This was months ago now someone made a pickle post. Pickling is super interesting and was a great next step to expand my gardening skills. I learned a lot and am still learning a lot, but pickling is such a powerful thing and I'm already thinking about all the things I'll do differently in my garden next year. I feel very inspired to deepen my skills and knowledge for the first time in years of gardening.

Also thanks to @DirtbagVegan for the Pickle Crisp suggestion.

  • inshallah2 [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    You should check out tsukemono.

    Tsukemono

    Tsukemono (漬物, literally "pickled things") are Japanese preserved vegetables (usually pickled in salt, brine, or a bed of rice bran). They are served with rice as an okazu (side dish), with drinks as an otsumami (snack), as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a course in the kaiseki portion of a Japanese tea ceremony.

    Pressure is involved...

    To make tsukemono, one needs a container, salt, and something to apply downward pressure on top of the pickles. A tsukemonoki (漬物器) (literally "pickling container") is a Japanese pickle press. The pressure is generated by heavy stones called tsukemono ishi (漬物石) (literally "pickle stone") with a weight of one to two kilograms, sometimes more.

    • Phillipkdink [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      This seems like black belt pickling. I am a white belt, currently in the stages of learning the unknown unknowns.

      So thank you for giving me one less unknown! Sounds cool and delicious.

      • inshallah2 [none/use name]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Sounds cool and delicious.

        They are.

        You could go to the best reviewed local Japanese restaurant in person - keyword: friendly - and ask if you can get a takeout selection of tsukemono because you're interested in making them. Unless the manager is a jerk - I bet they'd give you a bunch and not charge you that much. There's a huge range of tastes and mouthfeels that text really can't explain that well unless the writer is an artist.