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Latest Changes - All Parts
See the differences
file for a complete, chronologically ordered sequence of changes.
E. CURING WITH SALT, SUGAR, OR LYE
E.1.1 What do I *really* need to know about curing foods, and what makes this different from pickling?
Sometimes the difference between pickling and curing is semantic, but generally curing is salting,
etc, without the second acid step. Again, by adding the salt or sugar, you dehydrate the food
sufficiently to stop microbial growth.
Examples of
salt curing: salt pork, olives, anchovies, herring, lox;
sugar curing: crystallized flowers, syrups, fruit "cheeses", jam/jelly, Virginia ham.
Lye (NaOH) treated foods: olives, hominy, lutefisk--perhaps lye changes the food sufficiently
so that no self-respecting spoiler would grow on it ;>).
E.2.1 After some discussion on posole (aka, hominy) on the Chile-Heads
list, someone in France asked how you make hominy, since it isn't really available there.
(mikebNOSPAM@radonc.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu):
from Justin M. Sanders (jsandersNOSPAM@orph01.phy.ornl.gov), the Chile-Heads list..
Here is a recipe paraphrased from a delightful recipe book called "Seems Like I Done It This A-way",
by Cleo S. Bryan. (Mrs. Bryan was an Extension Home Economist in Oklahoma, and many of her recipes
are traditional Native American recipes).
Hominy
2 qts. dry shelled corn (white or yellow)
8 qts. water
2 oz. lye
Boil the above 3 ingredients 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. Rinse in cold water until all the skins and the "eyes" on the corn are loose. Return to heat, cover with water, bring to boil for 5 minutes. Pour off the water, and repeat 2 more times (for a total of 3 five-minute boilings with fresh water). Cover again with water and cook 30 minutes and can. Process in a pressure cooker at 10 lbs. pressure for 70 minutes for quarts, or for 60 mins. for pints.
Apparently, if you don't wish to can the hominy, you can eat it after the 30 minute cooking period.
In more traditional recipes, the lye was obtained by straining water through hardwood ashes-- or by boiling the ashes along with the corn.
E.2.2 What are 1000 year old preserved eggs?
A friend of mine is looking for the recipe for "preserved eggs" or "1,000 year old eggs". Jim Kofler
(jkoflerNOSPAM@mayo.edu)
from Katherine Pepers (pepersbNOSPAM@cuug.ab.ca), rec.food.cooking
I just got a new Chinese cookbook - "The Chinese Gourmet" by William Mark. It has a detailed description of
"Hundred-Year-Old Eggs", though not an actual recipe. I'll pass on what it says, in case it may be of
use/interest.
Rather than being dug up from an ancient tomb, as the name might suggest, '100-year-old eggs', or as some call them '1000-year-eggs,' are actually preserved for only 100 days at most. Fresh duck eggs are mixed with various preservative compounds that permeate the shell and alter the consistency of the egg.
They are shelled and the egg sliced to serve as an hors d'oeuvre with slivers of preserved ginger and a vinegar dip.
Hom tan are preserved in brine and saltpeter, or a mixture of finely ground charcoal and brine. The yolk hardens to a firm, grainy texture and acquires a pleasing salty taste. These must be cooked before they are ready to eat, as a snack with a splash of sesame oil and vinegar and a sliver of ginger, or to add, sliced, to congee. The yolks are an ingredient in the fillings of many sweet pastries.
Hundred-year-old eggs are valued not only for their taste, but also for their medicinal value. The preservation process raises their alkalinity, making them a good antidote for ulcers and other conditions caused by hyper-acidity.
They are also considered a cure for hangovers.
F. SMOKING
F.1.1 What do I *really* need to know about smoking food?
Smoking food in order to preserve it is a bit different than smoking food on the barbeque. Generally,
the meat or fish to be smoked is salt cured, which preserves the tissue throughout, then is smoked either
for flavor, or to preserve the surface of the meat. Other items can be smoked to preserve them and
concentrate their flavors, e.g smoked hot peppers. Smoking provides the flavor, but dehydration preserves
the pepper. If you are smoking or curing meat, you need to be concerned the health of the animal (i.e.
trichina).
Cures described herein are not representative of those prescribed in 9 CFR 318 et al. for commercial applications. They are for general information purposes only. No HACCP procedures have been included in this information.
-------------- Curing --------------
Why is meat cured?
For a couple of reasons. One is safety. When meat is cold smoked its temperature often stays in the danger zone for several hours or
days. Many environmental factors of this treatment are such that the growth of dangerous bacteria is greatly accelerated. The curing
of the meat inhibits this growth.
The other reason is traditional preparation. There are many curing techniques that were developed in the days before refrigeration that are continued today for traditional reasons. A good example is corned beef. Old time butcher shops closed every weekend. Ice, the only refrigerant available, could not dependably hold fresh meat for two days. To keep unsold meat from going to waste, the butcher soaked the meat in a strong brine or covered it with coarse salt to trigger osmosis. The grains of salt were called "corn" in England, and the name "corned beef" stuck with the product. [1]
What is osmosis?
Osmosis is the movement of water across a membrane from weak solutions toward strong solutions. [1]
What is meant by "the danger zone"?
The "danger zone" is the temperature range between 40 and 140 degrees F. When uncured meat remains in this range for more than 2
hours the growth of dangerous bacteria increases to a dangerous level.
What other factors affect the growth of bacteria?
When meat is smoked, the environment is robbed of most if its oxygen. If this is combined with temperatures between 40 and 140F, the
growth of the bacteria that causes botulism is increased.
