Thursday, March 13, 2008

Fermented Wine: The Secrets of Vinegar

[This is a blog in progress. I am culling from several places the most amazing vinegary tales of culinary and medicinal triumphs. More importantly, I'm on the road, and need to have custom pickled things with me - or sent to me from my food storage stash - for my own health and wellbeing.]

After Codex, all our secret medicinal remedies will be pass on in the Green Language with poetry.

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got and home did trot
As fast as he could caper;
And went to bed and covered his head
In vinegar and brown paper.

Job's Tears

In Japan, an aged vinegar is also made from Job's Tears; it is similar in flavor to rice vinegar.

[edit] Kombucha

Kombucha vinegar, also referred to as probiotic vinegar,[citation needed] is made from kombucha, a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. The bacteria produce a complex array of nutrients and populate the vinegar with symbiotic bacteria which some claim promote a heathy digestive tract, though no scientific studies have shown this to date. Kombucha vinegar is primarily used to make a vinaigrette and flavored by adding strawberries, blackberries, mint, or blueberries at the beginning of fermentation.


Sodium acetate is the chemical that gives salt and vinegar chips their flavor. It may also be added to foods as a preservative; in this application it is usually written as "sodium diacetate" and labeled E262

This is the well-known "fizzing" reaction between baking soda and vinegar. 84 grams of sodium bicarbonate react with 750 g of 8% vinegar to make 82 g sodium acetate in water. By subsequently boiling off most of the water, one can refine either a concentrated solution of sodium acetate or actual crystals.


Most meals start with onions, ginger and garlic. In this the fermentation month, I thought to pickle these favorites, plus the peck s of peppers that I never seem to finish.



However a big caveat:

"Pickled peppers and mixed vegetable-pepper home-canned products are commonly prepared by many households. These products also have been implicated in botulism deaths due to the use of untested recipes, under-acidified products, addition of too much oil, or lack of processing."

So we're not canning.

GINGER:

Uncle Phaed of course, gave us this recipe for pickled ginger.

A great way to keep ginger is to put whole roots in a jar and cover with dry sherry. Ginger will keep indefinitely this way. Just slice off as needed. Be sure the sherry continues to cover the ginger.

Pickled Ginger

1/2 cup fresh ginger -- sliced paper thin
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Stir all ingredients together in non-reactive stainless steel pan or glass
saucepan and bring to a boil.

Let mixture cool to room temperature and chill overnight. (Pickled ginger
keeps for several months in the refrigerator.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Pickled Ginger

2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound fresh ginger root

Combine sugar, vinegar (use ONLY rice vinegar) and water in 1-pint jar
with tight-fitting lid.
Peel ginger then cut it into long, PAPER-THIN slices using a swivel-bladed
vegetable peeler.
Place the slices in the pickling liquid. Refrigerate at least 2 to 3 weeks
before using.

Yield: 1 pint. If kept submerged in the liquid, this will keep indefinitely
in the refrigerator.

PICKLED HOT PEPPERS

chili and jalapeno

Chile peppers are usually preserved in salt and vinegar. Adding sugar or honey produces a more mellow tasting pickle. Adding spices gives additional flavour.

Salt a: Used to extract moisture from some vegetables, which would otherwise dilute the vinegar and cause the pickle to ferment, and the vegetables to toughen. Use cooking salt rather than table salt; the latter contains a higher iodine content which can discolour the vegetables (it makes them darker).

Salt b. Use noniodized canning or pickling salt. Noncaking materials added to table salt may make the solution cloudy.

Vinegar a: Use bottled vinegar's (malt, distilled, wine, cider, spiced etc); draught vinegar's are not strong enough. White distilled or cider vinegar's of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) are recommended. Use cold vinegar for crisp vegetables and boiling vinegar for softer ones. The vinegar should cover the vegetables by at least an inch (2.5cm). For a home-made spiced vinegar, boil 1oz (25g) of mixed pickling spice in 1 pint (600ml) of vinegar for 5 minutes. Strain when cold.

Vinegar b. Use a high grade cider or white distilled vinegar of 5 percent acidity (50 grain). White vinegar may be preferred with light-colored peppers or vegetables to retain color or if clear liquid is desired. Do not use vinegars of unknown acidity. For a less acidic flavor, add a small amount of sugar. This offsets the sharp acid flavor without affecting the pH or acidity of a product.

Caution: The acidity in a pickled product is as important to its safety as it is for taste and texture. There must be a minimum, uniform amount of acid throughout the mixed product to prevent growth of botulinum bacteria. Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients. Do not alter vinegar/water proportions in the recipe.


Spices: Use whole spices, powdered ones will make the vinegar cloudy. Mixed pickling spice consists of equal amounts of stick cinnamon, allspice berries, cloves, mace and peppercorns. Extras can include root ginger, celery seeds

Pre-cooking: Some recipes require the chile peppers to be blanched before pickling, some don't.

Pans: Use un-chipped enamel, aluminum or stainless steel pans. Copper, brass and iron pans will react with the vinegar, giving an off taste.

Sealing: Jars must be sterilised and well sealed. Metal lids will corrode on contact with the vinegar. Kilner jars, with their rubber sealing rings, are recommended.

Maturing: A minimum of 2 to 4 weeks maturing time is recommended. Crisp pickles will tend to soften after about 3 months.



Quick Facts...

  • Use only fresh, blemish-free vegetables and up-to-date, research-based recipes when pickling peppers and pepper blends.
  • Use pure, granulated, non-iodized canning or pickling salt, high grade vinegar of 5 percent acidity, and fresh spices.
  • Process pickled peppers in a boiling water bath for the altitude-adjusted length of time specified in a tested recipe.
  • For oil peppers, use only fresh vegetable oil in the amounts specified in tested recipes.
  • Additional processing time and head space are needed to preserve pickled peppers in oil.

Pickled peppers and mixed vegetable-pepper home-canned products are commonly prepared by many Colorado households. These products also have been implicated in botulism deaths due to the use of untested recipes, under-acidified products, addition of too much oil, or lack of processing.


Ingredients:

4 pounds hot, long red, green or yellow peppers
3 pounds sweet red and green peppers, mixed
5 cups vinegar (5 percent acidity)
1 cup water
4 teaspoons canning or pickling salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic

Yield: About 9 pints Procedure:

Wash peppers. If small peppers are left whole, slash two to four slits in each; quarter large peppers.

Blanch in boiling water or blister in order to peel.

Flatten small peppers.

Fill jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.

Combine and heat other ingredients to boiling and simmer 10 minutes.

Remove garlic.

Add hot pickling solution over peppers, leaving ½-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process pints or half-pints for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.


Garlic Pickled Chile Peppers

  • 500g (1 lb) Cayenne peppers
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 3 cloves of garlic cut in halves
  • 900ml (1 1/2 pints) vinegar (garlic vinegar if available)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 8 peppercorns

Wash the peppers and place into hot sterilized jars. Mix the allspice with the celery and mustard seeds. Pack into the jars. Add the garlic. Place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns into pan and bring to the boil. Pour over the peppers and seal the jars. Makes about 1.5kg (3 lb)

Fresh Pickled Jalapenos

Using fresh Jalapenos peppers, blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. To prevent collapsing, puncture each pepper with a needle. Add the following ingredients to a pint jar packed with the blanched peppers before cooling occurs:

  • 1/4 medium sized Garlic clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon of onion flakes
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground Oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon Thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon Marjoram
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Cover with boiling brine solution prepared as follows: mix together;

  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 9 tablespoons salt
  • 2 pints water
  • 2 pints 5% vinegar

Close containers and process for 10 minutes in boiling water, then cool. Note that the jalapenos must be hot when brine solution is added.


Easy Pickled Peppers

  • 1 - 1 1/2 lb. fresh hot peppers (any kind you like)
  • 1 good sized handful of cayenne peppers (optional - adds color to mix)
  • 1 lb package of peeled baby carrots
  • 1 or 2 heads garlic - peel and separate cloves
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 1/4 cup black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
  • White vinegar to cover

Put the carrots on to boil in the vinegar. Stab each pepper with a paring knife. After the carrots have cooked for about 10 minutes, add everything else to the pot. Simmer 5 (crisp) to 15 (soft) minutes depending on your taste. Pour mixture into old mayonnaise jars or what ever else large glass jars you have on hand that have a cover. Cover (not too tight) and let cool for an hour or so. Then refrigerate. You can eat these right away but if you way for a few days the vegetables (carrots and garlic) will get hotter.

Peppers. A variety of peppers work well for home canning. Common varieties are Cubanelle, Hungarian, yellow wax, sweet cherry, sweet banana and sweet bells. Thick-fleshed peppers with firm waxy skins and bright, glossy color, free from defects, give the best pickled products. Avoid peppers that are soft, shriveled or pliable, and dull or faded in color. As with all pickled products, the shortest time from pick to pack offers the highest quality pickled product.

Cut large peppers (Cubanella or bells) into jar-size pieces. Remove seeds and white inner core. Smaller varieties may be packed whole but must be slit to allow the vinegar solution to enter the hollow portion of the pepper. Make two small slits through the flesh of each whole pepper.

pad


Pickling Chili Peppers

Chile peppers are usually preserved in salt and vinegar. Adding sugar or honey produces a more mellow tasting pickle. Adding spices gives additional flavour.

  • Salt: Used to extract moisture from some vegetables, which would otherwise dilute the vinegar and cause the pickle to ferment, and the vegetables to toughen. Use cooking salt rather than table salt; the latter contains a higher iodine content which can discolor the vegetables (it makes them darker).
  • Vinegar: Use bottled vinegar's (malt, distilled, wine, cider, spiced etc); draught vinegar's are not strong enough. White distilled or cider vinegar's of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) are recommended. Use cold vinegar for crisp vegetables and boiling vinegar for softer ones. The vinegar should cover the vegetables by at least an inch (2.5cm). For a home-made spiced vinegar, boil 1oz (25g) of mixed pickling spice in 1 pint (600ml) of vinegar for 5 minutes. Strain when cold.
  • Spices: Use whole spices, powdered ones will make the vinegar cloudy. Mixed pickling spice consists of equal amounts of stick cinnamon, allspice berries, cloves, mace and peppercorns. Extras can include root ginger, celery seeds etc.
  • Pre-cooking: Some recipes require the chile peppers to be blanched before pickling, some don't.
  • Pans: Use unchipped enamel, aluminum or stainless steel pans. Copper, brass and iron pans will react with the vinegar, giving an off taste.
  • Sealing: Jars must be sterilized and well sealed. Metal lids will corrode on contact with the vinegar. Kilner jars are recommended.
  • Maturing: A minimum of 2 to 4 weeks maturing time is recommended. Crisp pickles will tend to soften after about 3 months.

Garlic Pickled Chile Peppers

  • 500g (1 lb) Cayenne peppers
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 3 cloves of garlic cut in halves
  • 900ml (1 1/2 pints) vinegar (garlic vinegar if available)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 8 peppercorns

Wash the peppers and place into hot sterilized jars. Mix the allspice with the celery and mustard seeds. Pack into the jars. Add the garlic. Place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns into pan and bring to the boil. Pour over the peppers and seal the jars. Makes about 1.5kg (3 lb)


Fresh Pickled Jalapenos

Using fresh Jalapenos peppers, blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. To prevent collapsing, puncture each pepper with a needle. Add the following ingredients to a pint jar packed with the blanched peppers before cooling occurs:

  • 1/4 medium sized Garlic clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon of onion flakes
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground Oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon Thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon Marjoram
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Cover with boiling brine solution prepared as follows: mix together;

  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 9 tablespoons salt
  • 2 pints water
  • 2 pints 5% vinegar

Close containers and process for 10 minutes in boiling water, then cool. Note that the jalapenos must be hot when brine solution is added.


Easy Pickled Peppers

  • 1 - 1 1/2 lb. fresh hot peppers (any kind you like)
  • 1 good sized handful of cayenne peppers (optional - adds color to mix)
  • 1 lb package of peeled baby carrots
  • 1 or 2 heads garlic - peel and separate cloves
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 1/4 cup black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
  • White vinegar to cover

Put the carrots on to boil in the vinegar. Stab each pepper with a paring knife. After the carrots have cooked for about 10 minutes, add everything else to the pot. Simmer 5 (crisp) to 15 (soft) minutes depending on your taste. Pour mixture into old mayonnaise jars or what ever else large glass jars you have on hand that have a cover. Cover (not too tight) and let cool for an hour or so. Then refrigerate. You can eat these right away but if you way for a few days the vegetables (carrots and garlic) will get hotter.


Grandma's Pickled Banana peppers

Recipe By : Jerry Ziehm

  • banana peppers
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbs. good olive oil in each jar
  • Brine
  • 3 qts. water
  • 1 qt. white vinegar bring to boil

Place peppers, salt, oil in jars, pour hot brine to the top of jar, seal jars, water bath for about 5 min.
(When I water bath I only boil about 2 min). Peppers stay very crisp. Also you can put a clove or two of garlic in each jar if you wish. Recipe yields about 10 quarts.


Pickled Jalapenos

Recipe By : Pacific Northwest Extension Bulletin

  • 6 pounds jalapeno
  • 5 cups vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 teaspoons pickling salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic

Wash peppers. If small peppers are left whole, slash 2-5 slits in each. Quarter large peppers. Blanch in boiling water. Flatten small peppers. Fill half-pint or pint jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Combine and heat other ingredients to boiling and simmer 10 minutes. Remove garlic. Pour hot pickling solution over peppers leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust lids. Use conventional boiling water canner processing. Process for 10 minutes at below 1000 feet, 15 minutes at 1001 to 6000 feet and 20 minutes above 6000 feet.


Pickled Chiles

Recipe By : The Goodness of Peppers by John Midgley (Pavilion Books Unlimited, London).

  • 225g/8 oz. whole fresh chiles
  • 350ml/12 fl. oz/1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar with 1 teaspoon salt
  • sprig of bay
  • sprig of rosemary
  • 4 gloves of garlic, peeled
  • up to 350ml/12 fl. oz/1 1/2 cups extra white wine vinegar

Inspect the chiles for damage, discarding any that are bruised, lacerated or otherwise blemished. Snip off all but the base of their stems. Bring the vinegar and the chiles to a boil in a pan. Add the remaining ingredients except the extra vinegar and simmer for 6-8 minutes. With a clean spoon, transfer them to a jar previously sterilized with freshly boiled water. Pour in the pickling liquid with its herbs, top up with the additional vinegar to cover and allow to cool before sealing.

The chiles will be ready within a month.

This quantity will fill a medium-sized jar with whole chiles, preserved with herbs and garlic and up to 675ml /1 1/2 pints /3 cups of vinegar. Increase the vinegar quantity and dilute it with a little water if you want to preserve a larger quantity of chiles, or sweet red and yellow peppers, which should first have their caps, seeds and pithy membranes removed.



Garlic. If desired for flavor, use mature, fully-dried, white-skinned garlic, free of blemishes. Garlic contains a water-soluble pigment that may turn blue or purple. A blue-green color may develop in pickles made with stored red-skinned garlic. Immature garlic, garlic that is not fully dry, or red-skinned varieties may turn blue, purple or blue-green. Except in the case of a bright blue-green color resulting from abnormally high concentrations of copper-sulfate, such color changes do not indicate the presence of harmful substances.

Marinated Refrigerated Peppers

Remember, all pickled pepper products stored at room temperature must be processed, to avoid the risk of botulism toxin development during storage. The boiling water bath processing step can be omitted if pickles are stored in the refrigerator. Use the following procedure.

Wash peppers. Small peppers may be left whole with two small slits in each pepper. Core and cut large peppers into strips.

Sterilize jars, lids and screwbands. Pack peppers tightly into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

For each 6 cups of brine, combine 5 cups vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon pickling salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer five minutes.

Pour vinegar solution over peppers, leaving 1/8-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust headspace so that brine covers all peppers. Wipe rims.

Place sterilized flats on jars. Do not put on screwbands. Allow jars to cool. Put on screwbands and wipe jars. Refrigerate six to eight weeks for the pickled flavor to fully develop. Keep refrigerated and use within six months. This pepper product allows the peppers to marinate in a high acid solution, at a cold temperature, and in the presence of air. These conditions are not favorable for botulism toxin formation. It does not ensure against other types of spoilage.


Salsa

Most salsa recipes are a mixture of low-acid foods, such as onions and peppers, and acid foods, such as tomatoes. Use tested recipes to ensure proper acidification.

Use the amounts of each vegetable listed in the recipe. If desired, green tomatoes or tomatillos may be substituted for part or all of the tomatoes. Add the amount of vinegar listed. If desired, you may safely substitute an equal amount of lemon juice for vinegar in a recipe using vinegar. However, do not substitute vinegar for lemon juice. This substitution will result in a less acid and potentially unsafe salsa.

Spices do not affect acidity or safety and may be adjusted as desired. Do not thicken salsas with flour or cornstarch before canning. After you open a jar to use, you may pour off some of the liquid or thicken with cornstarch.

Chili Salsa

  • 12 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (choose a meaty variety or
  • squeeze out extra juice)
  • 6 cups seeded, chopped chili peppers*
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    *Use mixture of hot and mild peppers to suit taste.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 pints

Procedure: Combine ingredients in large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot into clean pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water bath.

Table 4: Recommended process time for chili salsa in a boiling water canner.
Style of pack/Jar size Process time at altitudes of:
6,000 ft or lessAbove 6,000 ft
Hot:
Half-pints or pints

20 min.

25 min.

*Tomato Salsa (Using Paste Tomatoes)

Note: Paste tomatoes, such as Roma, are recommended for salsa because they have firmer flesh and produce thicker products. Slicing tomatoes will require a much longer cooking time to achieve a desirable consistency.

  • 7 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
  • 5 cups seeded, chopped long green chilies
  • 4 cups finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup seeded, finely chopped Jalapeno peppers
  • 6-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 cups bottled lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin*
  • 3 tablespoons oregano leaves*
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro*
    *Optional; use only for desired flavor

Yield: Makes 13 pints

Procedure: Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano and cilantro in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add spices, if desired, and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into clean pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Add pretreated lids and process in a boiling water bath canner.

*Source: Salsa Recipes for Canning; PNW395, a Pacific Northwest Extension Publication. Washington, Oregon, Idaho.

Table 5: Recommended process time for tomato salsa in a boiling water canner.
Style of pack/Jar size Process time at altitudes of:
6,000 ft or lessAbove 6,000 ft
Hot:
Half-pints or pints

20 min.

25 min.


Veterinary treatment

Pest fighter:

A teaspoon of white distilled vinegar for each quart bowl of drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks. The ratio of one teaspoon to one quart is for a forty-pound animal.

Vinegar along with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used in the livestock industry to kill bacteria and viruses before refrigeration storage. A chemical mixture of peracetic acid is formed when acetic acid is mixed with hydrogen peroxide. It is being used in some Asian countries by aerosol sprays for control of pneumonia. A mixture of five-percent acetic acid and three-percent hydrogen peroxide is commonly used.[citation needed]

Apple cider vinegar in particular is often touted as a medical aid, from cancer prevention to alleviation of joint pain to weight loss.[20] Claims of its benefits go back at least to Hippocrates. In 1958, D. C. Jarvis made the remedy popular with a bestseller that has sold over one million copies.

Diet control

Multiple trials indicate that taking vinegar with food increases satiety (the feeling of fullness) and so reduces the amount of food consumed.[13][14] Even a single application of vinegar can lead to reduced food intake for a whole day.[15]

Cholesterol

A scientific study published in 2006 concluded that a test group of rats fed with acetic acid (the main component of vinegar) had "significantly lower values for serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols", among other health benefits. [7]

[edit] Blood glucose control and diabetic management

Small amounts of vinegar (approx. 20 mls or two tablespoons of domestic vinegar) added to food, or taken along with a meal, have been shown by a number of medical trials to reduce the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes.[8][9][10] This has also been expressed as lower glycemic index ratings in the region of 30%.[11][12]

Food Preparation

Getting the last drops:
When you can’t get the last bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the jar, try dribbling a little of your favorite vinegar into it, put the cap on tightly and shake well. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve been wasting.

Cooking fish:
Try soaking fish in vinegar and water before cooking it. It will be sweeter, more tender and hold its shape better. When boiling or poaching fish, a tablespoon of vinegar added to the water will keep it from crumbling so easily.

Cake icing:
Cake icing can be prevented from becoming sugary if a little vinegar is added to the ingredients before cooking. The same is true when making homemade candy.

Boiling eggs:
When boiling an egg and it’s cracked, a little vinegar in the water will keep the white from running out.

Keeping potatoes white:
A teaspoon of white distilled or cider vinegar added to the water in which you boil potatoes will keep them nice and white. You can keep peeled potatoes from turning dark by covering them with water and adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar.

Freshen vegetables:
Freshen up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and vinegar.

Fruit and vegetable wash:
Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to 1 pint water and use to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. Research has shown that vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables.

Frying doughnuts:
Before frying doughnuts, add ½ teaspoon of vinegar to hot oil to prevent doughnuts soaking up extra grease. Use caution when adding the vinegar to the hot oil.

Flavor booster:
Perk up a can of soup, gravy or sauce with a teaspoon of your favorite specialty vinegar. It adds flavor and taster fresher.

Meat tenderizer:
As a tenderizer for tough meat or game, make a marinade in the proportion of half a cup of your favorite vinegar to a cup of heated liquid, such as bouillon; or for steak, you may prefer to a mix of vinegar and oil, rubbed in well and allowed to stand for two hours.

Fruit stains:
Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands by cleaning them with vinegar.

Fresh lunch box:
It is easy to take out the heavy stale smell often found in lunch boxes. Dampen a piece of fresh bread with white distilled vinegar and leave it in the lunch box overnight.

Get rid of cooking smells:
Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.

Fluffy Egg Whites
Soak a paper towel with 1-2 Tablespoons of white distilled vinegar. Wipe mixing bowl and beaters or whisk with the vinegar-soaked paper towel, then dry with a cloth or paper towel prior to whipping egg whites.

Fluffier Rice
For fluffier and great tasting rice, add a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar to the boiling water before adding rice. Rice will be easier to spoon and less sticky.


Sunday, March 2, 2008

Quick Tempura Dinner

This Spring calls for light fermented foods, so begins a month dedicated to the cuisine of Japan. Black, Red and White misos of various strengths, from strong MUGI (barley-rice) miso to medium soybean-rice miso - these pastes provide the bases for soups. For stock I used fish broth or bottled water. For the solids, I always have some seaweed, tofu, spring onions, carrots and radishes; added to that are one or more of mushrooms, spring potatoes, green peas and sugar snaps.

Tempura is a lovely, sophisticated fun addition. It's a great way to quickly cook shrimp, other seafood morsels and vegetables, and serve them instantly with various tempura dipping sauces. The trick is to prepare the seafood, vegetables and lay out the tempura batter components (never made batter until the oil is hot!). Once you have everything ready to go, the meal is prepared in mere minutes. When I prepare tempura the miso is on the lighter side, with less solids.

I call this LIGHT, yet it involves deep frying. Done properly there is very little fat and the seafood is super fresh, cooked in a flash. Not more than 3-4 minutes stove time and it's ready.

I call this QUICK, yet it has a lot of prep time. You can prepare all the batter mixes, dipping sauces, vinegar sauces, and vegetable bits ahead of time. If you just doing shrimp, other than making them straight, what else prep is there?

