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Condiments
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An array of lowcountry pickles and preserves set on a counter overlooking a Charleston piazza.
PICKLES AND PRESERVES, RELISHES AND chutneys —these are the real hallmark of southern cooking. They reflect both the practicality of country cooks and the sophisticated palates of the residents of the port cities. The slave and spice trades forever traversed the same routes; with the ships came Indian chutneys and teas, exotic plants from the Orient, and fruits from the Caribbean.
Most traditional recipes were meant as a way of preserving foods. You need not make the large quantities called for in the older recipes; and if you plan to refrigerate the preserves and use them within a few weeks, there’s no need to process them in a boiling water bath. If you do plan to store them for any length of time, or you’re giving them as gifts, process them according to the following instructions: