Warm days were here and then gone just as quick, but while ever so brief, they kick my annual springtime imagination into gardening gear. I start dreaming of rows of fresh herbs, peppers of all kinds, tomatoes large and small, fresh lettuce, and the list goes on.

While I am planning my garden, I am also thinking through the logistics to freeze, store, pickle and preserve as much of my gardening labor as possible. It just so happens that fermenting and preserving tops the list of “2022 Chef Driven Trends” as presented by Food and Wine magazine, and I couldn’t agree more with the usefulness of extending the life of fresh anything as we continue to see food prices climb.

Plus, there is nothing more simple, and yet still very exciting, than the magic that happens when you combine fresh herbs, vinegar of some kind, and/or salt and sugar along with just about any fruit or vegetable you can get your hands on to make a pickled treat. The combinations are endless, and as long as you don’t mind a few jars in your refrigerator, quick pickled anything can be just the culinary ticket to making your next salad a statement, quick appetizer more appealing, or your grilled protein more balanced.

From pickled onions to spicy summer squash, you can pickle just about anything. According to PBS’s History Kitchen, by definition, “Pickles are created by immersing fresh fruits or vegetables in an acidic liquid or saltwater brine until they are no longer considered raw or vulnerable to spoilage.”

Here are some quick pickling rules to live by:

• If using acid to pickle, make sure the water content of your solution does not go over 50%. Personally, because I like the acidic punch of citrus or vinegar, I prefer to pickle with a higher percentage of acid to water especially when pickling vegetables with a high water-content themselves. Also, it is best to use distilled water when pickling to prevent the discoloration of whatever you are pickling.
• Whatever you do, do not use salt with iodine. When making a saltwater brine, keep in mind two teaspoons of salt to one quart water and stick to sea salt or kosher salt.
• Be sure to dissolve any salt or sugar in your solution by boiling the pickling liquid for at least two minutes before pouring over your pickle-to-be.
• Knife skills are key – the thinner the slice or the smaller the dice, the quicker the finished product.    
• Finally, be sure that the liquid thoroughly covers the item you are pickling.

The pickle recipe below is delicious on a grilled burger smothered in gorgonzola and also great in a salad tossed with chopped roasted cauliflower, fresh arugula, toasted walnuts and fresh goat cheese.

If you would like to learn more about fermentation and/or pickling, consider joining the class called "Fermentation” offered by LLCC Community Education being held on April 14. For more information on this course or other Community Education courses, please call 217-786-2432.

Spicy red onions & jalapenos

• 2 red onions, sliced thin into ½ moons
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed & sliced into matchsticks

Brine

• 1 c red wine vinegar
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. peppercorns
• 8-10 fresh mint leaves

Slice onions and jalapenos and place in a quart size jar along with mint leaves. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Cool slightly and then pour over the onions. Allow jar to cool and then cover and place in refrigerator. Onions will be best in about five to seven days.   

Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Baking/Pastry, and Value-Added Local Food, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.