Sweet Pickled Walnuts Food

SWEET PICKLED WALNUTS

Steps:

• Use rubber gloves to handle the young walnuts and pierce each one a few times with the tines of a fork. Watch out for the clear juice this produces. It stains a dark, espresso brown and is a natural dye. Place the walnuts into a bucket and fill with enough water to cover. Stir in 3/4 cup of salt to make a brine. Soak walnuts for 1 week, then drain and make the brine again. Soak for 1 more week.
• After the second week, drain the walnuts and lay them out on trays to dry in an airy place. In a couple of days they will turn black. Once they have all turned black, they are ready to pickle.
• In a large pot, stir together the malt vinegar, brown sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Bring to a boil and then add the walnuts. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Spoon the walnuts into sterile jars and fill with the syrup to within 1/2 inch of the top. Seal with lids and rings. Store in the refrigerator or process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and store in a cool dark place.

PICKLED WALNUTS

Steps:

• Dissolve the salt in the water to make a brine. Put on some rubber gloves if you have them, because walnut juice will stain your hands for weeks -- and it won't come off. Trust me on this one. Properly gloved, stab each walnut with a fork in several places; this helps the brine penetrate. Submerge the walnuts in the brine and let them ferment for 8 days at room temperature.
• Remove the walnuts and put them on a baking sheet and leave them outside in the sun for a day, until they turn uniformly black. You can do this step without gloves if you want.
• Pack the walnuts into quart jars. Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil and pour over the walnuts. Leave very little headspace in the jars. Seal and keep in a cool place, either the fridge or a basement -- you just want them to rest below 70°F -- for at least a month before you eat them. Kept this way they will last a year.

SPICED WALNUTS

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat honey, oil, and 1 tablespoon water over medium heat. Add walnuts; toss to coat.
• Sprinkle the sugar, salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne over the nuts. Cook, tossing and stirring until the nuts are well coated and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool completely.

SWEET PICKLED GARDEN VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Using a glass bowl combine water, vinegar, sugar, sea salt, pickling spice, and peppercorns until well mixed.
• Wash and dry vegetables, than cut into florets. In another glass bowl place the vegetables and dill, then pour all the brine over them.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days before serving.

HIGHLAND BEEF WITH PICKLED WALNUTS & PUFF PASTRY TOPS

Steps:

• Up to three days before, make the pastry puffs. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry a little thinner and stamp out sixteen 6cm rounds. Put the rounds on a baking sheet and brush with the egg. Sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
• Make the stew. Put the beef, garlic and bay leaf in a large non-metallic bowl and pour in the stout. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to fan 130C/ conventional 150C/gas 2. Drain the meat and pat dry on kitchen paper. Set aside the marinade liquid.
• Heat both half the butter and oil in a large lidded ovenproof casserole. Over a high heat, brown the beef in batches until each piece is sealed and dark brown. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon as you go. Set aside.
• Wipe the dish with kitchen paper, melt the remaining butter and oil and fry the bacon and onions for 10-15 minutes until the onions are golden brown, very soft and well reduced.
• Stir in the flour until blended, add the port and reserved marinade and return the beef to the dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 2½ -3 hours or until the meat is very tender (no need to season). Cool, put in a large sealed container and store in the fridge, or freeze for up to 1 month.
• To serve, return to the casserole and bring slowly to the boil (if frozen, defrost and continue as above). Add pickled walnuts and reserved pickling vinegar and simmer for 30 minutes until hot. Stir through the parsley. Re-heat the pastries at fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6 for 3-4 minutes. To serve, ladle into bowls, top with a couple of pastry puffs and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley.

SWEET PICKLED BEETS CANNING

Steps:

• Cut the leaves off the beet about 3" off the beet to prevent the beet from bleeding out. (Reserve them for cooked greens).
• Separate into sizes so little ones don't get over cooked and big ones are not under cooked.
• I like 3 kettles they boil faster that way.
• No salt in the water.
• Boil beets till tender, can be checked using a fork (like a potato).
• Drain and discard cooking liquid; let beets cool so they can be easily peeled.
• Cut beets into 1/2" pieces, leaving very small beets whole.
• Combine brine ingredients in a kettle.
• Bring brine to a boil.
• Simmer 10 minutes.
• You may need to make more brine for this amount of beets.
• Wash pint jars and covers.
• Fill jars within 1/2" from the top with beets.
• Fill jar with boiling brine to 1/2" from top.
• Place lids, adjust rings fingertip-tight and process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes at up to 1000 feet in elevation.
• Cool processed jars undisturbed for 24 hours on a cloth-protected counter.
• Any leftover brine can be stored in the refrigerator till the next time you can.