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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
Serves 4 to 6 with plenty of leftovers
1 small red cabbage – app.2 lbs, chopped2 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
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.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
This is best when reheated at least a couple of times.
* If available, add the peeled and coarsely chopped chestnuts along with the apple.
This method evolved from German and French traditional recipes.