Quick Pickling Recipes & Tips for Saving Late-Season Fruit

Quick-pickled Stone Fruit

I’m not much of a preserver in terms of storing jars and jars of fruits and veggies for the winter, but I do love a quick pickle.

Whether you’re getting your end-of-season fruit from a farmers’ market stall of a grocer (in Canada at this time of year quality would be comparable regardless of where you’re shopping!), this is a great way to get a couple extra weeks out of perishable orchard-grown fruits like plums, cherries, peaches, and more.

Ingredients for Savoury Pickling Liquid

• 1 ½ cups white vinegar
• ½ cup leftover pickle juice
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar or honey
• 1 tsp pickling spice blend
• 4-6 whole black peppercorns
• 2 allspice berries
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 shallot, quartered

Ingredients for Sweet Pickling Liquid

• 1 cup white vinegar
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup cranberry juice
• ½ cup water
• 1-2 Tbsp sugar or honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 nutmeg
• 1-2 cloves
• 4-6 whole black peppercorns

Ingredients for Pickling

3-4 cups sliced, firm stone fruit like plums, peaches or pitted cherries

Directions

1. Place sliced fruit in a heat-safe bowl or container.
2. Combine all brine ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes until the salt and sugar dissolve.
3. Remove from heat and let the liquid cool for a minute or two, then pour it over the fruit until fully submerged.
4. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
5. Will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, noting that flavours will intensify over time!

Pickled Peach & Cranberry Spritz

This cocktail recipe uses some of the tasty, complex pickled fruit brine. The result is a memorable, crushable drink you and your pals can enjoy on in the backyard while this gorgeous late summer weather lasts!

Ingredients

• 2 oz good quality Canadian gin
• 2 oz Quick-pickled peach brine
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 4 oz club soda
• Fresh peach slice and fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish

Directions

1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Add the gin, pickled peach brine, and cranberry juice.
3. Stir to combine, and top with club soda.
4. Garnish with peach slice and fresh rosemary.

Seared Halloumi with Wild Blueberry & Caramelized Onion Jam

Ingredients for Wild Blueberry and Caramelized Onion Jam

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 4 yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• ¼ cup red wine
• ½ cup water approximately
• 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen Canadian wild blueberries
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tsp salt

Ingredients for Seared Halloumi

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 250 g package of halloumi, sliced width-wise into 8-10 equal pieces

Ingredients for Assembly

1. Cold-pressed canola oil, enough to coat base of serving plate, approximately ¼ cup
2. Salt, to season

Directions to make Blueberry and Caramelized Onion Jam

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add wine and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions turn a deep golden colour.
4. If brown bits begin to form on pieces of onion or bottom of the pan, add splashes of water to help deglaze. Repeat this process as necessary.
5. Once onions have caramelized, add blueberries, butter, honey, salt and gin and let simmer for 15 minutes uncovered. Berries should break down and mixture should thicken noticeably.
6. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree to a smooth consistency.
7. Set aside until you’re ready to serve.

Directions to make Seared Halloumi

1. Place oil and cheese slices in a medium bowl and toss until evenly coated.
2. Heat a large nonstick pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, place cheese slices in pan, leaving approximately 1” of space between pieces. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil before assembling.

Assembly

1. Pour enough cold-pressed canola oil onto the serving plate so that a thin layer of oil covers the entirety of it.
2. Lay out seared halloumi slices on the plate, top each with a small dollop of blueberry and onion jam and season lightly with salt before serving.