What is botulism?
Botulism is an intoxication of the bacteria clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is anaerobic meaning that it requires an environment
relatively free of oxygen to multiply. It also requires a moist environment and temperatures between 40 and 140F. The symptoms of
botulism are sore throat, vomiting, blurred vision, cramps, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and central nervous system damage (including
paralysis). Symptoms usually occur within 12 to 36 ho?rs. The fatality rate is up to 70%. [2]
What are the commonly used curing compounds?
Salt, sugar, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. Salt and sugar both cure meat by osmosis. In addition to drawing the water from the food,
they dehydrate and kill the bacteria that make food spoil. In general, though, use of the word "cure" refers to processing the meat with
either sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate.
Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are the basis for two commercially used products: Prague powders #1 and #2. Prague powder #1 is a mixture of 1 part sodium nitrite and 16 parts salt. The chemicals are combined and crystallized to assure even distribution. Even though diluted, only 4 ounces of Prague powder #1 is required to cure 100 lbs of meat. A more typical measurement for home use is 1 tsp per 5 lbs of meat. Prague powder #2 is a mixture of 1 part sodium nitrite, .64 parts sodium nitrate and 16 parts salt. It is primarily used in dry-curing.
One other commonly available curing product is Morton's Tender Quick. It is a mixture of salt, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate and sugar. Ask your butcher or grocer to stock it for you.
Where can these compounds be obtained?
If you are chummy with a local butcher who does curing, maybe (s)he will sell you a small quantity. Otherwise, the Sausage Maker offers
all items mentioned here and elsewhere in this FAQ mail order. See the books section for a phone number where you can obtain a catalog.
What is spray pumping?
It is the process of injecting the meat with cure using a special purpose needle. [Special purpose needle and syringe is called a stitch
pump--can get this item from either the Morton's Salt Company or the Embarcadero Home Cannery, addresses are in part 7 of this FAQ.
--LEB]
What's trichinosis?
It is an infestation of trichinae. The parasites invade the voluntary muscles causing severe pain and edema. It can be avoided by ensuring
that cooked pork reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F.
If my cured pork doesn't reach a safe temperature, what about trichinosis?
Trichinae can also be killed by freezing the pork according to the following chart:
| Temperature | Group1-days | Group2-days |
|---|---|---|
| 5 deg F | 20 | 30 |
| -10 deg F | 10 | 20 |
| -20 deg F | 6 | 12 |
Group 1 comprises product in separate pieces not exceeding 6" in thickness or arranged on separate racks with the layers not
exceeding 6" in depth.
Group 2 comprises product in pieces, layers or within containers the thickness of which exceeds 6" but not 27". [3]
What about dry-curing sausages and meats?
I'll leave this topic open for someone with real experience. The dry climate in Tucson makes it difficult to maintain the ideal 70% relative
humidity required for dry-curing so I've never even tried.
-------------- Smoking --------------
What is the difference between smoke cooking and curing?
Pretty simple; Smoke cooking is done at higher temperatures in order to cook the meat. Smoke curing
is really just smoking cured meat or sausage.
What are the proper temperatures for smoke cooking meat?
I prefer to keep the temperature around 220F. This means the temperature *at* the meat. I use a
large log burning smoking pit with an offset firebox so it's easy to maintain this. In an upright
water smoker you will have trouble keeping the temperature this low, since the heat builds up at
the top where the meat is. You can achieve decent results with a water smoker, but the cooking
time will be shorter and the depth of smoke penetration will be less. My briskets and pork shoulders
smoke for 20-24 hours; pork ribs and loin roasts take less time. [Different opinions
on the subject of water smokers exist. For more on this check out the alt.food.barbecue newsgroup
-- JTE]
How important is temperature control during smoke curing?
Very. If you are smoking sausages, excess heat will melt the fat out and leave the final product
dry and crumbly. This I know from experience. Here, we're talking about temperatures around 140F,
although it varies from recipe to recipe. This is very difficult to maintain in a wood burning
smoker. Mine has a slow smoking section farthest away from the fire. With experience, I've learned
to control the temperature in this section without overdamping the air inlet. Some other meats,
like bacon and ham, are a little more tolerant of higher heat, but it can affect the quality of
the final product.
The best solution is a thermostat controlled gas or electric slow smoker like those sold by the Sausage Maker (see sources). These are not good general purpose smokers [for cooking -- JTE], in my opinion. I just don't think they do nearly as well as a log burning pit for smoke cooking.
Is closing down the air inlet dampers a good way to keep the temperature down?
If you keep the temperature low by closing down the inlet dampers, the smoke gets thick and sooty
and produces an unattractive and bitter coating on the surface of the meat. I prefer to keep the
fire burning more freely and control the temperature by providing some draft between the fire and
the meat.
What are the various woods used for smoking?
-------------- Specific Foods --------------
Can I make a Smithfield Ham at Home?
These are unique since the hams come from only peanut-fed hogs. They are worked with cure for 30-45
days. Then they are smoked for at least 7 days and left in the smokehouse for another 6 months.
"The Smithfield ham or a reasonable facsimile is rather difficult to produce unless you have a steady
supply of peanuts and a huge smokehouse 3-4 stories high." [3]
How do I make my own bacon at home?
It is my experience that bacon is the easiest product to produce at home and the results are as good
as, or better than, the best commercially produced bacon.
I use Morton Tender Quick and brown sugar. Rub down a slab of fresh bacon (pork belly) with a liberal quantity of the Tender Quick. You can't really use too much but a cup or so should do. Then follow with a thorough rub of brown sugar (again, start with a cup or so). Then place the meat in heavy plastic and allow to cure for 7 days at 38F. I use a small refrigerator for this. I run a remote temperature probe inside and monitor the temperature, tweaking the thermostat when necessary.
The temperature is important; too low (below 36F) and the curing action will cease, too high (above 40F) and the meat will begin to spoil. I also cut the pork belly in two and cure it with the meat surfaces face to face and the skin on the outside. It helps it fit in the fridge and improves the curing action. I then smoke it at 140-150F until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 128F (about 8 to 10 hours). I find it best to remove the skin about 3/4 of the way through the smoking process. This way the fat is protected but still acquires some color.Chill overnight before using.
If you are using Prague Powder #1, mix 2 oz with 1 lb of salt and use like the Tender Quick. Also, other sugars can be used instead of brown sugar. Try honey or even some maple syrup.
How do I make my own corned beef?
For best results, use trimmed briskets. Start with a curing brine. This recipe comes from [3] and
makes enough for 25 lbs of meat.
5 quarts ice water (about 38-40F) 8 oz. salt 3 oz. Prague Powder #1 3 oz. powdered dextrose
Spray pump the briskets to about 12-15% of their original weight. After pumping, the briskets are packed in a vat, and sprinkled with whole pickling spice. If more than one brisket is done at a time, pack them flesh to flesh with the fat sides out. Add enough brine to cover and allow to cure for 3-4 days at 38-40F. The meat is then ready to use (but still requires cooking).
What is pastrami and how do I make my own?
For best results, use trimmed briskets. Start with a curing brine. This recipe comes from [3] and
makes enough for 25 lbs of meat.
5 quarts ice water (about 38-40F) 8 oz. salt 5 oz. Prague Powder #1 5 oz. powdered dextrose 1 Tb garlic juice
Prepare and cure as for corned beef. After curing, remove from brine and rub liberally with cracked black pepper and coriander seeds. Smoke at 140F until the meat is dry and then increase smoker temperature to 200-220F and hold until internal temperature of meat reaches 170-180F.
Chill overnight before using. This meat is fully cooked.
How do I make beef jerky?
There are a jillion recipes for jerky--take a look in the recipe archives. [There is a template
recipe in the Dehydration section; you can find an archive at ftp.rtd.com:/pub/rthead/jerky.rcp
[The underlined part is no longer valid and will be dropped (or replaced if anyone knows of an
alternate) --JTE] --LEB]
I prefer a teriyaki-based marinade (use 1/2 tsp of Prague Powder #1 or 1 tsp of Tender Quick for safety) with other spices, lightly smoked. My recipe is not for publication, but it's nothing out of the ordinary. Experiment with your own combinations of spices and find something you like.
-------------- Other Sources and References --------------
Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing (1984). Rytek Kutas. Self published.
Can be obtained from the author at The Sausage Maker Inc., 26 Military Road, Buffalo NY 14207.
(716)-876-5521.
-------------- References --------------
[1] Food Science--Osmosis, Rita Sorci Planey, "Fine Cooking", Aug/Sep 1994, pp 12,13 [2] The New Professional Chef (1991). The Culinary Institute of America. [3] Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing (1984), Rytek Kutas. [4] On Food and Cooking (1984), Harold McGee. [5] Smoke and Spice (1994), Jamison and Jamison. Please direct questions, comments, criticisms, and contributions to: Richard Thead theadNOSPAM@azstarnet.com -or- theadNOSPAM@igate1.hac.com ----
----------- Other Miscellaneous -----------
Now to your ground pork add spices. For a spicy Italian, add about 1 Tbsp salt, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp (or whatever) of cayenne. I find that to get really spicy sausage, use crushed red pepper rather than cayenne. Add paprika for a more red color. Add chopped fresh parsley, about 8 cloves of garlic, maybe some fresh basil. [Note this is for 'about 2 lbs of pork' -- JTE]
Now mix real good and form a couple small patties. Cook the patties and try it. Is it good? Add whatever you need. You now have bulk sausage. If you want to stuff it in casings, that isn't too hard with a Kitchen Aid. Grease the casings holder a little, slide the casings on, and feed the sausage through the feeder. Having two people helps, and it is a bit messy, but fairly quick. I'll try to post a couple recipes if that is okay on this digest. I'd like to see others' recipes as well as tips on smoking sausages.
A couple of things you need to know about dry-curing sausage.
From Paul Hinrichs (paulhinrNOSPAM@nando.net):
Someone asked here a while back what Fermento was and, collectively, we got them sort of an answer,
that it was a starter culture for fermented sausages. These are of the general family of dry-cured
sausages and the process making these has been greatly accelerated and made more dependable by
Fermento (or Lactocel, a similar product).
Specifically, there are two stages in dry-curing. The first is called pan curing. It takes about 3 days at 37 degrees and is used specifically to allow time for some of the NaNO3 (saltpeter) to convert to NaNO2 (sodium nitrite), which is the inhibiting agent for _C. botulinum_. The disadvantage of this 3 day wait is that worked meats become harder to stuff into casings since it "sets" some, becoming more viscous. Lactocel accelerates this essential conversion process by using a _micrococcus aurantiacus_ culture which converts NO3 to NO2 more rapidly. Products using Prague Powder #2 do not require pan curing at all, since this already has nitrites (as well as nitrates for the longer run) in it.
Second process is called greening. It takes place after stuffing and is the time that fermentation takes place, in which sugar is converted to lactic acid for the characteristic "tangy" flavor. This would normally take 10 days at 73 degrees F. However, with the _lactobacillus planarum_ starter present in both Lactocel and Fermento, greening takes place in about 16 hours at 85 degrees F. The drying process used with these sausages (the period in which the nitrates come into play for long term safety, converting to the _clostridium_-inhibiting nitrites slowly) still takes 10-90 days, depending on the type of product being made, but the use of starter cultures reduces the 13 days needed for pan curing and greening to a mere 16 hours.
I mixed the meats together around noon and let them chill until early evening. Then, I mixed together all the other ingredients in the blender, adding wine until it became the consistency of pancake batter. This all went into a well in the middle of the meat, then got kneaded in. Meanwhile, I had been soaking some 3 1/2" fibrous casings in vinegar, which keeps them from sticking to the meat. I stuffed them in about 10" lengths and got 3 and a half salamis. These went into the smoker at 100 degrees and at 8 o'clock in the evening. There they stayed while I napped until midnight. Then I cranked up the smoker to 130 degrees F for one hour.
Time to smoke 'em! Temperature raised to 150 F and a pan of sawdust in the smoker. By 3am, the first pan was gone, so I added another and went back to bed. When I got up at 6am, I cranked up the temperature to 165 and got a cup of coffee. It's now 8:30 and I'm ready to finish them off by steam-cooking them. I'll put a pan of boiling water in there until they get to 152 degrees internally, shower them down to 120 so they don't shrivel, then let 'em "bloom" until noon when they'll hit the fridge to set up solid.
I am hoping the various textures of meat add a nice touch, but you never really know until you slice it.
From our Thomas Jefferson of rec.food.preserving, Paul Hinrichs (paulhinrNOSPAM@nando.net):
Both the Sausage Maker (1-716-876-5521) and Stuffer's Supply Company (1-800-615-4474) sell beef and
lamb casings. I am not aware of the slaughtering requirements for a casing to be deemed "kosher", but
if all that is needed is for the product to be free of blood, then these will pass.
You might also check the Con Yeager Spice Company, who I've been told have very reasonable prices. [Their web site is now http://www.yeagerspice.com/-- JTE]. It shows mainly spices for sausage making, but you can get a list of stuff available mail order by calling 1-800-222-2460 or faxing 1-724-452-6171.
I obtained a bag of lump natural harwood charcoal. It comes from Brookline Ice & Coal. (617)232-0941. I called my local hardware store and they are going to start carrying it. Maybe yours will too.
Kit--
... I called them up--they said that they manufacture the charcoal themselves, using only oak and hickory.
$7.75 for 20 lbs. They carry apple, mesquite and hickory chunks at $12 for 50 lbs. They also carry 1 in.
chips of maple, cherry, apple and mesquite for $1 per lb. [1996 prices--LEB]
F.1.1.ii.1 How do I cure olives?
MMMMmmm. Nothing I like better than a home cured olive, and they are very easy to make. All
that's required is patience, yer olives, a rolling pin or a paring knife, canning salt and a
non-reactive container.
You can cure olives at nearly any stage, but the really tiny green ones aren't worth it. Green olives are green colored; red ripe olives have a reddish 'blush' to them (if you have olives, you know what I mea?); black (or dead) ripe olives are deep black throughout. Just make sure that the black ripe olives are still firm, and don't cure 'drops', olives that have fallen to the ground. You've got several choices, depending on your curiousity and your fanaticism.
Water curing (For the most fanatic)
Generally you water cure the big green ones, right before they turn red. You pick the olives,
crack each of them with a rolling pin, then immerse them completely in cold water, changing the
water *each* day for at least 25 days. Stir them up when you think about it. Immerse and change
the water, etc, taste one after 25 days. If they are too bitter, keep up this regime until they
are edible.
Brine curing (A little less fanatic)
Brine cured red-ripe or black-ripe olives are Greek-style; brine cured green olives are Sicilian
style. The red-ripe olives generally turn a grey green to pink, while the black-ripe ones keep
their color, becoming a Kalamata-deep purple. Again, you pick the olives, or you shake the tree
over a tarp, and collect the olives. Deeply slit each one using a sharp paring knife, then plunk
them into a brine (brine is 1/4 cup canning salt in 1 qt water).
Weight down the olives, make sure they are fully immersed. Cover your vat of olives, stir once in awhile, wait one week. Rinse, and change the olive brine once/week for at least 3 weeks. Taste, if still too bitter, keep changing brine 1/week. Mine usually take about 6 weeks. Scum will form on the top of the vat; its harmless *if* olives are immersed, but get rid of it when you see it.
Lye curing (No fanaticism necessary)
You always lye cure green olives. If you bubble air through the lye solution, those green olives
turn black; the California black olive is born. You pick the olives, clean them. Save a few of
your biggest olives for the top of your vat. Immerse all those olives in a lye solution (2
tablespoons flake lye in 1 qt water) for 12 hours. Dispose of lye solution, reimmerse olives
again in new lye solution for 12 more hours. Take and cut into some of your largest olives to
see if the lye penetrated the olive (olive will be soft to the pit, easy to cut to the pit, and
the flesh will be yellowish green when ready). Soak olives in water for 3 days, changing the
water at least 3-4 times/day. Taste an olive on the fourth day. Should taste sweet and fatty,
with no bitterness, a little like a tiny avocado. Immerse for 1 week in a light brine, about 6
Tbs salt in gallon of water.
