Rice Steamer........ Where are You ?????

[oldsparkey]

It seams like I can think of only one thing at a time. ...... A while back some folks told me where to locate a good rice steamer but I was to busy thinking about some hot pepper pickled okra.

Well, I have been snacking on that hot pickled okra and now need to locate a good rice steamer ...... NO not for instant rice but for the good ole fashion swamp seed that takes some time to cook or steam and tasts so darn gooooood .

Chuck.

Pickled Okra........ Texas Style

Here is what I found on the web for pickling Okra and making it taste ........really good & WARM.

3-1/2 to 4 pounds Okra (small pods)
7 cups white vinegar (or 4 cups cider vinegar plus 3 cups water)
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon salt (canning salt is preferred)
5 large garlic cloves, cut in half
5 small red peppers, each cut in half Optional Spices (any one or combination)
5 sprigs fresh dill OR 2-1/2 teaspoons dill weed, divided
1 tablespoon celery seed, divided
2 tablespoons mustard seed, divided Have five clean one-pint Mason jars with two-piece lids ready. Wash the okra well, and trim off the tough stems, being careful not to cut into the pods.

Place 2 garlic clove halves and 2 red pepper halves in each jar. Then, pack the okra into the jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace in each jar. If using fresh dill sprigs, place one in each jar.

Bring to a boil the vinegar, water (if you're using cider vinegar and water), salt and spices. Pour or ladle the hot mixture into each jar, again leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Place two-piece lids on each jar and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

My modification to this Don't screw the lids down all the way or leave them off while in the boiling water ..( I hate to clean up a exploded jar of Okra or anything) the water should only be about 3/4 of the way up each container. When taken out then secure the lids tightly.

Notes: Pickled okra, like any other pickle, needs a little shelf time to develop the best flavor. Try to keep out of these for three or four weeks.

The little red peppers are what I call Brazilian peppers .... They are about 1 1/2 inches long at the longest and 1/4 inch wide and a deep red in color. I like to refer to them as the peppers from hell.
I have a rather large jar of them fermenting in vinegar with a little salt added to it for the last two years ......... They are done and ready to use.

I do not use a pepper before it's time............Just like good wine.

Chuck.

 

[bearridge]

Black 'n Decker
Wally World sells 'em.

 

[oldsparkey]

Black 'n Decker
Wally World sells 'em.

Thanks Bear ....... I will check it out ... now I remember it was Black & Decker ..... I thought I was going down the wrong road because when I think of them it is always about drills , sanders , saws ... something with wood working. :?

Chuck.

 

[Kahuna]

Speaking of Rice....

Rice...you got me slobberin for some. We buy this rice called "Basmati" Rice from Sam's Club. We get 15 pound bags and keep it in the freezer. It is so good. Buy a small bag and try it sometime. Back in the 70's(we weren't ,but remember when the hippies were living on brown rice diets??) we would buy round grain brown rice. It takes about 40 minutes to cook and it still is a little al'dente(but that's how it should be). We used to take it camping with us to a place called "Panther's Den". It's know covered by a man made lake. ANYWAY...we would cook us up a big pot of this brown rice, added the potlicker from a can of canned corn and green beans to the cooking water. When the rice was done we'd then stir in the canned corn and green beans. Salt pepper, etc..etc.... It would fill you up when you were camping in the Spring. I think the reason I like it so much was becasue this cute student teacher (that was a wanna be hippy) taught me how to make it... :roll: Geez..she is probably almost 60 now..... :cry:
KAHUNA :wink:

 

[Kayak Jack]

I've eaten a lot of Sam's Basmati rice. I carry the burlap bags with tent stakes etc.

Chuckie has a good idea about cooking brown rice. (This was his good idea for 2003) (I think, this was his only one for that year.) Put a pre-measured amount of brown rice into a Nalgene bottle; add a pre-measured amount of water. Let the bottle roll around in the bottom of the canoe all day, pre-soaking the rice.

At evening, add the rest of the water & cook. I like to add some lentils too. About half as much as rice by volume. (You can count out the individual grains proportionally,if that pleases you.)

This trick lets the brown rice cook in the shorter time tht the white stuff cooks. I also add my veggies, spices (garlic, salt, garlic, onions, garlic, ginger toe, & some garlic), and meat before cooking. The whole thing is dubbed "rice gloppy". A one-dish-wonder.

 

[Kahuna]

GEEZ....

What a small world this is. I've got one of those burlap bags in the kitchen empty now.
KAHUNA

I've eaten a lot of Sam's Basmati rice. I carry the burlap bags with tent stakes etc.

Chuckie has a good idea about cooking brown rice. (This was his good idea for 2003) (I think, this was his only one for that year.) Put a pre-measured amount of brown rice into a Nalgene bottle; add a pre-measured amount of water. Let the bottle roll around in the bottom of the canoe all day, pre-soaking the rice.

At evening, add the rest of the water & cook. I like to add some lentils too. About half as much as rice by volume. (You can count out the individual grains proportionally,if that pleases you.)

This trick lets the brown rice cook in the shorter time tht the white stuff cooks. I also add my veggies, spices (garlic, salt, garlic, onions, garlic, ginger toe, & some garlic), and meat before cooking. The whole thing is dubbed "rice gloppy". A one-dish-wonder.

 

[oldsparkey]

Jack was telling you about my one good idea but he did not tell all of it.

Put the rice in the Nalgene bottle and then add some black eyed peas (dried variety) , water and let the whole mess roll around in the canoe.
At supper time then cook this up with some onion, garlic, hot sauce and ham out of the can (small can like tuna comes in) .......... A paddlers version on Hopping John, a little fresh corn bread from the bakepacker rounds everything off ... especially with some honey drizzled over the corn bread, you could use some jam/jelly if so inclined, I like the concord grape.

One darn good, filling, tasty camping/paddling supper and easy to make.
Chuck

 

[JEM]

Good topic!

I've always LOVED brown rice but it's expensive to buy in small amounts. Buying at Sam's would of worked, but no good way to cook it besides in a pot that would take forever.

I found this website: http://www.sallyskitchen.com/html/reviews.html

Some good reveiw info. I think I'll be purchasing one of these for the house very soon. 8)

 

[Kayak Jack]

Here's the two ways I cook rice:

#1 Put it and the water & salt into a plastic food storage bag, and steam the whole bag. Use Mz. Jean's BakePacker, or set it on a steamer basket (the kind that unfolds like a flower). White rice takes about 25 minutes. Brown rice does too if you pre-soaked it as discussed above. Otherwise about 40 minutes.

#2 Into a cast iron kettle put some extra virgin olive oil. Turn burner onto HIGH. Dump in rice only - NOTHING else at this point. Have premeasured water & rice ready. Stir the rice as it heats, keep stirring until the oil starts to smoke, then dump in the water & salt, and stir again. You'll get a boil very quickly. Turn heat to low, put on a tight fitting lid, and cook about 20-25 minutes.

In both methods, it's handy to add seasonings like garlic; veggies like onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, etc.; and meat like chicken, fish sea food, etc. Do this after the rice is in, then stir to mix up the whole thing. I call this one dish wonder “Rice Gloppyâ€Â

 

[JEM]

Those are the kind of meals I like....fire and forget until it's done!

 

[Kayak Jack]

Those are the kind of meals I like....fire and forget until it's done!

With my cooking - it's after you eat it that it's unforgettable. Keeps coming up, and coming up, and ...

Seriously, steaming with Ms. Jean's BakePacker or steamer basket is very forgiving of time & attention. EXCEPT - if you let the steamer run out of water. DO NOT DO THAT! I try to add a bit more water to allow for the cocktail hour. Afterall - it's after 5:00 o'clock somewhere!

 

[oldyaker]

OK, I hear what yer all say'n. I love all kinds of rice myself. Regular, wild, brown and the Sam's basmati. Now, that B&D rice steamer, will it make sticky rice like you get in Chinese eatery's? If not, how do you make it :?:

Granny was good at mak'n peasant dishes. She used to make rice & fava beans with Italian 'mater sauce. She would throw the beans in with the rice with extra water, when the rice was al dent'e, she would put in the tomato sauce. If you was lucky, she threw in some Italian sausage as well.

Kahuna, Let's watch it with the almost 60 stuff :!: :roll: