I’m not sure whether it was the cool weather or all the rain we had in late spring, but our rhubarb took off like crazy this year, as you can see from the picture above. Luckily, we love rhubarb…well at least my wife and I do. My 4 year old daughter isn’t so sure about it. A little too tart for her taste, but I have confidence that she’ll come to her senses and learn to love it like we do. I use it drinks, in all sorts of desserts and in sauces for both savory and sweet dishes, but I came to a realization. We tend to use rhubard as a “fruit” although it is a “vegetable.” I guess that’s because rhubarb is usually pretty tart and requires copious amounts of sugar to tame that tartness.

I wanted to try to use some of our rhubarb in a more traditional “vegetable” preparation so I decided to try and make some rhubarb pickles. I consulted various sources (numerous cookbooks and the web) and didn’t find many recipes for rhubarb pickles. Sure there were some, but not many. Maybe they know something I don’t!!! Well, I decided to go ahead and try to create my own anyway. I’m happy with the recipe I ended up with, but I will admit this recipe isn’t for everyone. You definitely have to like tart foods to enjoy this pickle, but since I am a fan of “tart” these were perfect for me. My wife, on the other hand, wasn’t so enthusiastic about them. She didn’t dislike them, but wasn’t overly thrilled with them. If you are a huge fan of rhubarb and/or like tart foods then I suggest you give these a try.

Before I get to the recipe though I have a couple of thing to make you aware of. First, these are meant to refrigerator pickles. They are not “processed” as I think the processing would turn the pickles to mush. Secondly, in the picture I provide, the rhubarb it cut into long strips. I found that this doesn’t work out well. Pouring the hot liquid over the raw rhubarb leaves them with a bit of crispness without overcooking them and turning them to mush, but it also doesn’t soften the fibers of the rhubarb. It is noticable trying to bit through a long spear of these pickles, but I found if you cut them into 3/4″-1″ chunks you don’t notice the fibers at all, so the recipe states to cut the rhubarb into chunks while the picture shows spears.

Rhubarb Pickles
makes 2 pints

2 pounds rhubarb
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. mustard seed
6 each cloves
1 each cinnamon stick
8 each allspice berries
2 each bay leaves
10 each black peppercorns
1 Tsp. salt
4-8 each Dried red chiles (optional if you want a bit of heat)

Wash the rhubarb and cut into 1″ chunks. Pack into 2-1 pint canning jars that have been sterilized first. Add the dried chiles to the jars also, if using. Combine the remaining ingredients in a nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Strain to remove all the spices and pour the hot liquid over the rhubarb, covering completely but leaving at least 1/4″ of headspace. Cover with a sterilized canning lid and ring. Allow to cool to room temperature then place in the refrigerator. The pickles will be ready in about 5 days.

I have a weakness for pickles. It doesn’t matter what kind: sweet, sour, dill, garlic, spicy, it doesn’t matter to me. Nor am I picky about what vegetables to pickle though I am most partial to cucumbers, the “traditional” pickle, green beans and mushrooms. The only think I demand from a good pickle, especially a cucumber pickle is that it be crispy.

A few weekends ago we headed down to the Bristol Renaissance Faire, one of my favorite summer time activities. We have a great time each time we go and spend a lot of time eating and drinking our way through the festival. Dotted throughout the faire are pickle sellers selling giant pickles. You can’t go wrong for $1.50 and I usually really like them, but this year the pickle I bought was soft and mushy on the inside, and although the flavor was really good, I couldn’t get past that softness. Pickles should be crisp and there is just something wrong with a soft pickle in my opinion.

Of course, I’ve had more than my fair share of pickles that have failed on this point. Hopefully this year’s batch of fermented pickles won’t suffer from this common malady. Luckily, I have one full proof recipe that makes crisp pickles every time. It’s a recipe for refrigerator pickles that my parents have used since I can remember. I’m not sure where it came from originally.

While the upside to this recipe is that it always produces nice, thin, crisp pickles, the downside is that because the jars are not processed and sealed they must be refrigerated at all times and should be eaten within a few months (most extension offices will tell you that refrigerator pickles should be consumed within 2 months, but I have often eaten them at 4-6 months old – they never last longer than that no matter how big a batch I’ve made).

When making pickles it is important to use the proper type of cucumber. Those large, waxy skinned that are sold at most supermarkets are not good for pickle making. No matter what you do, they will always end up soft and mushy. Look for the smaller, bumpy skinned variety. They often go under the name Kirby cucumbers. Pickles will be at their best if the cucumbers have been freshly picked or are no more than a few days old. Make sure to use only unblemished cucumbers in pickle making. Save any bruised ones or ones with small amounts of mold for slicing and using on salads.

While I really like my family’s recipe, this time I decided to change it up just a bit. I left out the turmeric that is in the original and added some fresh jalapenos. I wanted a spicy pickle this time around, and to be honest I left the turmeric out because I was out and was too lazy to go to the store to pick some up. While I like the subtle flavor the turmeric lends to these pickles, they also tasted fine without it.

Since no cooking is involved this is a great, hot August day pickling activity. No stoves or pots of boiling water to heat up the kitchen and house!

Spicy Refrigerator Pickles

2 quarts pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced
1-2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2-4 jalapenos, thinly sliced (depending on the heat level you want)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. pickling salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Pack cucumbers, jalapenos and onions into a nonreactive jar (glass, stainless or a crock). Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over cukes making sure all the vegetables are submerged. Place in refrigerator and allow to mature for at least 1 week. During the first 3 days, occasionally invert the jar to make sure that all the vegetables are getting covered with the pickling solution. After 1 week start to taste the pickles. While they are ready in 1 week, I usually allow 2 full weeks before I break into them. Keep refrigerated.

It’s hard to believe that it’s October already. This year seems to have flown by. I’m still trying to figure out where summer went. Some would argue that we never really had summer due to the unseasonably cool weather we had. I wouldn’t disagree with that sentiment, but I am glad to see fall arrive. With the advent of Fall, I start to think of the holidays that are just around the corner. Yes, I know that they are still a ways away, but some preparations need to be made now. My family often gives “homemade” gifts for Christmas, and in my family that usually means food, and more specifically home canned goods and homemade cordials. These are items that need to be started now as they often take months to cure and/or mature. This also gets me to thinking of our holiday meals. Our meals tend to be traditional, but elaborate affairs complemented by a number of pickles and relishes, most of which take a number of weeks between initial preparation and the time they are ready to eat.

One of my favorite of all these relishes are the homemade pickled beets and the purple pickled eggs made using the liquid from those same beets. Normally these are prepared using standard red beets, but this past Saturday, while perusing the local farmer’s market I came across some beautiful golden beets.

These were too nice to pass up so I decided to use them instead of the traditional red. I imagine that later this month I will also pickle some red beets also, as Thanksgiving and Christmas just aren’t the same without purple pickled eggs. I also plan on using the liquid, from the golden beets to try and make some yellow pickled eggs also. Don’t know how it will work, but I’m sure I’ll share my attempts here. (continue reading…)

It’s getting to be that time of year again, when Wanda and I start considering what we want to can for consumption over the winter months.  I’m not sure that we will do a whole lot this year, as we still have a lot of canned items leftover from the previous 2 seasons.  I imagine that, at the very least, we will make a couple varieties of pickled vegetables.  One of my favorite pickles comes from my Dad.  I’m not to sure where he got it.  It can’t be too old of a recipe as these pickles are not canned but must be refrigerated so they don’t spoil.  This makes them an easy first pickle for someone who has never pickled before.  It’s also nice to make when the weather is just too hot and you don’t feel like standing over boiling pots of jars, but you have a bunch of cucumbers that must be turned into pickles before they go soft.

I like this recipe because, while sweet, these pickles are not overly sweet and the onions add a nice subtle bite to them. Follow the recipe as listed below, or if you like onions as much as I do, go ahead and double the onions. There should still be enough liquid to cover it all.

Refrigerator Pickles
1 gallon pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
5 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
1/3 cup pickling salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. Pack cucumbers and onions into a nonreactive jar (glass, stainless or a crock)
2. Mix together the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Allow to cool completely.
3. Pour the liquid over the cucumber and onions and place in refrigerator,allowing to mature for at least 1 week before eating.
4. Keep refrigerated.

It’s hard to comprehend the shear mass appeal of burgers in the US. Fast food chains have created empires with burgers as thier foundations, fine dining restaurants serve upscale “burgers” made of a variety of ingredients including Kobe beef, foie gras, and truffles. Some restaurants pride themselves on offering countless varieties of burgers, while other places vie for the title of “World’s Largest Burger.”

Part of the reason for this mass appeal is the burger’s adaptability. The burger lends itself to experimentation. From the meat used, to the seasonings mixed into the meat, to the toppings used to garnish them, the variations are endless. Unfortunately so are the number of crappy burgers and ill concieved toppings. Just because you can put it on a burger doesn’t mean you should. I also don’t believe in the adage that more is better, at least not in most cases. 3-4 well chosen toppings slipped into the bun, along with the burger is more than enough. More than that, and more often then not, you end up with all these conflicting flavors that mask the burger, which should be the star of the show. I am also not a big fan of mixing too many things into the burger meat. I have eaten too many burgers that taste and have the consistency of meatloaf. Sorry that is not a good burger. Typically, I leave all seasonings out of my burger meat and season only after the patty has been made. There are exceptions of course, one of those being when you combine 2 different meats to create your burger mix. The recipe below is one of those exceptions.

I am a huge burger fan, and although I prefer my burgers simple – topped with ketchup, mustard, onion, and pickle – most of the time, I do also like to experiment with numerous variations. That being the case, I imagine that burgers will make regular appearances here at “Wayward Chef” as I refine some of my favorite recipes.

Southwestern Chorizo Burgers

CORIANDER-CILANTRO MAYO
1/4 bunch Cilantro, stems removed
2 tsp. Coriander Seed, freshly ground
1 cup Mayo

Finely chop the cilantro and mix with the coriander and mayo. Make this a few hours ahead, or the night before to allow the flavors to develop.

PICKLED RED ONIONS
1/2 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 each Red onion

Peel the onions and cut into a julienne 1/4 inch thick. Meanwhile combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the onions, return to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow onions to cool in the liquid. When cooled to room temperature store in the refrigerator. This is best made a day or 2 before

BURGERS AND ASSEMBLY
12 oz. Burger Meat 80/20 (the lean to fat ration, most stores now show this on the label
12 oz. Mexican Chorizo
2 each Tomatoes, cored and sliced
4 each Burger Buns
Cilantro-Coriander Mayo
Pickled Red Onions

Light charcoal and allow to burn down until covered with white ash, or pre heat gas grill, on high. Gently but thoroughly combine the burger meat and the chorizo. The key is to not over work the meats, but to gently combine the 2. Form into 4 patties.
Season one side lightly with salt and pepper. Don’t go too heavy as the chorizo is well spiced. Grill over high heat until medium well. This is more done than I usually like my burgers, but with the added chorizo the texture of these burgers cooked less than that is a little soft. Besides the high fat content of the chorizo will keep these burgers plenty moist.

When done allow the burger to drain briefly on paper towel. Place burger on bottom half of bun top with tomato slices, and some of the pickled red onion. Spread a thick portion of the coriander-cilantro mayo over the top half of the bun and place on top.