I never said this was not messy. Not only can it be MESSY, it rates no less than 5 black-and-crispy fire engines and/or ambulances if you do not have a start to finish oil management plan.


INGREDIENTS

This is a deep frying dish, so make sure you have 1-2 liters of fresh oil handy. It's not that you will be using all of this, but dish is not the "three turns of the pan" oil usage. The best way to stress this is to urge you to invest in a lovely large goblet of quality OIL. Your brain needs it!

ICE - just enough to cover the bottom of a large bowl
(You will put your batter bowl on top of this to keep your batter ice cold)

Optional Condiments on table: Pickled ginger, wasabe, soy sauce, salt, pepper, grated daikon (or other radish bits), sriracha sauce...

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Fancy

2 Tbl soy sauce
2 Tbl orange juice - or lemon juice w/brown sugar to sweeten
2 Tbl Mirin rice wine
2 Tbl brown sugar
1 Tbl extremely fine chopped spring onions
1 tsp sesame seeds (gomasio)

(This makes a different salad dressing - has no oil or vinegar)

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Fancy and Spicy!

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Mirin rice wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbl brown sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
2 tablespoons really finely minced scallions

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Regular

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2-3 Tbl soy sauce
2-3 Tbl Mirin rice wine
2-3 Tbl grated fresh ginger

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Traditional

1 cup dashi soup stock (dashi are bonito flakes, a most indispensable secret ingredient to add savory flavor in any kitchen - do not underestimate the taste-power of dried fish flakes, second only to MARMITE!)
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Alternative

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2-3 Tbl seasoned rice vinegar (note: not rice wine!)
4 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
(Add some hot chili to this if you'd like)


HOT SPICY VINEGARY SAUCES

There are people who have not tasted Japanese foods but once in their lives, and upon being introduced to Tempura, say "Oh, just like Long John Silver's!". They will appreciate having a spicy, vinegary sauce to go with their Japanese Fish 'n Chips. - most people's metabolisms need and love to have a second spicy vinegary sauce to go along with this.

The Long John Silver Coca Cola Deep Frying Fast Foods OIL Clause:

Long John Silver's has a Nutrition Calendar with numbers for their battered shrimp. It is worth paying attention to this. You in your own kitchen will NOT be using their oil: "100% soybean oil with dimethylpolysiloxane, TBHQ and citric acid", which is also used in other fast food chains, such as MacDonald's. Neither will you be cooking it the way they do. You will be COMBINING with other prescribed items, and that is the secret to health.

Let's take a look at "100% soybean oil with dimethylpolysiloxane, TBHQ and citric acid":

TBHQ, or TERT-BUTYLHYDROQUINONE is used as an antioxidant for unsaturated vegetable oils and animal fats. It can be used in combination with BHA. It is added to a wide range of foods, with highest limit permitted for frozen fish. It is used to enhance storage life. For industrial use, TBHQ is used as a stabilizer and is added to varnishes, lacquers, resins, and oil field additives.

In high doses, TBHQ led to stomach tumors and damage to DNA for lab animals. Prolonged exposure to TBHQ may cause cancer. While this is for high doses and lab rats, I have trouble with the idea that something you can only handle with protective clothing, per the Material Safety Data Sheet, is going in my food. You can find TBHQ in a wide variety of fast food menu items, especially anything fried or cooked in oil.

Hmmm! What about Soybean Oil?
Soybean oil is very popular because it is cheap, healthful and has a high smoke point. Soybean oil does not contain much saturated fat. Like all other oils from vegetable origin, soybean oil contains no cholesterol.
Well, that's what it started out as, today it's been GMO'd, and:

Food use of soybean oil Soybean oil is also used by the food industry in a variety of food products including salad dressings, sandwich spreads, margarine, bread, mayonnaise, non-dairy coffee creamers and snack foods. The high smoke point of soybean oil allows it to be used as frying oil. Soybean oil is often hydrogenated to increase its shelf life or to produce a more solid product. In this process, unhealthy trans fats are produced which may raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Food manufacturers are now trying to remove trans fats from their product. For this purpose, scientists are breeding new varieties of soybeans containing oil that does not need to be hydrogenated.
Good gawd, will they NEVER STOP their madness?!

RULE: Properly deep fried foods are very healthy but if you eat a deep fried product prepared with messed up oils (from food industries that fund ever more crazy messing-up of our basic food ingredients) - it will KILL you sooner than later - but, do NOT throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak - proper deep frying is HEALTHY!

If you do not have wasabe, try making a Hot Mustard sauce, or have a chili fish vinegar sauce ( e.g., Sriracha sauce, which is an Asian (Thai) hot and spicy chile sauce with garlic for dipping) on the table. Sriracha is made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Be forewarned, it clocks in on the Scoville rating at around 2,000 units. I add some to a dashi-soy mix.

