The Joy of Cooking Podcast: "We Are Joined At The Table With Sarah Marshall: Inspired By Pickles"

Release Date: December 11, 2024
Hosts: Shannon Larson, Megan Scott, John Becker
Guest: Sarah Marshall
Producer: Sarah Marshall

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of The Joy of Cooking Podcast, hosts Shannon Larson, Megan Scott, and John Becker welcome special guest Sarah Marshall. The discussion centers around the versatile world of pickles, sharing personal cooking experiences, canning techniques, and insights into Sarah’s thriving hot sauce business. Throughout the episode, the hosts and guest delve into favorite recipes, kitchen mishaps, and practical tips for maintaining crispy homemade pickles.

Host Introductions and Personal Updates

The episode begins with Shannon Larson welcoming listeners and introducing the co-hosts:

• Megan Scott shares her role as a co-author of the 2019 edition of The Joy of Cooking and humorously mentions her prowess in making cabbage chow chow.

  "[...] I make a mean cabbage chow chow." (01:00)

• John Becker, the fourth-generation steward of the cookbook, humorously admits to impulsively purchasing fancy dried chilies.

  "I sharpen the knives, restock our spice jars, and impulse purchase fancy dried chilies." (01:09)

The conversation lightens as the hosts discuss their abundance of dried chilies:

• Megan:

  "Yeah. Make them smaller. Make the large things smaller." (01:37)

• John:

  "It's sealed. What? They're not getting stale." (01:54)

Shannon shares a recent cooking triumph:

"We took carrots and potatoes from our CSA and cooked them for a little while. Very simple. Olive oil, salt, pepper. And then we added cabbage on top of that, and then chicken legs with grainy mustard on top. And then we just stuck it in the oven and it was honestly, really, really good." (02:05)

The hosts express their love for cabbage, highlighting its versatility:

• Shannon:

  "I really feel like people are missing out sometimes on how versatile it is and how great it is." (02:39)

• Megan:

  "It gets all soft and buttery." (02:50)

Guest Introduction: Sarah Marshall and Her Business

Sarah Marshall joins the show, stepping out from her usual behind-the-scenes role as a producer. She introduces herself and her businesses:

"My main business is Marshall's hot sauce. So I make hot sauces with ingredients from the Portland farmer's market, and all of my recipes are based on canning and preserving." (06:54)

Sarah elaborates on her popular hot sauce flavors, emphasizing the use of local, seasonal ingredients:

"Everyone thinks it's, like, this super unique recipe, and how did I come up with these flavors? But really, it's just because, like, all those things grow at the same time." (07:35)

She discusses her innovative approach to packaging:

"I want it to look like a wine bottle. So I have a label company that prints all the fancy wine labels in town. And so they print our labels." (12:56)

Sarah also introduces her canning book, Preservation Pantry. Modern Canning from Root to Top and Ste Decor, highlighting its comprehensive approach to preserving and utilizing produce:

"So if you're making pickled carrots, there's a recipe for daikon lotus root carrot pickles. And then you use the carrot tops for a pesto [...]"() (15:52)

Tasting Segment: Pickles

The episode transitions to the tasting segment, themed around pickles. John and Megan present their homemade cornichons, while Sarah brings an assortment of her homemade pickles:

"So we have fermented pickles and water bath canned vinegar pickles. I have these shallots from my cookbook, rose wine pickled shallots [...]." (15:04)

Sarah showcases her variety of pickles, including:

• Fermented Pickles
• Water Bath Canned Vinegar Pickles
• Rose Wine Pickled Shallots
• Purple Basil Brined Cherry Tomatoes
• Beet Stem Pickles

The hosts and guest discuss the aesthetics and flavors of the pickles, sharing their appreciation for the craftsmanship involved.

Main Topic Discussion: Pickling Tips and Techniques

The core of the episode revolves around tips for making crunchy pickles. John shares valuable advice:

"With cucumbers, you definitely want to cut off the blossom end. There's some enzymes that are present in the blossom end of the cucumber that will end up actually softening the cucumber." (44:03)

Megan introduces the low-temperature canning method:

"Instead of putting them in a boiling water bath, you heat your water bath to 180 degrees. And then you put your pickles, the jars in. Once it comes back up to 180 degrees, you keep them there for 30 minutes." (44:42)

Sarah emphasizes the importance of following USDA-approved methods and shares additional tips:

"One of the tips that I have in my book for keeping pickles crispy is that you can use grape leaves and put the grape leaves in the jar." (47:10)

She also discusses the significance of recipe reliability:

"When I wrote my canning book, I took all the recipes in and had them tested in a food lab. So we make sure that the acidity is well below what it is even recommended." (48:39)

The hosts encourage listeners to pursue canning with confidence, highlighting:

"Don't be scared. If you feel like you're not confident in what you're doing, then maybe you're just not ready to do it." (51:17)

Audience Q&A: Tips for Crunchy Pickles

The episode features a caller question regarding tips for making canned or refrigerated pickles crunchy versus soft. The hosts and Sarah provide comprehensive answers:

• Removing the Blossom End: As mentioned by John, trimming about a quarter-inch from the blossom end prevents enzymatic softening.

• Using Grape Leaves:

  "But sometimes the problem with that, that is that grape leaves are way after cucumber season. So I wrote a recipe for canning grape leaves." (47:12)

• Low-Temperature Canning:

  "It's not doing anything for botulism. It's just killing off anything that's going to spoil your food." (53:38)

• Quick Pickles:

  "Quick pickles are easy way to do it. [...] A quick pickle is just [...] you pour, like, a hot brine over it. That's usually got salt and some spices and some vinegar and some water." (51:16)

Concluding Remarks and Teasers for Next Episode

As the episode wraps up, the hosts tease the next week's topic—salmon recipes—and encourage listeners to engage via the hotline for questions, stories, or cooking joys.

Shannon:

"Thank you for listening to the Joy of Cooking podcast. [...] Next week's topic comes from our caller." (55:36)

Megan:

"We could not do this without our fantastic team at the Joy of Creation production house. Thank you to Kayleen Beach, our production coordinator, Haley Bowers, our audio engineer, and Sarah Marshall, our producer and guest." (58:53)

Key Takeaways

1. Maintaining Crunchiness in Pickles:

   • Trim the blossom end of cucumbers.
   • Utilize grape leaves or oak leaves to preserve texture.
   • Adopt low-temperature canning methods for consistent results.

2. Innovative Pickling Techniques:

   • Experiment with various brines and fermentation processes.
   • Incorporate diverse ingredients like seaweed and basil-infused vinegar for unique flavors.

3. Sarah Marshall’s Approach to Hot Sauce:

   • Focus on seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients.
   • Emphasize preservative techniques that enhance flavor without relying on artificial additives.

4. Family Cooking Dynamics:

   • Balancing diverse tastes within a household can lead to creative and satisfying meal solutions.
   • Encouraging collaboration and mutual respect in meal planning fosters a positive cooking environment.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Shannon Larson on Cabbage Versatility:

  "I really feel like people are missing out sometimes on how versatile it is and how great it is." (02:39)

• John Becker on Low-Temperature Canning:

  "It's telling you this is the temperature it's at, so you don't have to question it." (52:34)

• Sarah Marshall on Pickling Philosophy:

  "I'm telling the story of Oregon agriculture in every bottle of sauce because that is what I do when I walk the farmer's market." (12:07)

• Megan Scott on Canning Confidence:

  "Just do it. Don't be stressed." (51:48)

Conclusion

This episode of The Joy of Cooking Podcast offers a rich exploration of pickling techniques, the importance of preserving local flavors, and the joys of collaborative cooking. With Sarah Marshall’s expertise in hot sauce production and the hosts’ personal anecdotes, listeners are equipped with practical tips and inspired to experiment in their own kitchens. The episode beautifully intertwines culinary passion with community values, embodying the legacy of The Joy of Cooking.