The Joy of Pickling

I happened across this wonderful book 'The Joy of Pickling' by Linda Ziedrich while standing in line at the fabric counter at Jo Ann's the other day.  What luck! and such good timing.  I knew I had to snatch it up then and there... putting my second 50% off coupon to good use. Great unusual recipes are found within, but best of all is that the 'whys' and 'wherefores' of various methods of pickling are explained in better detail than I had found to date.   I also like that there are a variety of ethnic recipes and the history of each is touched on.  A virtual table is spread for the reader and I can imagine myself in various settings, dining on delicious 'sweets and sours' with a Pennsylvania Dutch family or sauerkrauts or sauerrubens somewhere in Eastern Europe or kimchees at a table in Korea.  I did not know that Koreans were more prolific picklers than any other Asian group!  What I did find in these pages are several recipes for different kimchees that I am anxious to try.  I would love to duplicate the delicous kimchee that we had been served at the resort on Je Ju Do.

There are a few questions that weren't answered for me.  In the brining method of pickling, which I am most interested in for the probiotics, Ziedrich, talks about a method for low-heat pasteurization that can be used to extend the shelf life of the brined pickles.  This was new to me and as she doesn't really delve deeply into the probiotic benefits (this obviously was not her purpose in writing this book), I have to wonder if the probiotic life is 'pasteurized' out of the pickles and brine as well as non-beneficial bacterial or fungal activity that would have caused spoilage-- even at a lower heat.  My guess is that it would.  Neither does Ziedrich get into the kind of probiotic bacteria (as to binomial nomenclature).  At this point I am just curious, but it would be great to know eventually.  According to 'The Wonder of Probiotics' (Taylor and Mitchell) different strains are known to be preventative and/or curative of certain specific ailments.  So while I believe that keeping a balance of any probiotic life in our digestive tracks is important, it would be good (or at least interesting) to have more detailed knowledge of the strains that appear in brined veggies.  This book is a very helpful and thrilling find indeed, but I will keep looking until I am satisfied that I know what I want to know.

'Fermented Vegetables', The Herb Companion

Sauerkraut Crock

I have done a little reading on sauerkraut and other fermented foods, including fermented pickles.  I hadn't really bothered to look into it before, but now I understand that these foods are similar to yogurt in that they are alive with probiotics (beneficial bacteria).   So I have a couple of books on my list to purchase as well as the crock I have chosen.  This is the TSM Products Fermentation Pot, 10 Liter capacity, which is sold at Amazon.com, etc. 

The book is 'Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home' by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Schoneck.   
An important point made by the authors is that the sauerkraut that we find on the grocery shelf is canned.  It has been pasteurized and there are no living beneficial bacteria.  It is dead and while some may enjoy the taste, the consumer will not enjoy any probiotic health benefits.  One would have to search for 'raw' sauerkraut which can sometimes be found in sealed bags in the produce aisle... or make your own!



National Center for Home Food Preservation
Hidden Pond Farm

My Seed Inventory

I took an inventory of the seeds I have on hand... also figured out a seed starting/ direct seeding schedule.  There are a few more types of seeds that I need to order.  Some of the seed varieties I will plant extra to sell the plants.  Ideally, I would be able to start enough extra plants in the future to pay for my seeds for the year.
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Start These Seeds Indoors:


8-10 Weeks before last frost— February 10 through 24

Eggplant (Solanum melongena)

• Black Beauty

8 Weeks before last frost— February 24

Peppers (Capsicum annuum)

• Marconi Rosso

• California Wonder

• Fish Pepper

• Maule’s Red Hot

• Beaver Dam

• Sweet Chocolate

6-8 Weeks before last frost— February 24 through March 10

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

• Copenhagen Market

• Emblem

6 Weeks before last frost— March 10

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)

• Amish Paste

• Mexico Midget

• Roma

• Federle

• Gold Medal

• Olpalka

*Manitoba

*Specialty Striped Cavern

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea)

• Romanesco

• Liberty

5-6 Weeks before last frost— March 10 through March 17

Malabar Spinach (Basella rubra)

4-6 Weeks before last frost— March 10 through March 24

Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea)

• Falstaff

Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)

• Blue Solaize

Hybrid Cabbage, Savoy, Samantha F1

Onion (Allium cepa)

