If you are a survivalist then you will always be canning and preserving as part of you stockpiling. Pickled fruit is a good way of getting the vitamins and minerals that you might not be able to get if the disaster causes a shortage of fresh produce.
Ginger Pickles
2 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
1 dried chili pepper (opt)
1 small can pineapple chunks and juice
3-inch piece of dried ginger root
1 bunch white radishes (or
2 long white radishes (also known as daikon radish)
2 medium cucumbers
Do not drain pineapple chunks, use juices also. Peel and cut ginger
root into paper-thin slices.
Cut radishes into bite-sized pieces. Peel, seed and cut cucumber in chunks
Add vegetables to pot of boiling water. Turn of heat and let stand for two minutes to blanche them. Let them vegetables cool in a colander.
Drain vegetables in colander; allow to cool. In saucepan, combine juice from pineapple, sugar, vinegar, salt, water & 5-spice powder.
Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pack vegetables and pineapple into sterile jars. Cut up dried hot chili, adding some to each jar.
While liquid is hot, pour into jars, covering vegetables. Seal jars, cool, then refrigerate. Store for at least a week before using.
Makes about 5 jars
Pickled Watermelon Rind
4 pounds watermelon rind
2 cups vinegar
2 cups water
4 cups sugar
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 lemon sliced thin
Pare watermelon rind and remove all pink portions. Cut rind into 2 by 1 inch pieces about 1 inch thick or into 3/4 by 1 inch cubes.
Soak rind overnight in brine made by dissolving 1/4 cup salt in each quart water. Drain rind, wash in fresh water and drain.
Cook rind in fresh water until tender. Combine remaining ingredients and boil together 5 minutes.
Add rinds a few at a time and cook until rind is clear. Pack rind in hot sterilized jars, cover with boiling syrup and seal.
Makes 2 pints
Cantaloupe rind, pumpkin or winter squash may be cut into pieces and pickled in the same way.
Spiced Peaches
This is based on a very old recipe from the state of Georgia in the United States.
19 pounds firm ripe peaches
7 pounds white sugar
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 quart water
24 whole cloves
3 tablespoons crushed cinnamon stick
Peel peaches and set aside. In a large pot over medium high heat, boil sugar, vinegar and water until the syrup is moderately thick.
Add cloves, cinnamon and peaches. Bring to boil stirring occasionally until the peaches can be pierced to the pit with a fork.
Fill sterilized canning jars with peaches. Continue boiling syrup until heavy and add to peaches to cover.
Seal and sterilize jars by bringing them to a boil and cover, processing for 35 minutes. Remove jars from pot. Put jars on a wood or cloth surface, several inches apart and allow cooling. Jars will be sealed.