Pickled Pumpkin

My other gran (not the one I always mention) used to pickle pumpkin.  I don't know her recipe, but I made up my own.  I didn't measure, just eyeballed amounts.  Here is what I used:

- large Cinderella pumpkin (Rouge Vif d’Etampes)

I used the one on the left for pickling, the one on the right to make pumpkin butter.

- apple cider vinegar
- white vinegar (for a few jars, just so I can compare the taste)

There were a lot of pumpkin cubes, so I made the brine in 3 batches, and for one of them I used white vinegar, which isn't as acidic as apple cider vinegar, so don't use as much water with it.

- filtered water
- sugar
- bay leaf
- cloves
- black peppercorns

Directions:
- peel and cube the pumpkin, be ready for some serious exfoliation of your skin
- bring to boil all ingredients, except pumpkin, and boil for a few minutes
- place the cubed pumpkin into the boiling mixture and boil for about 5 minutes, don't over do it, or the pumpkin will cook and start to fall apart
- place into hot clean jars and can as you would any food in a jar, boiling for 10 minutes.

I tasted the brine and it was yummy.  I hope this turns out as good as I remember it, it's been over two decades since I've last tasted my gran's pickled pumpkin.

Pickled Wild Leeks

I went foraging a few days ago, with a group and a pro forager.  One of the edibles I collected were wild leeks.  I pickled the bulbs.

Ingredients:

1kg whole wild leeks
250 ml apple cider vinegar
150 ml maple syrup
100 ml filtered water
20 black peppercorns

5 ml sea salt

1 bay leaf

We got recipes at the foraging event, but I didn't have nearly a kilogram worth of leeks, so I didn't bother measuring the rest of the ingredients either.  I just poured stuff into a pot, more or less trying to keep a similar ratio of ingredients, meaning, by volume, as my eyes measured, I used apple cider vinegar first, then somewhat less of the maple syrup, then even less filtered water, etc.

Directions:

Bring to a boil all the above ingredients, minus the less bulbs, then simmer fro about 5 minutes.

The leek bulbs need to be cut off about 1cm above bulb, trim off the roots, without damaging the bulbs, peel off outer layer.  Wash, add to simmering liquid, and either boil for 1 minute if you're canning, or 10 minutes if you're "fridge pickling".  If fridge pickling, put the liquid and leek bulbs in a jar, close, let cool, then refrigerate for up to 4 months.  This is similar to my pickled carrots from last year.

I fridge pickled this batch of leeks, since I only had enough to fill a 250 ml jar.

Since I didn't bother to measure the ingredients, I had some liquid left over, which I let cool and used as a salad dressing.  Totally delicious, sour, sweet, with a hint of allium.

Dobru chut! (Slovak)