• Yellow of Parma

Very Hardy—Plant in Garden 4-6 Weeks Before Average Frost Free Date: March 10 through 24

Kale (Brassica oleracea, Acephala Group)

• Dwarf Blue Curled

Arugula or Roquette (Eruca sativa)

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

• Amish Deer Tongue

• Black Seeded Simpson

• Bronze Arrowhead

• Crisp Mint

• Forellenschuss

• Grandpa Admire’s

• Grand Rapids

• Ruby

• Simpson’s Curled

• Susan’s Red Bibb

• Mesclun (mixed lettuces)

Pea (Pisum sativum)

• Maestro

• Strike

• Super Sugar Snap

• Oregon Sugar Pod II

Salsify (Tragopogon spp.)

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

• Bloomsdale

• Melody

Turnips (Brassica rapa)

• Purple Top White Globe

Frost Tolerant—Plant in Garden  2-3 Weeks Before Average Frost Free Date: March 31 through April 7

Beet (Beta vulgaris)

• Perfected Detroit

• Detroit Dark Red, Medium Top

• Red Heart

• Cylindra

Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris)

• Bright Lights

• Five Color Silverbeet

• Ruby Red

Carrots (Daucus carota)

• Chantenay

• Danvers Half Long

• Dragon

• Hyb. Sweetness III

• Nantes

• Scarlet Nantes

*Creme de Lite F1 Hybrid

Asparagus or Winged Pea (Lotus tetragonolobus)

Radish (Raphanus sativus)

• Early Scarlet Globe

• Diakon

Warm Season Plants for Late Spring Planting—Tender (Plant on Average Frost Free Date): April 21

Beans, Snap (Phaseolus vulgarus)

• Jade (bush)

• Provider (bush)

• Tendergreen, Improved (bush)

• Royal Burgandy (bush)

• Flavorsweet (pole)

• Hidatsa (pole)

• Golden wax (pole)

• Cherokee Trail of Tears (pole)

• Kentucky Wonder (pole)

Yardlong Bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. Sesquipedalis)

New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia expansa)

Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo)

• Patisson Panache, Jaune et Verte

• Yellow Crook Neck

• Medley Blend of Hybrids

• Cashflow Hybrid

*Hybrid Zucchini Dundoo F1

Corn (Zea mays)

• Japonica Striped Maize

Warm Season Plants for Late Spring Planting—Warm Loving (Plant 1-2 Weeks After Average Frost Free Date) April 28 through May 5

Lima Beans (Phaseolus lunatus)

• Pole Lima

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

• Hybrid Cool Breeze

• Crystal Apple

• Poona Kheera

*Cucumber, Pickling H-19 Little Leaf

*Cucumber, Miniature White

• Unknown cucumber

Melon (Cucumis melo)

• Armenian cucumber

• Hale’s Best Jumbo

• Healy’s Pride

• Emerald Gem

• Charantais

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

• Red Burgundy

• Clemson Spineless

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)

• Baby Pam Pie Pumpkin

• Big Moon

• Jack o’Lantern

• Field pumpkin

• Neck pumpkin

Winter Squash (Cucurbita moschata)

• Table Queen Acorn

• Table Ace Acorn

• Hybrid Argonaut

• Waltham Butternut

• Kabocha (Cucurbita Maxima)

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

• Moon & Stars (Cherokee)

• Red Seeded Citron

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Plant Maps Freeze Data:

Average first frost is October 11-20

Average last frost is April 21-31



Dave’s Garden Freeze Data:

Each winter on average, my risk of frost is from October 12 through April 20.

Frost almost certainly from October 27th through April 4th.

Almost guaranteed not to have frost from May 5th through September 26th.

Frost free growing season is around 175 days

My Sowing Schedule Plans for 2011

In effort to improve my skills and thus production, I am collecting information about the vegetables that I plan to grow.  In a previous post, I inserted links to my specific zone and that is a start.  Next is listing in chronological order the seeds that will be planted and how. 

One resource I will refer to is Seed Saver's Exchange helpful tips page, using this as a guide for starting seeds specific to my garden plans.  I am still working on this list and will start by taking an inventory of the seeds that I already have on hand.  There are yet others that I plan to try this coming season, but still need the seeds for.