Sometimes, things go as planned! Yesterday I finally managed to have ingredients, inclination, motivation, enough pain control and the time to finish the task all coinciding. The planning really began earlier when shopping, I have been wanting Cauliflower Pickles you see, so had to order one for grocery delivery. I always have a wide selection of spices on hand, and keep them updated. The previous cauliflower I’d bought especially for this, I just cooked and ate as a side with meals because I didn’t have the required GAF to do the task. I’ve tried many commercial varieties and they just aren’t good enough, or they have some additive or other that disagrees with me. Taste is key, and I know how to make a good pickle!
The preparation process takes time, not just the cutting up small enough for my liking, but the brine process where the vegetables and fruit have to soak overnight in brine to remove their water content so they retain a crispness. The night before I set myself up in front of the TV with trays and containers, and the veges, so I could leisurely peel, slice and dice them into 1cm cubes. Doing tasks in this manner reduces the burden of effort for me.
I realised I’d forgotten to get the Granny Smith apples I’d wanted to include, so substituted some unripe pears that I had purchased instead, which worked just as well. By the way, GAF is a unit of measurement of effort used in this establishment. 1 GAF, or “Give a Fnck” is equal to the amount of effort it takes to make 1 Cup of Tea, which is sometimes all the effort, energy or capability that the inhabitants have at any particular point in time, due to pain, mental state or the amount of effort already expended on another situation or project.
Careful forward planning the previous night including setting up the steamer and jars for sterilising, plus the spices and tools, along with the pre-prepared veges in the fridge of course, coupled with careful energy conservation the day before meant I still had the required GAF for the cooking and bottling processes.
It’s only been a couple of days, I know, and I’m onto my second jar of pickles already. It’s quite light in flavour, not too sweet, not too tart, and adds a delightfully uplifting relish to meat or salad sandwiches. Yes, yes I do enjoy it by itself on toast! Here’s a link to a downloadable PDF for you to try it for yourself.