Chapter 21

PICKLES

In pre-electricity and pre-canning times, pickling, along with drying and salting, represented an important way to preserve food. In much of the Appalachians, it was made even more appealing thanks to the ready availability of vinegar as a by-product of a popular and widespread crop, apples. Almost any vegetable could be pickled and, for that matter, fruit and meat as well. Over time and through tradition, certain types of pickles became an integral and enjoyable part of regional diet. They gave zest to the sameness or blandness of dried beans, offered cherished side dishes in forms such as kraut and even figured on the sweet side through the likes of pickled peaches and watermelon rind pickles. What follows is a bit of a cross section of favorite southern Appalachian types of pickles.

Quick Pickled Ramps

1 pound ramps, cleaned

1½ cups white vinegar

1½ cups sugar

1½ cups water

¼ cup salt

1 tablespoon mustard seed

6 allspice berries

Two women with jugs and jars that probably hold apple cider or vinegar. Courtesy of Hunter Library, Western Carolina University.

Red pepper flakes to taste (at least a pinch)

1 bay leaf

Sterilized jars, lids and rings

Combine all ingredients except ramps. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pack ramps into jars and ladle brine over ramps to fill jars. Seal at once. After jars have cooled, store in refrigerator. Ramp pickles will be better after sitting for at least 4 weeks.

—Tipper Pressley

Pickled Peaches

During the summer months, my paternal grandmother, Grandma Minnie, always kept a jar of pickled peaches in her refrigerator. To come in the house and eat one of those peaches after a hot session of hard, honest work hoeing out corn or something less productive but equally tiring—such as knocking down a wasp’s nest so Grandpa Joe and I could get some prime fishing bait—was pure pleasure.

1 vitamin C tablet, crushed—or similar acidulation agent (such as Fruit Fresh)

Cold water (enough to cover fruit)

2 dozen small peaches, peeled (early clingstones do particularly well)

2½ cups sugar

1¼ cups distilled white vinegar

4 teaspoons pickling spice

1 tablespoon whole cloves

Pinch salt

Put water with dissolved acidulation agent—to prevent discoloration—in a large bowl. Place peaches in the water and allow to stand for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times during this period. Drain well using a colander and then toss with the sugar. Chill for 10 to 12 hours in a large covered pot or the bowl used for acidulation covered with a wrap, such as an old towel or cheesecloth.

Jars of pickled peaches. Tipper Pressley.

Add vinegar, spice, salt and ½ cup water to chilled peaches and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until peaches are tender. Place peaches in sterilized canning jars that have been sitting in hot water, making sure to get 1 or 2 whole cloves in each jar. Bring reserved liquid from the peaches to a boil and pour over peaches. Run an ice pick or thin knife between peaches to remove any air bubbles. Close jars with canning lids and screw tops and process for 20 to 25 minutes in a water-bath canner (not a pressure cooker) before removing and allowing to seal.

—Jim Casada

Squash and Zucchini Pickles

4 quarts squash or zucchini or a mixture of both, sliced

2 quarts sliced onions

½ cup salt

2 quarts ice

5 cups sugar (may be reduced to 3 cups for a less sweet pickle)

5 cups vinegar

1½ teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon celery seed

2 teaspoons mustard seed

Sterilized jars, lids and rings

Mix squash, onions and salt. Cover with ice and let sit for three hours. Drain squash mixture and set aside. Combine all other ingredients and heat just to boiling. Add drained squash mixture and heat for about 5 minutes. Ladle hot pickles and liquid into clean jars and seal. Process in a water-bath canner for 5 minutes. After cooling, make sure all jars have sealed before storing for future use.

—Tipper Pressley

Bread and Butter Pickles

4 quarts cucumbers (or combination of squash, zucchini and cucumbers)

6 onions, diced

½ hot pepper, diced

1 quart sweet peppers

3 cloves garlic, minced

⅓ cup non-iodized salt

1½ teaspoons turmeric

5 cups sugar

1½ teaspoons celery seed

2 tablespoons mustard seed

3 cups apple cider vinegar

Combine vegetables and garlic in large bowl. Mix salt and turmeric and stir into bowl. Cover bowl and allow to sit for 3 hours. The smell of the pickles at this stage will starve you to death!

After 3 hours, drain pickles and place in large pot. Combine sugar, celery seed, mustard seed and apple cider vinegar. Pour over cucumber mixture and heat until boiling. While pickles are still hot, pack into sterilized jars, leaving ½-inch headspace; add lids and rings. Process in a water-bath canner for 10 minutes.

—Tipper Pressley

Pickled Okra

3 pounds okra pods, washed

6 hot or mild red or green peppers (a mixture works well)

6 cloves garlic

1 quart white vinegar

1⅓ cups water

½ cup salt

1 tablespoon mustard seed

Sterilized pint jars, lids and rings

Trim stems, but do not cut into pods. Pack okra into clean jars; add peppers and garlic to each jar. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour liquid over okra, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal and process in boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Makes 6 pints.

—Tipper Pressley

Kraut

Shredded cabbage

Non-iodized salt

A few large cabbage leaves

Crock or large glass container

For every 8 to 10 cups of cabbage, you need 1 tablespoon of salt. Begin layering cabbage and salt in container, massaging the cabbage as you go. This will allow the cabbage to start releasing liquid. Continue this process until you run out of cabbage or are within three inches of the container top. The cabbage needs to be submerged beneath the brine. If cabbage doesn’t produce enough liquid, a brine of 2 teaspoons of salt to 1 cup of water can be used.

Press cabbage leaves on top of kraut to ensure cabbage remains submerged. A small saucer, a plate topped by a canning jar full of water or a plastic bag filled with water and tightly sealed can be used as a weight to press down the leaves. Cover container with a towel and secure with string. Place in a cool, dry place to allow kraut to work off. Begin checking kraut after two weeks to see if it is sour enough for your preferences. If not, allow kraut to continue to work another week or more.

Once kraut has finished working, it can be canned or stored in the refrigerator for future eating. In the old days, folks left kraut in the crock and dipped it out as needed.

NOTES:

1. A small amount of mold on top of working kraut is normal. If the batch truly goes bad, you will know right away from the horrid smell.
2. Many, if not most, folks experienced with making kraut swear by following the astrological signs when making kraut, just as many adhere to them when planting crops while others believe they guide daily life. Each zodiac sign equates to a body part. Signs above the waist are deemed best for kraut, with the head sign being especially desirable.

—Tipper Pressley

Pickled Corn

Fresh corn sliced from cobs

Water

Non-iodized salt

Boil corn for 3 minutes. Allow to cool in cold water and slice from cob. Add 2 teaspoons of non-iodized salt to a sterilized canning jar; fill with corn. Pour warm water over corn, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Seal jars loosely so corn can work, and place atop a tray to catch any liquid that escapes. Allow to sit for 14 days in a cool dry place. May be stored in refrigerator for future use.

—Tipper Pressley

Watermelon Rind Pickles

While most recipes call for cutting away the outer peeling and removing any red flesh next to the rind, my Grandma Minnie left the rind intact as well as a bit of the melon next to it. It gave her pickles an attractive color and variety in texture.

Watermelon rinds

4 tablespoons salt

1 quart water

Pickle Syrup

8 cups sugar

4 cups vinegar

8 teaspoons whole cloves

12 cinnamon sticks

Pinch mustard seed (optional)

Cut the watermelon rind into 1-inch cubes and allow to soak in the brine overnight. The next morning, drain off the liquid, add fresh water and cook the rinds until tender.

Then prepare the pickle syrup, boiling the mixture and then allowing it to sit for 15 minutes. Add drained watermelon rind and cook until the cubes become somewhat transparent. Process in sterilized jars. Properly done, this sweet pickle will be crunchy, tasty and appealing to the eye.

—Jim Casada

Chowchow

A relish that belongs to a bowl of October beans the way red-eye gravy partners cured ham, chowchow is an old-time Appalachian favorite. It offered mountain folks a way of preserving a wide variety of vegetables through what was, in essence, a pickling process. Other than the common denominators of cabbage and vinegar, the variations on chowchow contents are almost endless. Here’s a pretty standard approach.

2 heads cabbage, diced fairly fine

6 large green tomatoes, diced

4 tablespoons pickling salt

4 pods dried red pepper, crushed (amount can vary according to your heat preferences)

1 cup water

4 or 5 cups white vinegar

Place the vegetables in a large stoneware crock and then add the other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and pack tightly, being sure the liquid (brine) rises over the top. Cover with cheesecloth and let set in a warm room until the chowchow “works.” Store in pint or quart jars.

—Jim Casada