***Lye is nasty, remember to wear rubber gloves, use lemon juice or vinegar to neutralize lye burns, and your olive vat shouldn't be plastic.***
Can also make marinades for your cured olives, good flavors/herbs to use in various combinations are: garlic, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, dried chiles, fennel seed, peppercorns, coriander seed, orange peel, lemon peel, lemon slices, cumin seed.
F.1.1.ii.2 Salt cured (pickled/preserved) lemons and limes. Used in Middle Eastern/ Moroccan cookery
From: Paul Holt (paulhoNOSPAM@oub.ou.dk:
Hamad M'Rakad (Preserved Lemons and Limes )
This preserve gives a mellow lemony flavour to many North African dishes and is easily made. Choose ripe
unblemished lemons or limes. Wash them and make two deep vertical cuts in a cross, almost, but not quite
through them, so that they still hold together at the stem. Sprinkle plenty of salt inside on the cut flesh,
about 125 g (4 OZ) for 1 kg (2 lb) fruit.
Then close them, and put them in a sterilized jar so that they are jammed tightly together. Squeeze
enough fresh lemon juice over them to keep them covered. The salt will draw out the juices and the peel
will soften within a week. They will be ready to use in 3 or 4 weeks. Rinse off the salt before using and
discard the flesh; it is the peel alone that is used for flavouring. It is cheaper and easier, but not as
good, to cover the salted lemons or limes with strong brine, or a mixture of sunflower oil and water.
Claudia Roden: MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD, Harmondsworth 1970 (Penguin Books)
Lamoun Makbouss (Pickled Lemons)
A delicacy which is also magnificent made with fresh limes.
Scrub lemons well and slice them. Sprinkle the slices generously with salt and leave for at least 24 hours on a large plate set at an angle, or in a colander. They will become soft and limp, and lose their bitterness. Arrange the slices in layers in a glass jar, sprinkling a little paprika between each layer. Cover with corn or nut oil. Sometimes olive oil is used, but its taste is rather strong and may slightly overpower the lemons.
Close the jar tightly. After about 3 weeks the lemons should be ready to eat - soft, mellow and a beautiful orange colour.
[Email note: My mother accidentally discovered a way of speeding the process when left with dozens of
lemon wedges which had been used to garnish a large party dish. She put them in the freezing compartment of
her refrigerator to keep them until she was ready to pickle them. When she sprinkled the frozen lemons with
salt, she found that they shed a large quantity of water and softened in just over an hour. They were ready
for eating after only a few days in oil and paprika.]
--
Lime Pickle (Hot)
12 whole limes
2 Tbsp salt
Juice of 3 lemons
2 bay leaves
4 oz green ginger
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 oz green chiles
Peel and slice the ginger. Remove the seeds from the chiles. Wash and dry the limes and cut them into slices and remove the pips. Put a layer of lime slices in the bottom of a jar, sprinkle with salt and crushed bay leaf, add some of the chopped chilies and strips of ginger. Repeat these layers until the ingredients are used up and then pour in the lemon juice.
Having tied a piece of cloth over the jar, shake it thoroughly but carefully and put it on a windowsill in the sunshine. Each day for 4 days add some more salt and shake the jar again. Remove the cloth and put on a glass or plastic top (never a metal one). Then leave the pickle to mature for a fortnight.[2 weeks]
This makes a strong sharp pickle, not for over-sensitive palates. To make it even stronger, put in more cayenne pepper, and leave the seeds in the chiles. To make it less strong, halve the amount of chiles and omit the cayenne pepper. This is really a basic recipe which can be added to or subtracted from as you wish. It can be made with half limes and half lemons, or lime juice may be substituted for the lemon juice. in a pinch it can be made entirely with lemons and just the juice from half a dozen limes, or tinned natural lime juice, if you can get it.
Spiced Lime Pickle
This very hot pickle is usually served in Indian restaurants with curry and can be bought ready made up in
jars, but is well worth making up for yourself.
10 limes
2 tsp fenugreek
5 lemons
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp dried chiles
1 1/2 pints olive oil
1 dessert spoon ground black pepper
3 Tbsp salt
6 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp mustard seed
Wash and dry the limes and lemons and cut them into pieces removing all the pips [seeds]. Shake the mustard seed and fenugreek in a dry frying pan over a good flame to roast them for a minute or two, and then grind them down finely. Grind the cumin seed or crush it, but not too fine. Put together the salt, garlic, ginger, mustard and fenugreek, and sprinkle them all over the fruit, stirring well. Then pack the fruit into a jar, adding in the rest of the ingredients in layers so that they are well spread through the pickle.
Heat the oil until it is smoking, and keep it hot for 5 minutes, but do not burn it. Let the oil cool so that it will not break the jar, and pour it over the pickle. Leave it loosely covered for a week, then screw down the lid and keep it for another week before using it.
To make a milder pickle cut down on the chiles, or leave them out altogether and substitute a pinch of chili powder or cayenne pepper.
F.1.1.ii.3 How do I smoke chiles?
Some recipes and techniques are available at the chile heads www site. Check the Other Sources List for the
URL.
From Garry Howard, (garhowNOSPAM@hpubmaa.esr.hp.com), taken from the chile-heads list..
Americans who love the smoky taste and fiery bite of chipotles have recenty been hit with high prices and a
scarcity of product. With prices for these smoked jalapenos reaching $15 a pound wholesale, home growers
yearn to smoke their own. But the Mexicans have been fairly secretive about their techniques, and none of
the books on chiles describe home smoking. After a trip to Delicos Mexico, I think I have solved this
mystery -- but the process takes some dedication. First, let's look at how the Mexicans do it.
