Schenker family preserves recipes for three generations

By LISA LOSASSO BELL

Pickling was originally developed as a method to preserve out-of-season vegetables. This process is often taught and passed down through family generations, as is the case for Ruth Schenker, of Youngstown.

Although she was raised on a farm by her grandparents, Schenker did not learn much about canning or cooking until she was married. It was then that her mother-in-law, Mary Vosch Schenker, taught her to cook.

“My husband likes pickles,” she said, “and my mother-in-law was a very good cook.” Because of this, Schenker learned as much as she could from her mother-in-law, who lived to be 90 years old. According to Schenker, Mary, who was born in 1906, worked as a cook for a family in Cleveland for many years

The Schenker family recipes have now been passed down over three generations.

Many choices

Pickled cucumbers, or “pickles,” are the most popular pickled vegetable. But many vegetables can be pickled, such as peppers, carrots, cauliflower, green beans and beets.

Pickling, also known as brining or corning, preserves food by anaerobic fermentation in a solution of salt and water, called brine. This mixture produces lactic acid. Vegetables can also be marinated and stored in an acid solution such as vinegar. A pH of less than 4.6 is sufficient to kill most necrobacteria and can preserve perishable foods for months.

The fermentation process varies by method of preparation. Dill pickles and sauerkraut are fermented and cured for about three weeks, whereas refrigerator dills need only ferment for one week.

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, as vegetables cure, colors and flavors change and acidity increases.

Quick-process pickles, or fresh-pack, are not fermented, but instead, brined for several hours or overnight, and then drained and covered with vinegar and seasonings. They are said to have a better flavor if they are allowed to stand for several weeks after they are sealed in jars.

Fruit pickles are a nice change. They are prepared from whole or sliced fruits such as watermelon rind or cantaloupe, and are simmered in spicy, sweet-sour syrup made from vinegar or lemon juice.

Relishes are made from chopped fruits and vegetables and are cooked to desired consistency in a spicy vinegar solution.

The level of acidity in a pickled product is important to its safety. Vinegar, food and water proportions should never be altered. Also, it is important to use only tested recipes in order to prevent the growth of bacteria.

It is important to remove and discard a thin slice from the blossom end of fresh cucumbers before pickling because the blossoms may contain an enzyme that causes pickles to soften.

When selecting fruits and vegetables for pickling, be sure they are firm and free of bruises and soft spots. All ingredients should be measured carefully. Also, it is important to use pickling salt, as flake salts vary in density and may make the brine cloudy. Unless corn syrup or honey is called for in a reliable recipe it is best to use white granulated or brown sugars in order to ensure a desirable flavor. Because five percent acidity is required, white distilled and cider vinegars are recommended.

For complete instructions on canning and canning methods, visit www.uga.edu for the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, available in PDF format.

Recipes from Ruth Schenker:

Bread and Butter Pickles

30 cucumbers (4-5 inches in length)

3 large onions chopped

1‚Ñ2 cup salt

Mix ingredients. Cover with towel and let set over night. Drain well and place in jars.

Brine

5 cups sugar

5 cups vinegar

1teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon turmeric

Mix in pan. Bring to a boil.

Pour brine over pickles, leaving 1‚Ñ2 inch at the top of the jar. Place lids and tighten.

Salt Water Dill

1 cup pickling salt

1 cup vinegar

16 cups water

Put pickles in sterile 1-quart jar with 2 cloves garlic, 1‚Ñ4 teaspoon alum and 1 head of dill. Heat to a boil. Pour over pickles. Turn lids tight and go back one-half turn.

Preparing and Canning Pickles for Special Diets:

(From the National Center for Home Food Preservation)

No-Sugar-Added Pickled Beets

7 pounds of 2-21‚Ñ2-inch diameter beets

4to 6 onions (2-21‚Ñ2-inch diameter)

6 cups vinegar (5 percent)

11‚Ñ2 teaspoons canning or pickling salt

2 cups Splenda

3 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks

12 whole cloves

Wash and rinse pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

Trim off beet tops, leaving 1 inch of stem and roots to prevent bleeding of color. Wash thoroughly. Sort for size. Cover similar sizes together with boiling water and cook until tender (about 25-30 minutes). Caution: Drain and discard liquid.

Cool beets. Trim off roots and stems and slip off skins. Slice into 1‚Ñ4-inch slices. Peel, wash and thinly slice onions.

