Set, Pickled, Packed & Frozen
>> Saturday, 29 August 2009
I am rich with the bounty of the season! My freezer, refrigerator, pantry and countertop are looking mighty attractive with all the goodies that have been entrusted to them. What about you? Click here for more in this week's column.
Onions have been pickled. Scroll down to the bottom of the column for my recipe.
Manisha's lime and lemon pickles are set and cooking in the hot Caribbean sun!
Guava and passion fruit pulp have been bagged and frozen.
Sauces have been made and bottled.
These days I am swamped with projects and work and don't get a chance to participate in blog events. However, I am sending the photograph below to Jugalbandi's CLICK. The theme is Heirloom. Actually, they are hosting two events in tandem - Monthly Mingle & CLICK, the theme for both events are the same but the rules differ. My entry is specifically for CLICK.
This is what we (in Guyana) call a lorha & sil (I'm currently working on an article about its use). I am not sure if it is called the same thing in Trinidad & Tobago. Chennette? Around the world, there are similar stones in various shapes, sizes and textures that are used for grinding. In some parts of India it is known as a sil batta. The stones are used to grind spices, herbs and various other things to a paste and very fine texture. Here it is being used to grind coconut choka.
LORHA & SIL
We are in the age of the food processor and coffee grinder (excellent for grinding spices) and so, though a few households still have these, they are discarded and rarely in use.
Ramadan Mubarak! - To all my family, friends and readers of this blog that are observing the holy month.
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54 comments:
Excellent stash!!
Cynthia, you have been busy but you will be happy in the winter :)
My Mom's home still has those grinding stones .. the shape is a bit different.. coconut chutneys made in them have a different taste unknown in todays grinders and blenders.....all the snaps are too good ...
A great way of stocking things!!! Yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
That's a lot, Cynthia! From my experience, I wish you best of luck that all of them get used up soon - I have so many leftovers, they are the bane of my life, and that's why I cannot cook and pickle as much as I want. My fridge is stuffed. They all look v pretty and nice and I'm quite jealous!
gorgeous CLICK entry. i made manisha's lime pickle too.
cynthia i love this post!! vat a perfect way to stock!!
I know you'll love this: I went through a brief stage in life where I ate pickled onions & pickled eggs for breakfast (no I was not pregnant!). Just me and my crazy cravings. So, those pickled onions look HEAVENLY to me.
Hey Cynthia. I believe Trinis use the same words - Lorha and Sil (definitely sil, I couldn't remember lorha for the moment, but I think it's the same). Consultations with Mom will reveal any other names, but I am currently in Grenada.
Can I visit you? Everything you make is mouthwatering.
Lovely post....and excellent pictures.
WOW!!! That is an amazing amount of stuff! You refrigerate the lime pickles, right?
Just reading the list of exotic (to me) fruits that you have available sounds like being on a tropical vacation everyday.
Oh, Cynthia! You have me dusting off the ol' canner for the banana peppers. It's been raining nearly 24 hrs straight; the equinoctial storm has arrived early this year. Now I am anxious to cozy down with soup, stew, and preserves. Your pickles are beautiful :)
Wow - you've been busy! Fantastic photos and post (as always)
You will be well prepared Cynthia with local ingredients..it all has such promise.
In New Mexico that type of grinding stone is called a metate - meh - tah - tay. I love the pickled stuff!
Ahhhh, pickles!
Hey Cynthia...in India too theres' another name for this 'mortar-pastle'...we call it lorha-sil too (northern India) , another is as u said sil-batta (eastern India).
Love the way u describe about your culture...sets u apart! :)
Excellent stuff to use in the winter! I've never tried picked onions before, I bet those are delicious!
In the southwest US, the stones are called a metate and mano. they were used back before the europeans "discovered" the southwest, and for many years afterward.
you are overboard with your "putting food by"!!! i hope you have lots of relatives to share all of this with!!
those guavas have such lovely colour!
Lovely...you're all set for winter now, aren't you???
Beautiful Pictures Cynthia.. and I guess you will have a happy winter!!
Good to be back and visit your blog :-)
You have been busy to enjoy the most lovely food & sauces in wintertime!
Good for you!
