PUCKER POWER, CROCK POWER

 

I love to see old practices that past generations used out of necessity still being put to use in today’s world. These connections to our past not only warm my heart but also remind me that, even with today’s technology, some old ways are still viable in today’s world.

My friend Susie reminded me of this not too long ago. We both have a love of gardening and preserving so, naturally, we share ideas, techniques and recipes. I was at her house recently and she asked if I would like to try one of her sweet pickles in the crock. What???

I had heard of folks using crocks to preserve food though I have never experienced it. We went to her basement and she removed the lid and took out a couple pickles. She said that they had been down there for nearly a year. I was a little hesitant until I took a bite. Wow…the flavor! I had to learn more about this method!

Preserving food in crocks has been a time-tested methodthat has stood the test of time. Without the benefit of modern conveniences for keeping foods cold, our ancestors had to improvise ways that would preserve the fruits of their harvest through the long winters. Layering food in crocks provided the answer in many situations.

Crocks were used to store fried foods like pork steaks and sausages. The meats were fried and placed in a crock with a layer of lard poured over each layer, covering it completely to preserve it.

Even more so than for meats, crocks were filled with other foods and placed in a cool, dry place so they could ferment. Especially with fruits and vegetables, this method allowed them to ferment naturally. With today’s renewed interest in probiotics, the long-time effective ways to preserve food through fermentation and pickling are making a comeback.

Pickling foods, which is really lactic acid fermentation, is experiencing a revival in Europe, North America and beyond. With folks taking more of an interest in their natural health, this renewed interest in fermentation should come as no surprise since this process allows vegetables to retain more vitamins and minerals while also improving flavors and digestibility.

Many other methods of preservation actually lose valuable vitamins and other nutrients. Pickling is the most natural method of preserving all types of vegetables. The list of what foods can be preserved by fermenting is nearly endless and includes cucumbers, beets, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, onions, peppers, tomatoes and turnips.

Fermented foods aid digestion and metabolism and aid in weight loss. Besides these benefits, they are low in calories, loaded with vitamins like B and C and are easy to make at home. Perhaps the number one benefit is that they taste good!

With all this said about fermented foods, one of the best ways to make them is in crocks…yep, like the ones your grandmother used. Many crocks still in use todayare passed down through the generations. If you are lucky enough to have one or more of these, you can use it for your fermented foods or you can purchase new ones.

Either way, you need to take a few precautions. Old crocks are fine to use as long as they are free from cracks and chips because these will weaken them and let bacteria in. You also have to know your crocks because some were made for only decorative purposes and they won’t stand up to regular use.

Large usable stoneware crocks are made of fine quality clay that is semi-vitrified, a state where it is fired until it is hard and porous but not to the point where the silicates inside the clay body fuse into glass. The fired stoneware is then glazed, fired a second time to fix the glaze and then it’s ready for use. Many are fixed with a number on them which indicates how many gallons it holds.

If you choose to buy new ones, be sure and buy American. Many crocks on the market today are from Mexico and are fired with lead in the glaze and are not suitable for food use.

Basically, crocks are of two kinds, open or water-sealed. Which kind you choose depends on what you are making. Sauerkraut and other fermented foods are made in an anaerobic (air-free) environment. In the old days these were sealed with a lid that set in a water-filled trough on top of the crock. This was the simple way to make a seal and keep air out for fermentation to take place.

Open crocks were used more for pickling. This method was more prone to having one of several kinds of harmless mold growing on the food. It needs to be removed regularly during fermentation.

There is such a thing as a perpetual pickle crock. Any vegetable…green beans, carrots, tiny zucchini could be added. Every couple weeks,  a fresh brine of half cider vinegar and half tap water would be added to fill the crock two-thirds full. Along with the vegetables, a few dill head, a few peeled garlic cloves and a little pickling salt should be added. Use asmall plate or other weight to keep all the veggies in the brine.

Now, back to Susie’s pickles. The ones I tasted wereher sweet pickles made from a recipe that has been passed down through the ages in her family. She told me the history of the recipe which was almost as good as the pickles themselves.

What makes these so special…besides the taste….is that brined pickles will last a year or more with adequate salt content and fermentation.

Sometimes we make things too complicated when all we need to do is to take a step back, to a simpler time when our food was simpler. No refrigeration, no freezing, no pressure canning, just a time-honored process of preserving food in a crock. Maybe we need to start using those old pieces of stoneware instead of just setting them on a shelf to admire. Maybe Susie and her family figured this out years ago and are the better for keeping this tradition alive.

 

 

SUSIE’S SWEET PICKLES

(This is how Susie’s recipe is written, exactly how she got it from  from her Aunt Hazel who got it from …..who got it from ….who got it from ….and so on)

 

Dissolve four cups of salt in two gallons of hot water. Pour over four gallons of cucumbers in a stone jar. Soak for seven days, keeping the jar covered. Then drain and wash in cold water. Slice in the desired size pieces you want and put them back in the container and let them soak two days with water and allium solution, using two-ounce boxes of allium in enough water to cover the cucumbers. After two days, drain and cover with one gallon of vinegar and soak 24 hours. Drain and pour out. Put one or two small boxes of pickling spices in a small bag in the bottom of the container. Layer the cucumbers in the container using the following method; layer of cucumbers, enough sugar until all the cucumbers are covered. About 10 pounds of sugar will be used. Let set to ferment.