The fact is you really do need the VINEGAR and PEPPER to help digest the deep fried fat. There is nothing wrong with a good dose of fresh healthy OIL in your body as long as it is balanced.

A borrowed note on Japanese Vinegars:

I got these from LUNCH IN A BOX:

Sanbaizu (three-flavored vinegar) is one of the four main vinegar dressings in Japanese cuisine, made with rice vinegar, soy sauce, dashi (bonito stock) and sugar. The other vinegar dressings are:

Nihaizu (two-flavored vinegar) with vinegar, soy and dashi
Amazu (sweetened vinegar) with vinegar, dashi and sugar
Ponzu dressing with citrus juice, vinegar, soy, mirin, bonito flakes and konbu

  • Sanbaizu #1 (sweet vinegar dressing)
    3 Tb rice vinegar
    1/4 tsp soy sauce
    2 Tb sugar
    1/2 tsp salt
    1.5 Tb dashi (bonito stock - instant is fine)
  • Sanbaizu #2 (sweet vinegar dressing)
    1/3 cup rice vinegar
    1/2 tsp soy sauce
    1.5 Tb sugar
    1/4 tsp salt

TEMPURA BATTER - Beer and Straight up

1 egg
1 cup very cold Asahi beer or 1 cup iced water
3/4 cup mix of all purpose flour, and if you like, use less flour and make up the rest with a bit of baking powder, corn starch, spices such as cumin, parsley as you like

(I've settled on using 1/2 whole wheat flour and 2 Tbl cup kudzu root powder and 2 Tbl corn starch with cumin, garlic powder, CHILI PEPPER POWDER, and other dried herbs (parsley, basil, tarragon, depending...)

1/4 cup of the above flour mix for flouring shrimp and vegetables

Mix eggs and ice water or beer in a bowl, and 1/2 to 3/5 cup add flour to the egg mixture.

You want the consistency of heavy cream. The batter should be runny enough to light coat seafood and vegetables dipped in it. Test with the back of a spoon - it should be thick enough to coat the spoon.

What if you don't have BEER ... or an EGG...

Tempura Batter - Wolfgang Puck

1/4 cup rice flour (you can use all purp, or unbleached white, even wheat for this...)
3 cups soda water, plus more if necessary (Use regular bottled water...)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder (this is instead of the egg)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (some this ends up on the bottom of the oil pot as red dots!)

"The quantities here make enough to coat about a dozen shrimp and a dozen scallops, or other bite-sized pieces of seafood, plus an accompanying assortment of vegetables that you like. "

"First, make the Tempura Batter: In a small bowl, stir together the rice flour and 1/2 cup of the soda water until blended. Set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Stir into this mixture the remaining 2 1/2 cups soda water, salt, and cayenne; then, stir in the rice flour mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before use."

Puck makes a HOT CHINESE MUSTARD SAUCE
to go with his tempura... as the alternative dipping sauce. What a great idea.

HOT CHINESE MUSTARD SAUCE modified from PUCK's original cuz his had hard to get ingredients.

2 tablespoons Chinese dry mustard (or Colman's English Mustard Powder)
Pinch turmeric
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons water (umm, I'd use soy sauce)
1/4 cup liquid from bottled pickled ginger

STOP!

We are not running a fancy restaurant where we buy bottles of pickled ginger just to harvest the juice. From Uncle Phaedrus Consulting Detective and Finder of Lost Recipes we offer his lost pickled ginger case file:
Pickled Ginger

1/2 cup fresh ginger -- sliced paper thin
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Stir all ingredients together in non-reactive stainless steel pan or glass
saucepan and bring to a boil.

Let mixture cool to room temperature and chill overnight. (Pickled ginger
keeps for several months in the refrigerator.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Continued...

1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon chili oil
1 tablespoon toasted Asian-style sesame oil

While the batter is resting, make the Hot Chinese Mustard Sauce: In a bowl, dissolve the dry mustard and turmeric in the rice wine vinegar and water. Stir in the pickled ginger liquid, lemon juice, and sugar and whisk until well blended. In another bowl, combine the peanut, chili, and sesame oils. Whisking continuously, slowly pour the oils into the mustard mixture until emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.


That's it for all the best batter AND dipping recipes.

Optional:
Panko - Japanese breadcrumbs (do not use any other)

SEAFOOD

Large Shrimp with tails on, deveined. Get a bag of uncooked shrimp tails on and take out what you will be preparing, let them sit in the refrigerator to defrost.

After defrosting, you have to straighten the shrimp with your fingers, nick each side 2-3 times with a knife, and press the back of the shrimp without breaking the tail off, or else it will curl up when frying. Then stack them on paper towels to dry, coat in flour...

...if the oil is hot, NOW make the batter ... dip shrimp in batter, rain the panko on, and quick deep fry it.

Any variety of fish cut into small pieces will do nicely as well.