Can I live in your larder? You've been working up a virtual torm here Cynthia. I love it, and I hear you on the sil batta. I have aset, which I cannot do away with,because I love heavy stone. I use the batta to press my cottage cheese into submission, & believe it or not, I used the sil yesterday to cook my spatchcocked brick chicken! Your post is heartwarming...xoxox
Luv ur array of pickles...
they look yums, cynthia! i've never tried these pickled things. :D
People may use the automated ways, but ... well, they just don't give you the same results, do they? Nothing can duplicate something which has been stone-ground - particularly not something chopped up with a blade. Really: not the same.
I have heard the Lorha and sil referred to as the "Masala Sill & Lorha Brick" when sold in stores or just as a "Masala Brick" or "Masala stone" by English speaking relatives From Guyana, Trinidad and India... I use a pestle and mortar or a dedicated "coffee grinder" just for spices... wish I had the room for a Lorha and sill. It would double nicely as a cheese plate!
I cannot believe you own one of these!! we call it "shil & nora" very similar sounding. our "nora: is like a cylinder & the "shil" is a rectangle with an arch on the top. I miss this so bad, but there is no way we could get this from home. I remember the person who would come by from time to time to carve it out & give it an uneven surface for better grinding.
the pickles are making me drool.
In India too we use something similar to grind stuff. there is so much similarity across cultures isn't it?
I've never pickled anything personally, but those pickled onions look interesting. All of your pictures look good Cynthia!
~Keva
Gorgeous pictures! love the pink gauva they taste very sweet
Beautiful pictures...and how nice to see that grinding stone!
Great idea...they all look so yummie!
My oh my, you have been busy!
Never thought pickled onions could look so lovely.
LL
My gawd, at this rate you'll never have to go to a grocery store. I should just stop by your place for provisions. ;)
Wow! I am seeing the onions pickled for the first time :) Everythign looks so beautiful! That grinder...we have it in circular shape back home. I can vouch for the excellent taste it imparts! My granny used to refuse to use the modern mixie even though she was 70 yrs old :)
Wow you have been busy indeed! You've inspired me to start bottling and preserving. I've been meaning to do so and I have some cumquat trees which are laden with fruit! Marmalade time!
I have made my various jams and relishes. I have also made two varieties of pesto. You my dear have an excellent stash of goodies!!
Wow thats great stockings.. so convenient...Looks tempting and wish if anyone makes this for me ... Loved pesto , pickled one wow mouthwatering seeing the pictures
Hi Cynthia,
I Love the recipe for Pickled Onions & the spices you use,I'll definitely give it a try.
zainab :D
Beautiful pictures Cynthia! I love the pickle. And I got to see what your grinding stone looks like! Cute! So that's the roasted coconut chutney you recommended to me eh? Looks good too!
Lovely post. Tempting pics. You are absolutely amazing in photography too. Brilliant work. Keep it going.
You've been one busy girl, dear Cynthia. Look at all that bounty. Can I come over ? :-D
And yes, in Assam, we call the grinding stone Sil Pota. It is similar to the one Soma has described.
Oh my grinding stone is lost in some box after our moving from Uruguay, and I am lost without it! need to get a new one, but you know, the old one has ALL the taste!! Cynthia dear: you always get the time to post : how do you manage!! big hug
And about the stocking: I love it , it is a family tradition too, a little bit lost nowadays, but I carry along the flasks and stick to the old recipes, now I.m gonna check with some of yours. Thanks
My pickling time is in summer here which is from March to June (mango season mostly).
Made loads of types of mango pickles, some lemon pickles, Indian gooseberry (amla) pickles.
I make a sweet and spicy onion pickle too.
Didn't know guavas could be frozen. Do you just deseed them and freeze?
In Kerala (my home state) that grinding stone is called an "ammi kallu". We use it mostly for crushing coconut (and chillies and such stuff), for chutneys or other daily cooking.
The base is a block of black granite and the crushing stone is a slightly long one (about equal to the width of the base stone) rounded at the ends.
The lohra and sil(sil batta) certainly reminds me of home :)
Pickles & condiments are my favorite things to make to bring on Fall & now that I'm back in Canada, I am ready to start making my first batch of chutney in over 11 years! Thanks Cynthia, you have made my mouth water! Cheers!
such beautiful perfect pics..
We used to have the stone, we call it
'paTa- varvanTa'in Marathi!
I miss guavas! U have stocked up so well,fell like raiding and carrying away some!!!;)
I can't see beyond the guavas!
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