oil -white sesame seeds -vinegar -wasabi -fresh ginger -something sweet -soy sauce -Because so many brands have different intensity profiles i'll just suggest to start with 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil in a glass pyrex or i use the french jelly jars, the ones with the red/white lids. (i use them for everything so i can mix and store)...'toasted' sesame oil is important as it is full of flavor unlike regular sesame oil. -Sesame seeds i toast in a saute pan and watch it carefully and flip and wiggle the pan. On low to med heat. Turn your back and they will burn. 3-4 tbsp. -For the vinegar I use Braggs apple cider. (or my own). So many asian rice vinegars can be mis-labeled...added sugars. Water. Unless you have a studied faithful brand. (i have purchased because of the cool labels, lol.)... 1/4 cup vinegar of choice -Wasabi is another unknown in the heat dept. I like Sonic. But now have a bulk one i bought a lb....not at home for the brand. Love it and the reviews reflect that. (i use it in so many things now that i have one that is not 'gold' in price). I start with one half tbsp. -Fresh ginger, grated, 1 tbsp. Again can be 'pow' or mild depending on season or source. -The sweet is usually my maple or honey. I start with a tsp. I leave my ingredients out on the counter, make the small batch above, shake, then taste. Adjust. I do use a tbsp or two of san-j organic, gluten-free soy sauce....but it has organic alcohol in the ingredient list that freaked out my BIL, lol. (had a boozy year or two after his divorce, then rehab but no issues now) I make it more 'wasabi' for us, then a mild batch. For a crowd i print out the ingredients and label them 'hot wasabi', 'mild spice', etc. It seems common now to cater to sensitivities. I no longer have issues with that. I make my spicy wasabi for my brother, and us, and my dad ALWAYS has to taste it. Even after telling him 'you-will-not-like-it'. And always says, 'YUCK!!". Every year. Long winded recipe but i think, to make your own special recipe, is to start from scratch and adjust. So many recipes do not consider the potency of the basic available ingredients. And divide the first one, make two or three versions. So many people like different spice....See MoreCan I sub prepared mustard for dry mustard in slaw?
Comments (13)Fred Harvey was out to make a buck. He knew that coach passengers on the trains were hungry when the train stopped, and rushed to fine a good sandwich shop. So he built good clean standardized restraunts as close to the train station as he could and manned them with "Harvey Girls"...clean cut looking girls who wore a uniform and were held to strict standards. His menus were uniform and you knew what to expect at a Harvey House And he succeeded and built more restaurants. he was the Howard Johnson of the rail roads; he created the first chain of restaurants. After he died his sons and grand sons carried out his legacy....See Moreannie1992
6 years agoci_lantro
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6 years agoannie1992
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6 years agoannie1992
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6 years ago
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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)