Kitchen Challenge Series: Pickling

Kitchen Challenge Swap Series

For this swap series each swap will address a different food, cooking/baking technique, or style of food/cooking. This series is for kitchen nerds who enjoy to experiment in the kitchen, try new things, and don’t mind if a recipe fails a time or two. So get out your pots, pans, trusty spoon, a kitchen scale (if you have it), and an open mind. Lets have some fun!

This series is also a great way to start a cooking and/or baking journal. I use my baking journal as a way to track recipes I’ve tried, how the recipe turned out, what I’d try next time, and any substitutes or conversions I made. It’s a great tool for food nerds who love to spend time in the kitchen.

This swap’s challenge is: Pickles/Pickling!

Pickling is a method of food preservation used by culture around the world to preserve everything from vegetables and fruits to meats and fish! Pickling can be achieved by using a salt & water brine, vinegar (sometimes referred to as “quick pickling”), and fermenting (sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.). Pickled foods are diverse in flavor and use and are a relatively easy way to dip your toes into the wide world of food preservation.

For this swap I challenge you to make a type of pickle you’ve never made before! Or if you are a newbie to pickling, make a pickle you find interesting! If you are new to pickling I recommend finding a “quick pickle” that uses a vinegar brine for consistent results – but do whatever catches your eye!

For this swap I am allowing a longer swap window that usual because pickled foods can take awhile to make, especially if you are using fermentation methods. I want to make sure you have plenty of time to make your pickled products.

Here are a couple resources to get you going:

Pickling Wikipedia

Food In Jars Blog

University of Minnesota Extension Pickling Guidelines

Swap Details

• Send your partner the recipe you tried, typed out in full – not just a link!
  Include at least 3-4 pictures of your process making the recipe. You can send more if you so please. Make sure you include the recipe author and book/blog/website you got the recipe from or the recipe you modified.

• Send a picture of the finished recipe you made with notes about your experience with the recipe and/or technique. (Picture and notes can be combined on the same page)

• For example: Would you make this recipe again? What did you enjoy about this recipe? What did you not like about this recipe? Any tips/tricks? Etc.

• This is a senders choice swap. You do not have to make this recipe if you don’t want to when you receive it if it conflicts with your personal dietary restrictions, however you must rate a 5 if all of the swap requirements are met.

Swap Requirements

• You must have a rating of 4.9700 or higher and I will ban swappers at my own discretion to keep this swap safe.

• Newbies are welcome, but I ask that you have a filled out profile

• You must electronically send your partners the following: Typed copy of the recipe with recipe URL (if applicable), picture of your finished recipe & at least 3-4 "process" photos, and at least 2 paragraphs of notes about the recipe as laid out in the swap details above. You are of course welcome to write and photograph more!

• You can send this swap as either an email or attach a file such as a PDF or un-editable word document.

• Make sure you credit the recipe author and cookbook/blog/website you got the recipe from!

• Communication: If you are going to be late on sending please notify your partner as soon as possible and keep me in the loop as needed.

• I will angel this swap if necessary after you have rated your partner a 1.

• Want a “type 3” version of this swap? Let me know! If there is enough interest I will host a type 3 version.

• Have any questions? Send me a pm via the SB messaging system or drop a question into the comments box below!

Lets get cookin’!