The master picklers of Cornersmith Cafe reveal the benefits of home preserving
CUCUMBERS are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fruits and vegetables that are suited to pickling.
That scope is a big part of what keeps a constant queue of people outside Cornersmith Cafe in Marrickville.
Owners Alex Elliott-Howery and James Grant opened their picklery about 18 months ago, and people can see them pickling everything from cumquats to grapes and making a range of jams, chutneys and relishes.
“I’ve been pickling for about 10 years. I fell in love with the craft and the creative side,” Ms Elliott-Howery said.
“It’s about working heavily with the seasons, it’s about reducing waste and creating what’s going into your meal.”
They are keen to show people how preserving is done in their new cookbookCornersmith: Recipes from the Cafe and Picklery, released this month.
“People feel like it’s going to be so much work but it actually makes meals so much easier,” Ms Elliott-Howery said.
When it comes to choosing what to pickle, Ms Elliott-Howery said it was best to work with firm, in-season produce and save the softened fruit and vegetables for chutneys and relishes.
“Fennel pickles are our favourite. It’s great in salads, with fish and in toasted sandwiches and burgers,” she said.
“People are a bit freaked out by chokos but they make the best pickles because they are crunchy.”
Produce with a high water content needs to be salted for a few hours or overnight before being firmly packed into jars that are then filled with a hot brine.
Once the jars are sealed, Ms Elliott-Howery recommends heat processing them to help the contents last for months or years to come.
This involves submerging them in water in a big pot on the stove and slowly bringing the water to a boil.
Cornersmith: Recipes from the Cafe & Picklery by Alex Elliott-Howery and James Grant (Murdoch Books). $49.99. Available now in all good bookstores and online.
Details: murdochbooks.com.au
PICKLING TIPS
- Use quality jars. Cheap ones with thin glass can shatter
- Do not overdo it with the spices. The flavours will develop in the jar over time
- Store the jars in a cool, dark place and put them in the fridge once opened
Source: News Local, Laura Trieste, 12th October 2015
Originally published as: The master picklers of Cornersmith Cafe reveal the benefits of home preserving