They use a large pit with a rack to smoke-dry the jalepenos. The pit containing the source of heat is underground, with a tunnel leading to the rack. The pods are placed on top of the rack where drafts of air pull the smoke up and over the pods. The jalapenos can be whole pods or pods without seeds. The latter are more expensive and are called "capones", or castrated ones.
It is possible to make chipotle in the back yard with a meat smoker or Weber type barbecue with a lid. The grill should be washed to remove any meat particles because any odor in the barbecue will give the chile an undesirable flavor. Ideally, the smoker or barbecue should be new and dedicated only to smoking chiles.
The quality of homemade chipotle will depend on the maturity and quality of the pods, the moisture in the pods, the temperature of the smoke drying the pods, and the amount of time the peppers are exposed to the smoke and heat. The aroma of wood smoke will flavor the jalapenos, so carefully choose what is burned. Branches from fruit trees, or other hardwoods such as hickory, oak, and pecan, work superbly. Pecan is used extensively in parts of Mexico and in southern New Mexico to flavor chipotle. Do not be afraid to experiment with different woods.
The difference between the fresh weight of the fruits and the finished product is about ten to one, so it takes ten pounds of fresh jalapenos to produce approximately one pound of chipotles. A pound of chipotles goes a long way, as a single pod is usually enough to flavor a dish.
First, wash all the pods and discard any that have insect damage, bruises, or are soft. Remove the stems from the pods before placing the peppers in a single layer on the grill rack. Start two small fires on each side of the grill with charcoal briquettes. Keep the fires small and never directly expose the pods to the fire so they won't dry unevenly or burn. The intention is to dry the pods slowly while flavoring them with smoke. Soak the wood in water before placing it on the coals so the wood will burn slower and create more smoke. The barbecue vents should be opened only partially to allow a small amount of air to enter the barbecue, thus preventing the fires from burning too fast and creating too much heat.
Check the pods and the fires hourly and move the pods around, always keeping them away from the fires. It may
take up to forty-eight hours to dry the pods completely. The pods will be hard, light in weight, and brown in
color when dried. If necessary, let the fires burn through the night. After the pods have dried, remove them from
the grill and let them cool. To preserve their flavor, place them in a zip-lock bag. It is best to store them in
a cool and dry location. If humidity is kept out of the bags, the chipotles will last for twelve to twenty-four
months.
Buen apetito!
NOTES: From the article: The Chipotle, Mystery -- Solved at Last!
by: Dr. Paul W. Bosland, Agronomy and Horticulture Department New Mexico State University
Chile Pepper Magazine - October, 1992
MasterCook formatted by Garry Howard, Cambridge, MA garhowNOSPAM@hpubmaa.esr.hp.com
[And remember, you can smoke anything. Fruits, garlic, cheeses..]
F.1.1.ii.4 How do I smoke blueberries/garlic?
From Paul Hinrichs (paulhinrNOSPAM@nando.net:
... for anyone who thought I was losing my mind when I smoked garlic, let me prove I was not the first. Here is
the procedure given in the book for smoking blueberries:
"Pacific coast Indians used to smok?-dry blueberries for winter use. They may be successfully processed in an
ordinary smoke oven.
Spread the blueberries on a fine wire screen and cold-smoke at 75 to 85 F, [you guys in the heat are out of luck--LEB] until they are partly dehydrated. The skins become wrinkled, and they look somewhat like dried currants. Keep in a covered - though not airtight - jar or dish under refrigeration."
"The smoked berries make a very tasty dessert served with ice cream or sherbet." ...the same section also
tells about smoked nuts, eggs, and garlic bread.
F.1.1.iii.1 What do I need to know about smoking a fish?
from Doug Smart, (doug_smartNOSPAM@hp-corvallis.om.hp.com)...
This isn't a recipe, but it is good information and does offer something on the strength of the brine:
Pacific Northwest Cooperative Extension publication PNW 238 advises the following (somewhat paraphrased) for safety in
smoking fish:
F.1.1.iii.2 Smoked salmon
From Brian Bigler (biglerNOSPAM@eskimo.com...
I recently responded to a thread concerning oily versus non-oily fish by listing my recipe for smoked salmon. I
figured it may be of use to others on this newsgroup, so I'm posting this to the group. I hope to hear from some of
you who have improvements on this, but be advised, this recipe has received rave reviews from my colleagues in the
salmon business:
First of all, the smoker you use will greatly effect the final product. I'm not familiar with all the various brands,
but the hobbyist smokers that I've seen tend to be small, for the sake of shipping, and not really practical for the
performance I need. I like to use cool smoking for cheeses, as well as warmer smoking for salmon or trout. I'll
describe my ideal smoker at the end of this. [I put a copy of this under equipment sources--LEB]
SMOKED FISH
I use the following for at least two-six pound fish
Brine:
1 gal water (at least a gallon, I use a couple)
1/2 lb (at least) pickling salt
1/4 lb (at least) brown sugar
3-4 tbs pickling spice
2-3 tbs paprika
Put the water on to boil, adding the entire 1/2 lb of salt, stir until salt is dissolved. Add sugar and stir. Add the pickling spice and paprika. You may not be able to get the sugar to dissolve, but if you can, add more salt.
