In Quite a Pickle-ing

I was delighted when I found carrots in both the standard orange and a lovely deep purple at the greenmarket this week. Fresh dill was also a delicious surprise, and the beets were gorgeously seductive. My mind was set on pickling, and I was imagining these seasonal treats colorfully preserved for late summer and fall parties.

Perhaps you've noticed.... I've been pickling quite a bit lately...

When I first started reading about home canning, I thought for sure there was a recipe for disaster waiting in my future. A few pages into the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, I began to see the world as a place full of "spoilage microorganisms" that gleefully, and rapidly, multiplied around me. The words, "bacteria are not easily destroyed" were recalled whenever I looked at a cucumber or a strawberry. I was sure one tiny mistake making pickles or jam could lead to a horrid death by botulism.

But, there was one thing I found more compelling than the fear of bacteria--my desire to make ramp martinis. So, I learned more, and I discovered that it was unlikely I would kill myself making pickles.

A few weeks ago, I read an article in the New York Times by Cathy Barrow, author of the great blog Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen. The article, "Not So Scary: Easy Steps to Canning," helped me feel more confident yet. Of course, reading is just fine, but I wanted some in-person instruction in an environment where I could ask silly questions like, "How will I really know if some sneaky spoilage microorganism has lived through my amateur canning attempt?"

As it happens, earlier this week the Brooklyn Brainery was offering an "Intro to Home Canning Class" by Drake Page, founder of the Booklyn-based DP Chutney Collective. I asked all of my questions and learned one very important thing: always start timing the processing of the jars when the water returns to a rolling boil.

Jars before processing

I am one of those confused cooks who can't decide exactly when something starts to "boil." Tiny bubbles? Medium yet interspersed bubbles? Big fat consistent bubbles? Is a crescendo acceptable? With most things, it doesn't really matter. You can figure out when it's done. But with canning, you need to reach a certain sustained temperature to kill off any nasties.

I had a brief moment when I feared for the asparagus and radishes I already pickled this summer. Looking back, the recipes I used were pretty clear. Unless I had one too many ramp martinis while I was making them, chances are good I didn't mess it up. (Chances may be questionable, however, regarding the number of martinis.)

Mr. Page has such an easy-going style that CME and I thought, "Wow, we could do this all the time!" The intimidation that came with all my initial reading evaporated with the rolling boil.

And, today, for the first time, I pickled without doubt. Using a recipe from the class, I started with the carrots. I did mix up the seasonings a bit using dill in some jars and cumin and a slice of Pasilla pepper in others. I had only enough beets for one jar... to that one I added rosemary.

By summer's end, I should have a pantry well-stocked enough to add pickles to any cocktail party or Sunday brunch. I'm already imagining some of those spicy carrots chopped with feta for a nice spread on crackers or a pickled spear of asparagus in a Bloody Mary.

Who's joining me?