Combine vinegar, salt, Splenda, and fresh water in large Dutch oven. Tie cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil. Add beets and onions. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove spice bag.

With a slotted spoon, fill hot beets and onion slices into clean, hot pint jars, leaving 1‚Ñ2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

Process in a boiling water canner. Let cool, undisturbed, 12 to 24 hours and check seals.

Makes about 8 pints

Pickled whole baby beets

Follow the directions above but use beets that are no more than 1-11‚Ñ2 inches in diameter. Pack whole after cooking, trimming and peeling; do not slice.

Reduced-Sodium Sliced Dill Pickles

4 pounds (3-5 inch) pickling cucumbers

6 cups vinegar (5 percent)

6 cups sugar

2 tablespoons canning or pickling salt

11‚Ñ2 teaspoon celery seed

11‚Ñ2 teaspoon mustard seed

2 large onions, thinly sliced

8 heads fresh dill

Procedure: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1‚Ñ16-inch slice off blossom end and discard. Cut cucumbers in 1‚Ñ4-inch slices. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, celery, and mustard seeds in large saucepan. Bring mixture to boiling. Place 2 slices of onion and 1‚Ñ2 dill head on bottom of each pint jar. Fill jars with cucumber slices, leaving 1‚Ñ2-inch headspace. Add 1 slice of onion and 1‚Ñ2 dill head on top. Pour hot pickling solution over cucumbers, leaving 1‚Ñ4-inch headspace.

Makes about 8 pints.

No-Sugar-Added Cantaloupe Pickles

6 pounds of 1-inch cantaloupe cubes (about 3 medium under-ripe cantaloupe*)

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1-inch cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

41‚Ñ2 cups cider vinegar (5 percent)

2 cups water

3 cups Splenda

*Select cantaloupe that are full size but almost fully green and firm to the touch in all areas including the stem area.

Day One:

Wash cantaloupe and cut into halves; remove seeds. Cut into 1-inch slices and peel. Cut strips of flesh into 1-inch cubes. Weigh out 6 pounds of pieces and place in large glass bowl.

Place red pepper flakes, cinnamon sticks, cloves and ginger in a spice bag and tie the ends firmly. Combine vinegar and water in a 4-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil, then turn heat off. Add spice bag to the vinegar-water mixture, and let steep for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour hot vinegar solution and spice bag over melon pieces in the bowl. Cover with a food-grade plastic lid or wrap and let stand overnight in the refrigerator (about 18 hours).

Day two:

Wash and rinse pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

Carefully pour off vinegar solution into a large 8-10 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Add Splenda; stir to dissolve. Add cantaloupe and bring back to a boil. Lower heat to simmer until cantaloupe pieces turn translucent; about 1 to 11‚Ñ4 hours.

Remove cantaloupe pieces into a medium-sized stockpot, cover and set aside. Bring remaining liquid to a boil and boil an additional 5 minutes. Return cantaloupe to the liquid syrup, and bring back to a boil.

With a slotted spoon, fill hot cantaloupe pieces into clean, hot pint jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Cover with boiling hot syrup, leaving 1‚Ñ2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

Process in a boiling water canner. Let cool, undisturbed, 12-24 hours and check seals.

Makes about 4 pint jars

Recipes from area cookbooks:

Canned Pimentos

Boil together:

1 quart vinegar

1 quart water

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Clean pimentos and cut in half, add to above syrup and cook for 5 minutes. Pack in small baby food jars or equivalent, hollow side down. Add 1 teaspoon oil on top and fill with syrup. Seal. Delicious with sandwiches.

Recipe contributed to the “St. Christine Cookbook,” by Irene Hazel. Published in 1967.

Mixed Pickle Relish

1 green pepper (seeds removed)

1 red pepper (seeds removed)

3 green tomatoes

1 large red tomato

6 medium cucumbers

1 onion

2 tablespoons salt

1 cup vinegar

1‚Ñ2 cup water

2 cups sugar

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon cinnamon

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon turmeric

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon ground cloves

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon allspice

Put vegetables through medium blade of meat grinder. Add salt and let stand 24 hours. Drain thoroughly. Combine with vinegar and water; bring to a boil and drain thoroughly. Combine remaining ingredients and add to vegetables. Boil gently 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour into clean hot jars and seal. Put in hot water bath for 5 minutes.

Recipe contributed to the “Lisbon Ohio Feeders Digest,” by Joyce Grindle. Published in 1976.