Large Batch Cooking - Pickles

 

Song:  Love Reign O're Me

Group:  The Who

This was the first time I had made Ham Hocks and Beans

in my new home.

I have a 12 quart...

and a 24 quart stock pot.

For Ham Hocks and Beans (Bean Stew)...

I use the 24 quart stock pot 

(however, I only fill it to about the 20 quart level...

to prevent boil over...

and to make stirring easy).

(I first soak the beans for 24 hours...

frequently changing the water.

This eliminates the compounds in beans 

which make them difficult to digest)

I started at approximately 10 AM yesterday.

I just keep it on low simmer for approximately 13 - 14 hours

(barely any boiling).

In the meantime...

I made a batch of Rocky Red Hots.

I used Daikon...

but...

Korean Radish...

or Turnips may be used.

I cut the daikon into roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick semi circles.

The pickle solution is a mixture of white vinegar...

sugar...

Memmi...

and Korean chili pepper powder (coarse ground).

I then put in the daikon.

These are the pickles I have made.

The one on the left is HOCA (Habaneros, Onion, and Carrots).

The solution is...

White Vinegar, Sugar, and Habaneros.

The center container is Honey Fermented Garlic.

It is merely peeled garlic in pure honey.

The garlic will last many years in this manner...

and may be used in cooking...

or may be eaten straight...

as the fermentation process

mellows the garlic.

And, of course...

the Rocky Red Hots are to the right.

Hoca and Rocky Red Hots should be refrigerated...

but the fermented garlic should be at room temperature...

as this provides an ideal fermentation temperature.

You will need an actual fermentation vessel...

as they have an air lock which allows the natural gas produced...

to escape...

without allowing any outside air inside.

I just push the top garlic to the bottom each day...

and ensure the water level is up in the air lock.

I keep it in this storage cabinet...

the door of which keeps out light.

During the 13 - 14 hour cooking process...

be sure to stir the pot at least once every hour.

I used approximately 7 pounds of beans...

and three ham hocks to make about 20 quarts of bean stew.

I use ham hocks because they come on the bone.

The cartilage and marrow on and in the bone...

adds significantly to the nutritious nature of this stew.

The white object in the left most background is a humidifier.

As the altitude is just over 9,600 feet in elevation...

the air is very arid...

usually hovering around 20% humidity.

While I don't mind the air being that dry...

with this humidifier I may keep the humidity level around the 30 - 40% humidity level

(so long as I keep the windows closed)

just for health sake 

(it keeps the nasal passages from drying out...

which without, would make it easier to catch colds).

I had bought 240 lbs of pinto beans...

and I keep them stored in hermetically sealed containers in the kitchen pantry...

and in the storage closet just outside the kitchen.

These particular containers hold 60 lbs of dry goods each.

In another kitchen pantry...

I store Bandi's dog food in the left container...

and rice in the right container.

These have wheels so they roll out with ease...

and each holds over 50 lbs of dry goods.

This is the storage closet just outside of the kitchen.

I have more storage containers here to store the rest of the beans...

rice...

and dog food.

The top blue cooler I use when I go food shopping.

I carry the frozen or refrigerated food in it.

The wheels make transferring the food to the house a breeze.

I also have another cooler which has three times this volume...

but I only use that when I go on major shopping trips.

I used metal trash cans to prevent rodents or insects from snacking

 on my dry goods.

These are just my convenient storage areas.

I have a large storage room downstairs...

which with its concrete floor...

I may store...

quite literally...

many thousands of lbs of dry goods.

I have more metal trash cans there...

and I will have to buy more...

once the ones there get filled with more dry goods.

After I turned off the heat...

I had to let it cool for another three hours to ensure

the stew wouldn't melt the freezer containers.

I pulled out the individual meal sized freezer containers...

and began filling them

(they are reusable).

This one batch filled a total of 22 individual meal sized freezer containers...

and one pyrex refrigerator container...

so I may eat a good meal of this bean stew tonight.

As you can see...

this bean stew is very nutritious...

and delicious.

Its composition is very simple:

7 lbs of pinto beans presoaked for 24 hours.

3-4 ham hocks...

2-3 habaneros...

Simmer for 13 - 14 hours.

The containers are ready for freezing.

I had cleared one whole freezer section just for these containers.

They stacked 4 x 4 deep.

This left 6 containers...

of which I had placed in the washroom vertical deep freeze.

You may see the containers...

3 on the top door shelf...

and 3 on the bottom door shelf.

My deep freeze is now filled.

This is the cleanup.

As you never go above a low simmer...

the food does not burn...

and so...

does not stick.

The whole cleanup took about ten minutes...

including wiping down the counters.

I had finally finished the whole process at about 5 AM.

I will usually have at least one serving of bean stew a week.

I just take out one container from the freezer and let it defrost slowly in the fridge

over the following two days.

Then just pour the stew into a bowl and heat in the microwave

for a hot and delicious meal.

Freshly cut white onions and black pepper are my usual garnishments...

and hummus dipped tortillas are my usual accompaniments.

Bean stew is not only a delicious and nutritious meal...

it is easily made and stored in large frozen batches.