Irrespective of the amount of water, you want to achieve a super-saturated saline solution with the salt and sugar. The mixture will be super-saturated when you have salt granules on the bottom of the pot at a boil. Speaking to details, the sugar is absorbed by the meat much slower than the salt. I've used half salt/half sugar mixtures with great success, but the amount I recommend here will allow you to reach the point of super-saturation and keep the salt content down.
Boil the mixture (covered) for five or so minutes, and either set it aside to cool, or put it in a sink of cold water (change the sink water several times as it gets hot).
I cut my fish in fillets and then in pieces about two to three inches wide. Brine the pieces for 3.5 to 5.0 minutes, depending upon thickness. Timing is important, don't brine longer than 5 minutes, no matter the thickness of the meat. This brine time imparts salt/sugar/pickling spice flavors to the outer tissues, that then diffuse through the meat as it dries. I've tried the products of people who leave the meat in brine for so long all you taste is salt. Don't make that mistake, too little salt is MUCH better than too much.
Take the pieces from the brine and place on a paper towel-covered board. Allow to dry at least until a pelicle (hard outer surface) has formed. This could take up to two days if the weather is wet, a lot less if you put it in the sunshine. I like to dry mine for a long time to attain a chewy texture, but you at least want the excess moisture to evaporate off.
Smoke the pieces, skin side up, alternating the ones on the lower racks with those on the upper racks between chip loads. If your smoker is warm, the paprika will cause the meat to darken without your having to smoke the heck out of it. Too many hobbyists impart a creosote flavor to their meat in the attempt to make it LOOK like it's smoked. Paprika is a great way to make it look really well-smoked without having to leave it in too long. If your smoker is cool, the cooking will turn it dark.
Remove the pieces to a cookie sheet and place in an oven that has been heated to 350 degrees. Put the cookie sheets in the oven, close the door, and turn off the oven. Leave the smoked meat in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until you can see that it's cooked.
I vacuum pack mine, one to three pieces at a time, right out of the oven while it's still hot. At the least, use Freezer Bags to store your fish. I've had success with Freezer bags by closing the ziplock to one end and sucking out the air to mimic the vacuum sealer. Vacuum packing assures that the salt/sugar/pickling spice flavors will be diffused through the meat.
I hate to have to freeze mine, but I do anyway out of necessity. My vacuum packages will stay fresh if I refrigerate, but freezing makes certain.
Alitak Pickled Salmon
From Brian Bigler (biglerNOSPAM@eskimo.com):
Alitak is not an incorporated town, although many people can claim it as a birthplace. It's the location of a salmon
cannery on the southern shores of Kodiak Island (Gulf of Alaska) that was first established around the turn of the
century. The following recipe was actually developed years ago by one of the many fishermen hired by the cannery to
harvest and deliver fish. This recipe has become the standard for Wards Cove Packing Company, where I have retained it
and pass it to you.
ALITAK PICKLED SALMON RECIPE
Fillet salmon (sockeye works best) and remove skin, cut into bite sized pieces. For one batch of the pickling mixture
listed below, you'll need three quarts of fish pieces (one fish) and three sliced onions. This will make 10-12 pints
of pickled salmon.
Soak salmon pieces in a stainless steel, plastic, wood, or crockery pot for 8-12 hours in a mixture of half salt and half water. Refrigerate and turn the mixture with your hands or a soft spatula every few hours. When brining is complete, gently rinse for one hour, changing the cold water three times. Air dry about 1 hour to let pieces firm up and a slight glazing will form.
Pickling Mixture:
8 cups white vinegar
3 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
7 Tbsp pickling spices
Mix all the above ingredients in a large stainless pot and boil for 15-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool to room temperature, placing the pot in cold water or refrigerating if necessary. Mixture must be cool when poured over fish.
Slice three medium-large white onions thin and layer fish pieces and onion slices in pint jars. After each layer or two, add pickling mixture. Stir the pot of pickling mixture before dipping out a portion to insure spices are evenly distributed when mixture is spooned into jars. Fill jars and seal using fresh lids. Refrigerate and turn jars upside down for a day or two during the first week.
Tastes best about two weeks after pickling, and at Alitak it's gone in one day!
F.1.1.iii.3 Lox, Nova Lox, and Gravlax
from Ray Goddard (sraygNOSPAM@iconz.co.nz):
Gravlaks(Norway)- buried or grave fish, for a modern version:
Take a 6-7 lb salmon, 1 tablespoon brandy, 3/4 oz sugar, 1 1/2 oz salt, pepper, fresh dill. Clean and
wipe out fish (do not wash), fillet, sprinkle with brandy. Mix sugar, salt and pepper and sprinkle over fish.
Put one fillet skin down on plate, chop dill and spread it over, place other fillet on top skin side up.
Cover with foil and place board on top and a weight (1lb) on top of that.
Put in cool place 3 - 4 degrees C. Turn fillets twice a day and pour liquid back onto fillets. Remove weights after two days. Ready in three to four days. Serve cut in thin slices with more pepper and chopped dill, accompany with rye bread and butter.
from <>, by way of Leah Smith:
Lox comes from the German word "lachs," which means salmon, and came here with German-Jewish immigrants.
Note that true lox is not smoked, merely brined, although the smoked salmon called Nova is often incorrectly
referred to as lox. The name Nova comes from Nova Scotia, which is where that type of cold-smoked salmon
first came from. Old-fashioned Jewish lox is saltier and oilier than Nova.
Here's a recipe:
1 - qty of VERY fresh, VERY fatty (with whole skin) salmon
1 - large earthenware crock (or wooden keg)
Kosher Salts (or rock salt)
Qty of clear flavorless oil comparable to the qty of salmon
NOTE: This will keep almost indefinitely, but refrigeration is recommended.
F.1.1.iv.1 Does anyone know how to make candied orange rind, grapefruit rind or pineapple, etc?
From: Barbara Mayo-Wells (bmwNOSPAM@nova.umuc.edu):
Here's how my grandmother (1880-1965) and mother (1908-1982) made candied fruit rind:
1. Remove as much of the white stuff as you can from inside the rind.
2. Cut the rind into strips about 1/4 inch wide and as long as you like. Remember that the size you cut now
is the size you'll wind up with.
3. Submerge the rind in a pan of cold water. Bring to a boil. Drain.
4. Repeat step 3.
5. Repeat step 4. (That is, boil the rind in three successive waters. The purpose is to eliminate
bitterness.)
6. While the rind is boiling, prepare a simple sugar syrup: 1 part sugar to 1 part water. How much you make
depends on how much rind you want to candy.
7. After draining the thrice-boiled rind, put it into the sugar syrup. Boil gently until almost all of the
syrup is absorbed. Keep a close eye on this process. Stop too soon, and the rind will be gooey. Wait too
long, and you'll have scorched sugar.
8. While the rind is boiling in the sugar syrup, put some granulated sugar (a cup or so) in a bowl and
arrange some cake racks over cookie sheets.
9. A few pieces at a time, drop the sticky rind into the sugar, roll them around to coat them thoroughly,
and transfer the pieces to the cake racks to dry. Let them get quite dry to the touch before putting them
into an airtight container.
F.1.1.iv.2 Candying fruits
From Ellen Wickberg (edbwNOSPAM@unixg.ubc.ca):
Martha wanted the candied fruit instructions, so here they are.
Choose firm ripe fruit. Peel, then core peaches or pears and cut into quarters, pit cherries, cut small thin wedges of pineapple, can leave small crabapples whole, apricots and plums should be pricked several times to the centre with a fork.
Cover the fruit with boiling water and simmer until just tender (test this with a skewer). This should take about 10-15 mins for?firm fruits, 3-4 for tender ones. Test this frequently - over cooking makes fruit squashy, while undercooking makes them dark and tough. Drain fruit into a large bowl, but save the cooking water.
For each 1 lb of fruit make a syrup combining 5 fluid oz of the water in which fruit was cooked and 6 ozs (by wt) of sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then bring to boil.
Pour the boiling syrup over the cooked, drained fruit. If you have insufficient syrup to cover the fruit, make up some more (same proportions as above) with water. Note how many times you have to do this. Weight down the fruit with a plate, and leave the fruit in the syrup for 24 hours.
On the 2nd day: drain the syrup into a saucepan, add 2 oz sugar for each original 5 fluid ozs of water, bring to the boil and pour again over the plate. On the 3rd day, 4th day, and the 5th day repeat what you did on the 2nd day.
On the 6th day, add 3 oz of sugar for every original 5 fluid oz of water, heat and stir to dissolve in the saucepan. Add the drained fruit and boil for 3-4 minutes and then put all back in bowl. Leave for 48 hours. On the 8th day, follow the day 6 instructions and then leave the fruit for 4 days. If you notice that the syrup is still thin as it is cooling on the 8th day, repeat the instructions for day six again before leaving it to soak for the 4 days.
At this point you can leave it in the heavy syrup for up to 3 weeks OR remove from the syrup after the 4 days, drain on wire rack (put a sheet below to catch the drips). The instructions then say to dry in a cool oven, but I don't, usually just air dry. Pack or put in sugar to coat and then pack. Keep in cool place. Have fun. Ellen
F.1.1.iv.3 Candying flowers
From Lynn Otto (JohnnyO612NOSPAM@msn.com):
Last summer I spent many hours sugaring violets, geraniums, daisies, borage flowers, and other types of
blossoms. The conclusion that I came to after a lot of botched attempts is that the simpler the flower, the
easier to sugar (or candy). Here's my method:
1-- Pick blossoms early in the day, and put them into cool water.
2-- Have ready a wide
bowl of extra fine, or berry, sugar. Sometimes I grind the sugar just a bit more.
3-- Beat equal parts eggwhite and water--mixture should not be too gelatinous. I have heard that it is
possible to obtain powdered eggwhite and if you can get it in you area I would suggest trying it. It was
nowhere to be found in Edmonton last summer.
4-- On a steady surface ready everything for sugaring: eggwhite, sugar, a plate or wax paper on which to dry
blossoms, tweezers, a bowl of water for washing hands, and the flowers.
5-- Take tweezers, and grasp stalk of flower close to stem. With paintbrush dipped in eggwhite, paint all
surfaces of flower leaving no dry spots. Areas not painted will darken and decay in time.
6-- Quickly, while eggwhite is still wet, sprinkle blossoms with sugar. You may wish to use your fingers or a
small coffee spoon. The idea is again to cover all areas of blossom. Tap spoon on tweezers to shake off
excess sugar.
7-- Place sugared flower down on plate or sheet of wax paper to dry. You may want to put a fine layer of the
sugar down first to avoid sticking.
8-- The flowers should be left undisturbed for several days in a cool area. When removing from plate/paper you
may wish to use a razor blade to gently pry blossoms from plate.
9-- Always candy more flowers than you need as there is bound to be some wastage.
I still have candied flowers left over from last summers work. I simply keep them in a covered container.
-----------------------------------------------------------------The cook was a good cook, as all cooks go; and as all cooks go, she went. --Saki