Pickled, Corned, etc.

[Ellyn]

Some of these food processing methods have become synonymous with the most common food they're used for. Pickled cucumbers, for example, can be redundant because as far as most people know, preserved cucumbers are pickles. But pickled onions are also a thing that exists, and spiced pickled cabbage makes for a refreshing coleslaw-like Korean relish (kimchi).

I thought that corned beef was made by feeding cows corn, so it puzzled me to see corned tuna in cans at the supermarket--but I tried it, and it's quite good even though I still don't know the process.

What other processes can you think of that's usually reserved for a single food? How well does it work on other foods? Or does one food taking this treatment become the most popular way of being treated, for a reason (for example, that it doesn't work as well for everything else)?

 

[Willie84]

Wow, this took some thought to come up with an answer! I would have to say the process used to make bagels. Since they are both boiled and fried, this process is not used for too much else that I know of. I am looking forward to reading more answers for this post!

 

[Ellyn]

Just popping in for a quick update (thanks for the topic bump-up, Willie84 ) -- It seems that corned meats are called so because of the brine that the meat is flavored with: very salty, usually contains large grains--corns--of salt.

Huh. Why didn't they just say salted? Oh, well.

 

[Lullabelle]

Just popping in for a quick update (thanks for the topic bump-up, Willie84 ) -- It seems that corned meats are called so because of the brine that the meat is flavored with: very salty, usually contains large grains--corns--of salt.

Huh. Why didn't they just say salted? Oh, well.

To say that something is 'salted' sounds unhealthy whereas 'brine' doesn't sound unhealthy. It is amazing what producers can and do get away with so long as the packaging is worded 'nicely'.

 

[firelily99]

Brine is still unhealthy though and so can a lot of natural or organic foods as well. People think that just because it says natural it will be good for you - the same goes for organics in packages.

 

[Lullabelle]

We are constantly being told to eat organic but surely that can't always be good. Just because something is branded 'organic' doesn't mean it was grown in your country, it probably was grown to regulations but in another country, picked early, kept in a cooler then ripen'd artificially meaning a lot of air miles and energy consumption. Surely 'local' is best, I like to buy potatoes, carrots etc... that still have dirt and live bugs on them, very little mileage and picked/dug up fresh.

 

[classic33]

A suprising amount of food, classed as organic, fails to meet the basic requirements.
If slurry has been spread on the land or even manure from animals fed on silage, food grown on that land fails to meet the requirements.
Silage isn't considered truly organic.

 

[Tara]

The standards for being labeled organic can vary. I purchase a lot of organically grown produce. My state, California, has high organic standards. So anything that is certified organic by California is trustworthy. Washington state also has strong organic standards, I don't trust anything certified organic by the USDA. All manner of horrible things can be labeled organic. I did some research on the topic and was mortified.