Pickle recommendations

[RossClement]

Dear all,

I quite like gherkins. I find that a plain salad without dressing is too ... plain and leafy for me, but adding sliced and/or chopped gherkins replaces the dressing, as well as adding bulk.

I'm curious to try more pickles, but don't know where to start. Silverskin onions, pickled beetroot, the list goes on. I realise that it's impossible to predict what foods someone else will like. But rather than just starting anywhere, what pickles do other people like?

[twinkle]

I used to be a pickle fiend! I've rather gone off it in the last few years, but I'm still fond of a good gherkin now and then.

With onions, you can't beat Garners - they're a bit pricier than some, but they taste really similar to the ones my mum used to make when I was a little girl. Me and my uncle would demolish a massive jar of those in one sitting :)

I think you should have a pickle party! Just get lots of different jars, and crusty bread, hummous, some sausages and salad and you and your family could sample them all!

If you're looking for things to liven up salad, I also like the antipasto things in jars like artichoke hearts in oil and vinegar, olives in oil and lemon, sun dried tomatoes and peppers, mushrooms, that kind of thing...

[Risker]

Just made a huuuge batch of pickled onions today :)

I like pickled jalapenos, not in large quantities though, pretty spicy.

piccalilli can be nice, quite a common thing to eat this time of year too.

As for beetroot, I'm of the opinion that all beetroot should be pickled.

[BlackCats]

Yummy this is making me hungry. I love pickles but I never really buy them that much.

Vavavegan told me that that smoked scheese is good and I would like to try that with some pickle in a sandwich.

I love jalapenos / olives on salads as well, it does seem like a replacement for the salad dressing Ross, I agree.

Twinkle - you should host a pickle party for VF ppl in your mansion.:D

[scarlett]

Did somebody say pickle party !!??? :D

OMG ! I love pickles, gherkins are the best :D Also good though are beetroot, peppers, piccalilli, red cabbage ! I do love pickled onions but sometimes they give me a headache sadly.

[twinkle]

You're on!

I need to find out what's happening with the job but it looks like I'll have my weekends free from now on, unless I'm very unlucky, so pickle party at mine it is!

Risker - have you tried raw grated beetroot with equal amounts of carrot and white cabbage and an oil, lemon, garlic and seasoning dressing over the top? That's a nice way to eat it too! (oh, plus I'm cooking my variant on borscht at the moment since I had a nice bowlful a little while back at the organic juice place here, and that inspired me to attempt it with my vegbox beetroots)

I want some jalepeno pickles!

[Marrers]

I only have to think of pickled onions and my mouth waters like mad. No other food has the same effect on me! (Seriously, I'm now drooling over the desk.)

[Mystic]

I am finding this thread to be hilarious :D Pickle party??? :D

I like pickles in burgers, but could never eat a massive amount - a pickle party would certainly be out of the question for me!

No offence Marrers, but your breath must be fresh after a pickled onion feast :D:p

[Marrers]

Not only that but I drink the 'pickle juice' vinegar - mmn, that's almost the best bit. :D
*wonder if her innards are preserved or eaten away*

[cedarblue]

i like those jars of pickled cauliflower, gherkin and silverskin onions in clear vinigar - also ploughmans pickle with sosmix rolls - mmmmmm

[Mystic]

Not only that but I drink the 'pickle juice' vinegar - mmn, that's almost the best bit. :D
*wonder if her innards are preserved or eaten away*

LOL :D I am sure you are very well preserved

[vava]

I like american style mustard - it tastes exactly like piccalilli juice:)

[Zan]

Pickled walnuts mmmmmm:)

Lime pickle mmm

Any sort of pickle really

[Risker]

I forgot about lime pickle, aubergine pickles great too :)

[Enchantress]

I think lime pickle has to be the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten in my entire life. I tried some in an Indian restaurant once and had to run to the bathroom to throw up.

[Risker]

You're not supposed to eat it on it's own :P It's very strong so you only need a little with your food.

[Enchantress]

Well, you could've told me that before you fed it to me :mad: :p.

[piggy]

i go crazy for pickled aubergine...all kinds, also pickled pumpkin is good. i've only ever seen thes e in italy...are they popular anywhere else?

[piggy]

I forgot about lime pickle, aubergine pickles great too :)

oops, didnt see that

[pat sommer]

Kimchee!

capers in a sauce or pickled horseradish in a sauce are nice too.

[sugarmouse]

why is it that pickled onions don't linger on people's breath as onions usually do? Ihave noticed this when I have had partners that have eaten them, with normal onions the smell is there ages but with pickled onions it seems to go as soon as they brush their teef or whatever.

[herbwormwood]

Peppadew peppers, mmm.
If you like pickles you can try saving the juice to add to salad dressings. I do, and it's really nice. I never throw leftover pickle juice out so dear one is sometimes grumbling about all the half empty jars of pickle juice in the fridge.
Bear in mind pickles are very salty so not too healthy to eat large amounts.
I have made a nice beetroot pickle using cooked beetroot, raw onion, cider vinegar, salt, peppercorns and allspice. Its quite good value for money if you have a cheap source of beetroot.
Most vegetables can be pickled, it used to be the main way of preserving them before fridges were invented. And the same with the pickle's close relation, the chutney. There are various sites on the net devoted to homemade pickle recipes.

[piggy]

does anyone have a recipe/link to site of really good instructions to making pickles? i'm specifically interested in onions and aubergines..

[piggy]

why is it that pickled onions don't linger on people's breath as onions usually do? Ihave noticed this when I have had partners that have eaten them, with normal onions the smell is there ages but with pickled onions it seems to go as soon as they brush their teef or whatever.

i think onions that are cooked very thouroughly don't linger on the breath so much either. it seems to be raw/semi-raw onions that are the worst.

i don't know much about making pickles, but i hear some are made by leaving the vegetable covered with salt for quite a while...i guess that could draw out some evil juices/smells :D

[pavotrouge]

I've become rather interested in nimono, japanese pickles, recently. ordered a book of amazon but it'll take them about three months to deliver. anybody got any experiences?