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Post by Noriko on Aug 8, 2006 0:15:43 GMT -5
I just recently bought a nice Japanese cooking book[1] (and of course, I will be mentally dividing the recipes into "possibly period/uses period ingredients" and "not period but looks delicious").
Anyway, the book contains several recipes for pickes but requires a bowl, plate, weight, and refrigerater space and, since I'll be moving into a dorm, not all of these items are guarenteed (especially 'fridge space).
So, long story short, has anyone tried their hand at making pickles? Would Mason jars (glass jars with the metal bits on them, I believe) work in the production of Japanese pickles?
Thanks!
Also, if anyone would like me to post the pickle instructions, I would be happy to do so.
[1]"The Complete Book of Japanese Cooking" by Emi Kazuko. Lots of pictures, some recipes/ingredients are somewhat dated "17th century", "12th century", "imported from South America" (so obviously 19th/20th century). Mostly helpful in showing how one prepares a certain vegetable, etc.
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Post by Ishikawa Yoshimasa on Aug 8, 2006 17:06:57 GMT -5
I can't say I am at all familier with japanese pickling process, but the lid and stone are to keep the vegitables entirely submerged in the viniger solution from what I understand... it should in theory be do-able on a smaller scale in any container you can keep the veggies submerged in. I think SOME 'frige space IS a requirement for any pickling process though. just remember... if any part of the veggies are not submerged, the microbes COULD have space to grow, ruining your batch...
all of this reminds me... I wanted to try my hand at pickling ginger (oh I love that stuff)
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Saionji Shonagon
New Member
One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Aug 8, 2006 19:23:05 GMT -5
According to this site, the reason for stones (or a modern pickle press) is that the weight is needed to press the natural juices out of the vegetables. This, coupled with salt, is what flavors certain types of pickles as they age. www.theblackmoon.com/Jfood/ftsuke.htmlA cursory surf of the 'net turned up two pickle presses in the $25 - 30 range at Amazon.com and you may be able to find them elsewhere. Refrigeration as we know it is a relatively modern technology. Autumn approaches and the right windowsill could solve the problem handily.  This one looks pretty easy. recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/12388/pickled-ginger-(amazu-shoga).htmlI'm spoiled - even the chain supermarkets around here carry a decent selection of Asian staples. Not to mention Asian specialty markets just across the way in Oakland's Chinatown. S. |
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Post by Ichikawa Masako on Sept 28, 2006 15:27:49 GMT -5
i would LOVE to see some of the recipes, living in the middle of Oklahoma... premade Japanese nummies are few and far between and i LOVE pickled foods (for the most part). Korean markets are about as close as i can get and i havent ventured into any of them yet, been meaning to however.
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Saionji Shonagon
New Member
One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Sept 28, 2006 16:03:38 GMT -5
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Post by solveig on Sept 28, 2006 17:22:12 GMT -5
Noble Cousins!
Greetings from Solveig! The Japanese actually have several kinds of pickles. Regardless, traditional pickles in Korea (where you could still see this sort of thing easily when I was
there) are made in large corckery vats kept outside the house. The basic principle of pickling is to place the preserved food in an environment which supresses growth of unwanted micro organisms. This can be achieved in a number of ways usually by using either vinegar, alcohol, or salt. McGee writes that preservation by fermentation is based on harnessing naturally occuring benign microbes in the vegtables in the absence of air. Essentially, the benign microbes and their waste proeducts crowd out botulism. Basically, available sugar is metabolized by the benign microbes and antimicrobal waste products such as lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and alcohol are produced.
McGee also notes that a lot of pickles are either dry-salted or brined to help desicate the vegetables and to draw out free sugars.
Low salt and temperature favors Leuconostoc mesenteroides
Higher temperatures favor Lactobacillus plantarum
Some Asian pickles inocculated with a "starter" culture.
McGee notes that Japanese nukazuke are inocculated with rice bran.
McGee also notes that pickles must be kept immersed in brine and that the brine surface must be kept in an anoxious environment.
A modern approach to pickling consists of adding hot finegar to vegetables to produce a final acetic acid concentration of about 2.5% These non-fermented pickles are usually heat treated at about 185 deg F. for about 30 minutes to inhibit spoilage.
Again, traditional Japanese pickling methods include: salt, rice bran, sake, &c. According to McGee, raddish, cabbage, eggplant, and cucumbers used to make tsukemono require a salt concetration of 4-10% sometimes with added rice bran.
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Post by dannyinjapan on Sept 29, 2006 21:11:05 GMT -5
Takako's pickle recipe:
(with thick cucumber slices or whole. Japanese cucumbers are skinnier than American cucumbers - maybe 2 cm diameter)
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp sesame oil
Flavoring:
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
rub the pieces with salt. add red pepper to heated sesame oil in frying pan.
add flavoring ingredients to pan (be careful)
Put cucumbers and other veggies in jar. Pour hot liquid into the jar.
Put on the lid, maybe shake the jar to mix it up.
Leave it in the refrigerator for a day or two. Shake it ocassionally.
You can eat them right away.
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