Saveur

Photo: Laurie Smith

In their book Home Made in the Kitchen (Viking Studio Books, 1995), Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey simplify some basic pickling techniques:

FOR HOT SEALING: Submerge empty jars and flat metal seals in boiling water until ready to use. Fill and seal jars one by one.

FOR A HOT-WATER BATH: Place jars on a wire rack in the bottom of a tall 8-quart stockpot. Fill the pot with water to cover the jars by 2". Remove the jars, bring the water to a boil, and use tongs to lower the jars into the boiling water for the time the recipe specifies. Remove jars from pot and set aside to cool.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #5