The People's Pickle...

has arrived!

Be still my heart. We were so excited that we ate half the jar before remembering to take a picture.

My friend, Erin McGovney, started The People's Pickle this year and this is the first delivery. Spicy Pickled Carrots. Yum. Just enough of a spicy bite but with a crispy snap.

Erin is a multi-talented entrepreneur who works full-time as a knowledgeable real estate broker, serves on the Board of the Interstate Farmers' Market (Weds 3-7 pm next to Overlook Park off the Max, May 19th - Sep 29th), started a delicious pickle biz, and runs a design business called RE.FRESH.

If you're interested in joining The People's Pickle, looking to buy a house in Portland (especially if it's your first!), or thinking about a home redesign, contact her directly: emcgovney@gmail.com.

You Kraut Do It

It's easy. Shred some cabbage. For every 5 lbs. Sprinkle and mix in 3 TBL of salt in a large bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes and the salt will extract moisture from the cabbage making its own brine.

Transfer to a gallon container (pickling crock or food-safe plastic container), pressing down as you go. I used glass jar, covered it with cheesecloth and weighted it down. I used a smaller glass container filled with water. Others have used a large, clean rock (that's been sanitized by boiling).

Store in a cool, dry place (but not the fridge...it's a retarded fermenter, I mean, it slows fermentation). Every day or so, check on it and remove the scum from the top. It will be ready in 3-6 weeks. It's up to you and your tastes. Then you can put in fridge or can it. Although "fresh" kraut has an amazing number of live cultures, so if you can (or preserve) it then you basically kill all that good stuff. I bet you it would still be tons better than the stuff you buy in the store though.

Good luck. That's my first batch when it was a week old. It is now a week gone!