When I first picked up Pocket Pickler, all I could think of was Peter Piper. Goes to show how little I knew! Turns out, Peter didn’t even pickle his own peppers. Peter’s peppers came pre-pickled. But if Alex Elliot-Howery had written the rhyme, Peter would have pickled the peppers himself and wouldn’t have stopped there … plums, pumpkin, pineapples – maybe persimmons! I followed suit, pickling my way through the pages.
As tempting as it was to stick to P-themed produce, that would have gone against the book’s ethos. Elliot-Howery recommends starting with what’s in season and already in your fridge. So, I obediently followed the summer chapter, making oven-dried preserved tomatoes, pickled watermelon rind, pickled cherries, sweet pickled stone fruits and what’s-in-the-bowl relish. Every single one was delicious!
Forgive me, food gods, for ever thinking wrinkly fruit and vegetables were compost! Elliot-Howery is passionate about reducing food waste and encourages using what you have. This made recipes cheap, using ingredients lying around your kitchen … well, except vinegar. But even that was easy to source and buy in bulk.
Pocket Pickler explores this ancient culinary art in a cute li’l book – pocket-sized perfection! The instructions make planning pickling sessions easy, and the how-to guide at the back is a lifesaver – whether you’re an entry-level picker or looking to take it more seriously.
I found this book really fun. In fact, I might have pickled a little too much … I’ll be bringing pickles to every dinner party for years to come!
Reviewed by Heather Morcom
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Elliott-Howery is the “Godmother of Preserving” and has established herself as the authority on preserving, a pioneer in the war on food waste and a trusted source for the future of food. A self-taught preserver, Alex is passionate about sharing her knowledge and offering quality food education to a broad audience.
Alex has written two best-selling cook books; ‘Cornersmith – Recipes from the Cafe and Picklery’ and ‘Salads & Pickles’ and is working on future projects which use preserving as a way of reducing food waste in homes and in businesses.
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