Angled Loofah Bread-and-Butter Pickles |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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In Asian cooking, angled loofah is typically braised or served in soups, but it's also perfectly suited to pickling. Try to buy young loofah (no longer than 12 inches). Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr (plus 2 days for marinating) Ingredients:
1 angled loofah (1/2 lb) |
2 tablespoons kosher salt |
2 cups ice cubes |
1 cup cider vinegar |
1/2 cup water |
3/4 cup sugar |
1 teaspoon mustard seeds |
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds |
1/4 teaspoon turmeric |
1 medium sweet onion (1/2 lb), thinly sliced crosswise and separated into rings |
Directions:
1. Scrub loofah and peel only the ridges, then cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Toss loofah with kosher salt in a bowl, then cover with ice and let stand 2 hours. Drain and remove any unmelted ice.
2. Bring vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric to a boil in a 1-quart nonreactive saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add loofah and onion, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
3. Transfer pickles with liquid to a 1-quart heatproof glass or ceramic bowl and cool to room temperature. Chill, covered, at least 2 days (for flavors to develop) and up to 1 month.
4. Cooks' note: We don't recommend processing these pickles. Additional heating gives the loofah a mushy texture.
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