Spiced Pickled Rutabaga Recipes

SPICED PICKLED RUTABAGA

Steps:

• Peel rutabagas. Cut into bite sized chunks.
• Combine with the remaining ingredients and ½ cup water in a non reactive saucepan.
• Simmer until barely tender, 3-5 minutes.
• Let cool, then chill overnight. Pickles will keep in refrigerator 2-3 weeks.

RUTABAGA (SWEDE) PICKLE

Steps:

• Remove any roots or ugly spots from your rutabaga/swede; scrub well.
• Grate rutabaga and thoroughly washed ginger; mix well.
• Pack the vegetable mixture into a 1 quart jar as you would sauerkraut, very tightly.
• Very slowly pour your brine over your rutabaga.
• Let the liquid seep in, then crush your rutabaga mixture back in tightly. Continue this process until you have a centimeter of brine on top of your rutabaga.
• Weigh the vegetables down with a weight of some sort (a baggie or smaller jar filled with water) and let ferment at room temperature, removing any bloom/scum as it forms.
• Your vegetables should be complete in about five days.
• Refrigerate.

SPICY PICKLED RUTABAGA RECIPE

Steps:

• Slice off the stem and root ends of the rutabagas, and peel, using a paring knife rather than a vegetable peeler to peel them. The thick, tough skin of the rutabaga may be more than a normal vegetable peeler can handle.
• Cut the peeled rutabagas into approximately 1/2-inch planks, then again into 1/2-inch batons, about the size and length of french fries.
• Make a salt brine by dissolving the salt in 1 quart of water. Add the rutabaga strips to the salt brine, and let them soak for 4 hours or overnight. If necessary, cover with a plate to keep them submerged.
• Drain the rutabagas in a colander. Discard the brine.
• Pack the rutabagas tightly into clean canning jars. (It is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe). Make sure the pieces of rutabaga are short enough to allow for at least 1/2-inch head space between the top of the food and the rim of the jars. You want the vegetables to be really packed in tight so that they won't float up out of the final pickling brine.
• In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, the remaining 1/2 cup of water, and honey. Bring to a boil, and then immediately turn off the heat.
• While the vinegar brine is coming to a boil, toast the cumin and mustard seeds in a dry skillet over low heat for 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring constantly.
• Stir the toasted cumin and mustard seeds, paprika, coriander, and cayenne into the vinegar brine. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour the brine into the jars. The rutabagas should be completely submerged in the brine, but there still needs to be 1/2 inch of air between the surface of the brine and the rims of the jars.
• Secure canning lids and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Like most pickles, these will be edible immediately, but the flavor will continue to develop and improve with at least a week or two to cure.