All the tempura cooks agree, if you drop a little tempura batter into the oil and the batter comes back right up it's 360 degrees F or over. If it it goes half way to the bottom and then back up (it does the bob-thing) it's about 340 degrees F and the right temperature for the carby veggies - a bit higher for the protein rich seafood.


HOW TO MANAGE THE HOT OIL:


Suggested Equipment:

Candy Thermometer with clip
Deep pot, dutch oven cast iron preferably
Wire basket
Tongs
LONG wooden chopsticks
Paper towels
Paper bag
Lotsa oil - if you do not have a 2+ qt (2 liters) bottle of good oil handy, fouggedaboudit.
Nerves of Steel (just kidding!)

RULES FOR COOKING IN HOT OIL:

I got these from a number of different sources:

  • Be sure to choose a pan that's larger in circumference than the heat source to minimize the risk of flares. Many experts feel a Dutch oven made of seasoned cast iron is ideal.
  • In Japan, they deep fry in a wok, but I usually use a pot, because it's more stable on an electric stove and I'm nervous around hot oil.
  • If you don't have an electric deep fryer, invest in a wire frying basket - and a candy thermometer with a clip.
  • Make sure you have a lid nearby. If the oil bursts into flames, pop the lid on. Oil fires will go out if you smother them. Have aloe vera gel around in case you burn yourself.
  • Always use fresh oil if you can.
  • Never fill your pot more than half full of oil.
  • You need the oil deep, deep enough to immerse your food without touching it the bottom. A few inches, a lot, make sure you have a large bottle. You will need to top off during batches.
  • Remember you'll need at least 3 inches between the surface of the oil and the top of the pot to allow room for the oil to bubble up.
  • Get that clip on candy thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, a you can drop a cube of white bread into the hot oil. At 350*F (175*C) the bread fries to a golden brown in about 1 minute; at 375*F (190*C) it takes about 40 seconds.
  • When the oil's hot enough, you'll see swirls forming at the bottom of the pot. I look for that, and then I plunge a wooden chopstick into the oil; bubbles should form all around the submerged stick.
  • Do not let the oil smoke; this is a sign that it's too hot, can flash soon, and it'll give your food a burnt taste. Make sure you can quickly move then entire pot to a cold burner and regather your wits.
  • On that note, make sure the vent is on, the doors to the smoke alarms are closed. There is nothing more nerve-wracking than a too sensitive smoke alarm that goes off if it hears you whisper "make me some dark toast, honey" when you've got a pot half full of near smoking hot oil.
  • Make sure the cats are stowed. Especially when there is seafood around, they'll be circling the floor around your hot pots like sharks.
  • To remove fried foods from hot oil opt for an Asian wire mesh skimmer, a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs.
  • Placing a clean brown paper bag beneath the paper toweling will absorb the most oil from the freshly fried foods.
  • Dispose of your used oil with care. Don't pour it down the drain: our sewage systems have enough to deal with without that. Let the oil cool completely, and then pour it into an empty bottle or jar and throw it away in the garbage.
  • Really, COULD you re-use your oil? No, yes, maybe... Never more than once or twice, and then only if you are using a similarly flavored food, and it is finely strained to remove old food particles.

VEGETABLES

You do not want to use a vegetable or fruit that will release its water into the 350 degree hot oil!!!

Carrots, potatoes, daikon, yams, sweet potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, green onions, any root vegetable, mushrooms...

Cut these into thin slices - you might want to parboil the potato roots a bit first... dip in the seasoned flour, then into the tempura batter, then into panko (or just the panko) and deep fry in the hot oil. 2- 3 minutes, 4 at most.

Fry in batches, and remove with tongs, chopsticks, slotted spoon or basket, and put on a plate with paper towels - remove paper towels - and place in pyrex dish in warm oven on extremely low to keep warm while rest is cooking.

The prep is worth it. You can do large parties so well with this. When prepared properly, the tempura absorb much less fat than you would think.

From the moment they are lifted from the wire basket - they give off such delicious smells, are so appealing, and eaten so quickly - all gone so fast I have never managed to snag photographs.

OIL MANAGEMENT PLAN

My oil management plan is to cool the oil and strain back into a reserved oil bottle. I re-use the oil twice for Tempura within 5-7 days. Then I'm done with Tempura for the season. It's too addictive.

CLEANUP

I was kidding up there about the mess, cleanup is a breeze.

If you are disposing of the oil, cool and bottle it, as per usual, and place the bottle in the trash. The best way to cleanup lots of oil is with lots of soap,right? Nope, in fact, most cooks know that "a puddle of oil on your kitchen floor can grow bigger and even more slippery when mixed with soap and water."

Sprinkle salt and/or any remaining flour on the oily deep fry pot and wire basket. Let them soak, then add just a drop or two of dish-washing liquid, HOLD THE WATER!, then wipe with paper towels or a dry rag.

Now, wash as usual.

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