Life has a way of just rolling by with our daily routines. I think it is important to stop in the midst of our busy lives and celebrate significant events.
This past weekend we celebrated the marriage of a young friend who was a classmate of our sons. In mid-July we celebrated common roots at a family reunion. In May, it was the celebration of my sister-in-law Lynne Pearson’s retirement from the position of dean at the College of Commerce at the University of Saskatchewan. In June my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary by making a trip to England, visiting some of my cousins there.
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Life is not just all work and worry; it needs to be well seasoned with fun, laughter, joy and celebrations with our loved ones.
Tudor cooking styles
One of the sights we visited in England was Hampton Court, just west of London. This palace was where Henry VIII held court. It is a palace of royal splendor, with beautiful architecture and gardens. One area of the palace that fascinated me was the restored 17th century Tudor kitchens. This was where the daily function of preparing the food to feed the 1,200 servants, guards and visitors to the palace occurred.
I was intrigued with the design of the original charcoal burning range or Tudor cooktop. It was well designed, practical and functional. Basically, it was a long stone counter with several small fireplaces built into it. On the brick countertop there were circular recesses into which hot embers were placed. Three legged pots were then placed over this. Pieces of hot charcoal were added from the fireplace to regulate the cooking temperature. As you can see from the picture, other food items, such as flour, salt or other seasonings were stored close by on the countertop.
In comparison we have received some questions about the use of our 21st century ceramic cooktops.
Dear TEAM: I use a large boiling water canner to seal the jars of jam and relish that I make. Can I use this canning method on my new ceramic top stove without damaging it? Also, when I used the self-cleaning oven cycle the first time, the smoke left a yellow stain that I cannot remove on top of the oven door and the vent under the front panel. Do you have any ideas of how to clean these stains? – A.M., Fairview, Alta.
Dear A.M.: You are correct to be concerned about using your regular canner on your new stove. When using a glass or ceramic cooktop, the bottoms of the pots used are supposed to be flat so they are in complete contact with the cooktop surface, to provide even heating. The old canners do not have a flat bottom and they are usually larger than the element areas on the glass-topped stoves. This would mean that the hot surface of the pot would extend considerably beyond the element area of the stove, which would cause this part of the stovetop to overheat and possibly crack. For these reasons, traditional canners are not recommended for use on glass cooktops.
The Bernardin canning company has come up with a solution called the Cook’s Helper rack system for home canning and cooking. The racks allow you to use a large saucepan or stockpot that you may already have, and that is suitable for use on your glass cooktop because it has a flat bottom. The racks are used to lift and hold mason jars during insertion and removal of the jars from a boiling water bath. The racks also elevate the jars off the bottom of the pot during processing to prevent glass breakage. Unlike most canner inserts, these racks have multiple wires to hold all jar sizes and the small jars don’t tip and fall through the rack when lifted.
To heat process high acid foods in a boiling water bath, the selected pot must be two to four inches (five to 10 cm) taller than the mason jars used to hold the food. Tall pasta pots and stockpots work well for this, but be sure to measure the pots you plan to use.
The racks are stainless steel, which means no more rusty old racks in your canner. Each rack system comes with two racks, small for 9.5Ð10.5 inch (24-27 cm) diameter pots; large for 11-12 inch (27-30 cm) diameter pots; plus a set of adjustable height lifters and instructions for use. An extra large rack suitable for pots with diameters in excess of 12 inches (30 cm) can be ordered separately.
In addition to home canning, the racks can be used for blanching, steaming and boiling (corn, eggs, lobster) as well as for cooling baked goods.
The Cook’s Helper rack system is available where Bernardin canning supplies are sold such as Canadian Tire and Co-op stores. It is also available from the Bernardin website www.homecanning.com/can or 888-430-4231. The set of two racks sells for about $16.
Self-cleaning oven stains
For the stains on your new stove that occurred when you used the self-cleaning oven, I would suggest that you go back to the store where you purchased it and ask for advice, or check your owner’s manual and phone the manufacturer’s help line.
Making dill pickles
Dear TEAM: For the past couple of years I have been having problems with my dill pickles. They look nice and green on the outside, but when I cut them apart they are white inside and some are soft and slippery. I have tried to wash them both ways, by hand or in an onion bag in the washing machine. I have even soaked them in ice water before filling the jars. I’m also looking for a recipe to compare with mine. Maybe I am not using enough vinegar or pickling salt. It hurts to throw out my hard work. – E.D.H., Swift Current, Sask.
Dear E.D.H.: The following are some factors that can contribute to soft slippery pickles:
- Not washing the cucumbers well before pickling.
- Remove the blossom end because it contains enzymes that can cause soft pickles.
- Soft water should be used because hard water can reduce the acidity of the pickling solution, resulting in a soft pickle. To soften water, boil several litres (quarts) of water in a stainless steel saucepan for 15 minutes. Cover and let stand 24 hours. After 24 hours skim off scum that probably will have formed on top of the water. Carefully decant or ladle water into another container without disturbing the sediment at the bottom.
- Pickles are not processed or not processed long enough in a boiling water canner to destroy spoilage micro-organisms. Heat processing does not, in itself, cause soft pickles. Heat processing is essential to create a strong vacuum seal that allows pickles to be stored safely at room temperature.
- Variety and quality (freshness) of the cucumbers. Make the pickles preferably within 24 hours of picking.
- Vinegar with an acidity level less than five percent will result in soft pickles. Vinegar with five to seven percent acidity is recommended.
- Always use pickling salt. Table salt contains iodine that can cause pickles to darken, and anti-caking agents, which can cause a cloudy appearance. Also, avoid using sea salt because it contains minerals from the sea that can affect the colour of pickles.
Dill pickles
Crisping solution:
3/4 cup pickling salt 175 mL
8 cups water 2 L
Brine solution:
6 cups white vinegar (5 percent) 1.5 L
8 cups water 2 L
3/4 cup pickling salt 175 mL
1/4 cup granulated sugar 60 mL
Spice per pint (500 mL) sealer:
1 teaspoon whole mustard seed 5 mL
11/2 heads fresh dill or
1 tablespoon dill seed 15 mL
or dill weed
1 peeled clove garlic, optional
Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/8 inch (0.32 cm) slice off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of stem attached.
To crisp cucumbers, dissolve first 3/4 cup (175 mL) pickling salt in eight cups (two litres) water. Pour over cucumbers and let stand 12 hours. Drain.
To make the brine, combine vinegar, the other 3/4 cup (175 mL) pickling salt, sugar and eight cups (two L) water. Heat to boiling.
Fill jars with cucumbers. Add spices. Cover with boiling pickling solution, leaving 1/2 inch (one cm) headspace. Adjust lids and process.
Processing times vary depending on altitude.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
