Pickles, Preserves, and Pleasant Surprises ON THE TABLE
BY MELANIE MOSHER
F
all harvest is the reward of a summer’s work in the garden. But what do you do with all this beautiful bounty? Pickling, canning, and freezing seem labour intensive but are worth the effort. On a cold wintery day in February, the taste of carefully preserved fruits and veggies will please the palate, and warm the heart. For Tracey Wilmot of Ponds Country Kitchen and Gardens in Merigomish, preserving begins as soon as Mother Nature begins providing treasures. Along with her niece, Lynn Christie, who lives next door, they began taking their bottled delights to the local market in 2018. Customers enjoy traditional favourites like strawberry jam, bread and butter pickles, and apple jelly. Wilmot provides these and strives to come up with things that are a little bit different. After some research, Wilmot discovered dandelion jelly. She set to work making her first batch. “The petals have a lemon flavour,” she says. “You have to pluck the petals and be careful not to get any of the green as that’s bitter.” After three long hours one evening separating the tiny yellow pieces from the rest of the flower, Wilmot declared, “We’re not doing that again.” The petals are infused into a tea-like liquid and later made into jelly. “Once we tasted the jelly, we both said ‘Wow!’ and immediately went out the next day to pick more,” says Wilmot. Lilac syrup is made in a similar fashion, plucking the tiny florets from the stems, infusing them, and then creating the syrup. It’s used on salads, in flavoured lemonades and cocktails, or baked goods, lending fragrant floral tones to a dish. Pickled spruce tips are another delightful surprise. These tiny light green bits appear at the end of the branches each spring. They are tender and citrusy. “They can be used like capers or olives, great on a cheese board, and I’ve used mine in a frittata,” Wilmot says. “They’re great in gin and tonic,” she adds. Cowboy candy (candied jalapeños), mustard pickles, and million-dollar relish are always popular. “We also try to add other things like brown sugar beans, sugar-and-spice beans.” Using 14 varieties of tomatoes planted this year they will be making salsas, chutneys, and sauces. Mark Gabrieau, chef/owner of Gabrieau’s Bistro in Antigonish, strives to keep locally sourced ingredients on his menu. He grows many items himself and buys from several farms in the area. Pickling is a great way to extend the life of vegetables. “We pickle asparagus and zucchini. You pour the hot vinegar, sugar, herb mixture over them and seal them,” says Gabrieau. Don’t steam them afterward, or they will become too soft. The heat of the brine is enough to cook them and maintain a little crunch. “The zucchini comes out wonderful,” says Gabrieau. “Another thing we have had a lot of luck with and is totally different, is pickling chanterelle mushrooms,” says Gabrieau. These earthy delights
The North Shore
ah! Fall 2021 - 40
