Monday morning, harvested 6 stalks of brussels sprouts. These have been let go a month too long, and some of the larger buds are starting to open. When that happens they lose some of the sweetness and become a bit tough, and they don’t hold together for cooking or pickling anymore.
So it was time to get them out of the garden and into the pantry.
Oh, and a couple of rutabagas just to make some more sauer ruben.
I trimmed and brined them early in the day, but wasn’t able to get to pickling until after supper. It was that kind of day.
Fortunately, I had helpers.
One clove of garlic per jar (these are enormous cloves from the monster garlic head we harvested last summer) along with a tablespoon of red pepper.
Then pour over a brine made from 5 cups white vinegar (5% acidity), 5 cups water, and 7 TBS canning salt. Leave 1/4 inch head space.
Then water bath for ten minutes. Do not go over, or the sprouts will become mushy.
Voila! Remember, these don’t really come into their own until they have aged for at least three weeks. Three months would be better.
Little Farm in the Big City 