Jerusalem Artichoke Pickles |
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Prep Time: 35 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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The small, knobby tubers called Jerusalem artichokes grow wild all along the Eastern Seaboard, and southerners have long prized their sweet, nutty crispness in turmeric-spiked relishes and pickles. Countless cooks south of the Mason-Dixon Line have inherited a yellow-stained index card that reads something like this. Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice |
2 pounds jerusalem artichokes (also called sun chokes) |
1 3/4 cups distilled white vinegar |
3/4 cup sugar |
3/4 cup water |
1/2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds |
1/2 teaspoon turmeric |
1/4 teaspoon cayenne |
1/2 large sweet onion, halved lengthwise and thickly sliced |
Directions:
1. Stir lemon juice into a large bowl of cold water.
2. Peel Jerusalem artichokes and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Transfer as cut to acidulated water (to prevent discoloring).
3. Bring vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seeds, turmeric, cayenne, and 1 1/2 tsp salt to a boil in a medium nonreactive saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Cool brine to room temperature.
4. Cook Jerusalem artichokes and onion in a large pot of boiling water 1 minute. Drain and spread out on a kitchen towel to cool. Put vegetables in a glass or ceramic bowl and pour brine over them. Weight vegetables with a small plate to keep submerged, then cover bowl tightly. Chill, stirring once or twice a day, at least 1 week (to allow flavors to develop).
5. Cooks' note: Pickles can be chilled up to 1 month.
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