Pickling Class

No matter how much we know about something, there is always more to learn. This is true about everything. I am a good cook, and I know a lot about cooking, baking, preparing foods, and service, etc., but I too am always still learning new things.

I was a culinary student once again, learning something new about something I had never done before. I went to a pickling class that was offered at my favorite spice shop in Denver, Savory Spice. Savory Spices of Denver

I have cooked and prepared many things in my life, and I do so everyday, but I have never pickled or canned anything before, other than salsas and things like that. I am on Savory Spice‘s email list, and the other day I received an email for a pickling class. I checked the calendar and it was clear. I asked Lauren if she wanted to go with me, since learning new things is always more fun when you have a friend with you, and she was clear too, so off we went. We learned a quick and simple way to pickle vegetables.

Rebecca was our leader for the day. She had everything all prepared and demonstrated before letting us novice picklers try it out. She had fresh, organic green beans, carrots, and cucumbers all cut up and ready for us to pick and choose what we wanted, along with all the pickling spices laid out and the warmed brine ready to go. She also had some elephant garlic and fresh dill and dried jalapenos. We could pick and choose and customize our vegetable jars however we wanted. All of us created our own unique jar of pickled vegetables that we got to take home with us. There were 9 of us who attended the class. It was just the right size too; not too small and definitely not too big. I think we all learned something new and had a good time in the process.

Lauren and I showing off our pickled jars.

I am not exactly sure what Lauren put in hers, but I put a little bit of everything in mine. I filled it with green beans and carrots, then added some of the elephant garlic, fresh dill, dried jalapeno slices, and about 3-4 tsp of pickling spices, which included black peppercorns, mustard seed and coriander seeds.

Elephant garlic is a HUGE garlic bulb, that can often weigh up to 1 lb each. It has a milder flavor than regular, smaller garlic cloves and can be used for just about anything you would use regular garlic for as well.

Simple Pickling Brine

A brine is necessary to pickle vegetables. Without a brine, your vegetables will just wilt, and won’t be preserved or “pickle”. A good pickling brine has the proper ratio of water, vinegar, salt and sugar. This same brine can be used for any kinds of vegetables.

1 cup distilled white viegar

2 TBSP kosher salt

2 tsp sugar

2-4 TBSP pickling spices

2 cups water

Combine everything together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil until all the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.

Pack your choice of vegetables in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Pack it as full as you can, then add your finishing touches. More is better for this one. A nice little tip Rebecca pointed out, is that sometimes it is best to add your pickling spices directly into each jar as well, to make sure they are evenly distributed throughout the batch. Once your vegetables are packed the way you want them, pour the vinegar mixture over them and fill the jar. Then seal the jar tightly and flip it over a few times to mix everything up. Allow the vegetables to sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then you can store them in the refrigerator. They will last for months in the refrigerator, especially if unopened.

Our pickling class proudly displaying our creations. Thank you Rebecca. It was a fun, new learning experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the class.

And of course I didn’t just come home with a jar of pickled vegetables. No, no, no. I bought some other fun goodies too, that you know I will put to good use very soon. 🙂 I LOVE Savory Spice. I have been hooked ever since my friend Janet introduced me to them a a few years ago. They offer so many unique and different spices that you won’t find anywhere else.

This time my haul included dried mustard, dried lemon peel, candied orange peels, candied ginger and espresso powder, and because I spent over $40, I got another jar of spices for free. I chose some California citrus rub, that I used in my pork quesadillas last night for dinner. YUMMY!

Savory Spice is a local Denver spice store, owned and operated here in Denver, but they ship anywhere in the United States. I am not sure if they ship out of the country or not, but then you never know until you try, right?! Savory Spice has a few locations in the Denver Metro area, but the one we went to was located at 1537 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202. You can contact them either by phone at (303) 477-3322 or online at http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/denver-platte-08 or denver@savorysoiceshop.com. If you have never been in a spice shop before, you definitely have to try it. You will be in for an unforgettable experience in the world of spices. 🙂

Learn something new and have fun too. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.