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Old and New
Grandmother's Pickled Pumpkin
5 cups diced pumpkin, approximately 1” cubes
2 cups water
2 cups cider vinegar
¼ cup distilled vinegar
½ cup maple syrup or sugar
1 tsp whole cloves
1 large cinnamon stick
Place diced pumpkin in a large non-metallic bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour liquid over pumpkin and make sure all pumpkin is submerged. Cover the bowl tightly and set aside. After 8 hours, or so, strain the liquid and boil for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin and boil for an additional 5 minutes or until pumpkin is transparent but still crisp.
Cool the mixture and store in the refrigerator.
My Favorite Red Cabbage
1 small red cabbage – app.2 lbs, chopped
2 Tb oil (or duck or bacon fat)
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
½ cup red wine
7 whole cloves
½ lb of chestnuts* - optional
1 tsp tart jelly (currant if you can get it)
Salt and pepper to taste
Serves 4 to 6 with plenty of leftovers
Heat oil over moderate heat, add cabbage and toss until heated through. Add red wine, when boiling lower heat to simmer, add cloves, apple, jelly and a touch of salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Occasionally check for sufficient moisture, add more red wine if needed.
* If available, add the peeled and coarsely chopped chestnuts along with the apple.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
This is best when reheated at least a couple of times.
This method evolved from German and French traditional recipes.
