Medieval Style Baba Ghannouj

My eggplant plant, a variety called "Patio Baby", is a very persistent plant in my garden.  I bought it accidentally (I was aiming for one that produced regular-sized eggplants; this one produces tiny ones) because apparently I did not look at the tag after picking it up, believing it was one of the big ones next to it.  

It is persistent because even after the squirrels ate it down to the nubs, it grew back with gusto.  Even though my watering system failed it a few times (don't ask), it kept growing.  Now that it gets watered regularly, it is spreading and producing many tiny (2 to 3 inch long on average) purple eggplants.  

At first I thought I would be annoyed at having tiny eggplants but it turns out I like them.  It makes it easier to adjust the quantity of eggplant for my recipes without having a partial eggplant in the fridge.

The other day I checked on it and found an abundance of little ones ready to harvest.  What to do with them?

I have wanted to make baba ghannouj for a long time as everything I have ever read about it made it sound wonderful.  I checked my books and found three recipes, two which are modern and one that is from the medieval Islamic world.  The difference between them is that the modern recipes all call for the eggplants to be cooked over fire or under a broiler, which cooks them and also is supposed to impart a smoky flavor to the recipe.

The medieval recipe does not call for that, and this intrigued me.  Instead it calls for the eggplant to be slow cooked with onion (this is also different from modern recipes).  It does not call for tahini, either.  This, of course, means that I had to give it a try!

The recipe is from Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World, by Lilia Zaouali.

ISBN 978-0-520-26174-7

I have written about one of her recipes before, a Lemon Chicken Stew from North Africa.  Click here to view it.

This version of baba ghannouj is found on page 66, in the Cold Appetizers section, and it is recipe #8.

Puree of Eggplant with Yogurt

Cut the eggplant into small pieces; put them in a jar for cooking [dast] together with whole cleaned onions.  Add some sesame oil and oil of a good quality and a little water.  Reduce over a slow fire.  When the ingredients are cooked, put them through a sieve and combine with a very small clove of garlic, yogurt, and chopped parsley.

Itty bitty eggplants, fresh from my garden!

My Redaction

2 pounds, 4 ounces of small eggplants, weighed before trimming

12 ounce onion (one whole)

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 - 1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 ounces water

6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

about 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

My Notes

I removed the tops of the eggplants and cut them into small pieces.  I kept the onion whole as directed, although I suspected that the medieval onions were smaller, so I was a little doubtful of my decision.

Once all the eggplant pieces were in the Dutch oven, I poured the olive oil over them, then the sesame oil.  They were stirred so the oil coated the pieces and the bottom of the pan.  I put the onion in the middle and added the water.

Uncooked.

At first I had the fire underneath up high, until I heard it was hot enough to start cooking the ingredients.  Then I turned it down to low and put the lid on.  

After two hours it seemed like the eggplants were cooked but the onion was not.  I noticed the bottom of it, the part in the liquid, was cooked but the top still needed time, so I turned it over.  It cooked for another 30 minutes, for a total of 2 1/2 hours.

Done.

I let it cool, then tasted the liquid.  It was very bitter, so I drained it from the vegetables.

Then I used a metal mesh sieve placed in a bowl to hold the vegetables, and the back of a ladle to push them through the sieve.  I did this in batches, putting the pressed skins/seeds into a trash bowl and the resulting puree into another bowl.  I sieved the onion separately from the eggplant pieces because I wasn't sure it would work at all.

Once I had all the puree, I tasted it.  It was still bitter, so I crossed my fingers and mixed in the garlic, 1 tablespoon yogurt, and the parsley, mixing it well with a fork.  I wished I had thought to crush the garlic into a paste first.

This was better but still bitter.  So I crossed my fingers and added another tablespoon of yogurt.  This was better -- I was starting to taste the inherent sweetness of the eggplant.  That meant I put in another tablespoon of yogurt, and then it seemed pretty good.  Very mildly bitter; nothing bad.  However, I felt strongly that the flavors needed more time to blend, so I added another dose of yogurt and popped the whole thing in a covered container in the refrigerator and left it overnight.

Needs more time to blend.

The Verdict

We tried it with some toasted pita chips.  My guest taster said the bitter was gone, but I thought it was still bitter and I did not like it.

He also said it wasn't exciting or interesting.  If he tried this dip at a party, he would not go back to have more.

I decided I needed to play with it.  More yogurt could remove the bitterness that I could taste -- and I never would have guessed it could do that!  Perhaps more sesame oil to make the flavor more interesting, or more garlic (this time made into a paste first).  And maybe salt!

So I added two more tablespoons yogurt (for a total of 6) and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Suddenly it tasted better, and my guest taster included it as a side condiment with his dinner one evening.  I liked it more, too.  The salt made the flavor much more interesting and the extra yogurt lowered the bitter level to where I liked it.  

I still think I should add some more toasted sesame oil.  I think that would add some depth of flavor, perhaps umami, to make the whole experience more complex.

When I considered the whole process, I realized that I could have debittered the eggplant before cooking.  If, after cutting it into pieces, I had sprinkled it with salt and let it stand for an hour or so, then drained it, that might have taken care of the problem.  Rinsing off a lot of the salt would be a good idea, too.

It might be worth doing again, and playing with the quantities to get a better overall flavor.  It certainly was easy, with the hardest part being pressing everything through the sieve.  I declare it a success, but only a mild one.

Palace Clamole revisited - by a Guest Cook!

My friend - and stellar cook - CT, tried his hand at the Clamole de Palacio, the Palace Clamole.  He made some changes to suit his tastes:  more chiles and also he used Spanish chorizo, which is cured and thus firmer.  He also scaled down the overall quantities a little.  Click here to see my previous post on this recipe.

What follows are his report and pictures.

His notes

Here are the ingredients of my version.

2 oz. pasilla chilis

1.5 guajillo chilis (I had some lying around from my last batch of chili from last year, so decided to try them in this)

6 oz Spanish chorizo (I chose Spanish for couple reasons - Spanish chorizo is cured and contains chopped pork, so it holds well when cooked.  Also, Spanish contains smoked paprika, so I thought the hint of smoke might be interesting)

1 lb 7oz Roma tomatoes

1.8 oz whole raw almonds toasted in iron skillet

1 oz 85% Mexican chocolate (I decided to go with the dark Mexican chocolate this go around)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs

No additional sugar - the Mexican chocolate seemed to have the right amount already

Salt to taste at the end (the chorizo added some salt of its own, so I added about a teaspoon or more -  did not measure)

Some additional water/veg broth

I started off by washing the chilis and browning them in an iron skillet (I left the chilis intact with seeds, only removing the stems:

I then immersed the chilis in hot water for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I put the tomatoes on the gas grill to remove the skins.  I probably didn’t need to do this, since I ended up straining the blended mixture anyway, but I can’t resist grilling stuff.

I then blended the skinned tomatoes (I left the seeds and core, because I’m lazy), chilis, and about half of the chili water.

I then strained the mixture into the Dutch oven:

Only the pulp and seeds remained:

I realized at this point I forgot to add the toasted whole almonds, so put those in the blender and added a little vegetable broth.  Blended until it basically became almond milk.

Then added the almond milk to the Dutch oven:

I then added the chicken and chorizo and cooked for about an hour or so (I didn’t time it).  I found that the texture was a little too wet, so I left it simmer uncovered for last 20 minutes or so to get to the right consistency:

The Verdict

Served it garnished with a little cilantro, flour tortillas, and some grilled red cabbage marinated in rice wine vinegar, lime juice and salt which I made days before.  I paired it with a local bock beer which I think works really well with this mole.  

 

I probably could have added about 1/2 lb more chicken and maybe another 3 oz of chorizo to make it just right.  Otherwise I thought it turned out great, and I think we’ll definitely make this again.  

 

The Spanish chorizo offered the slightest hint of smoke and garlic, but not enough to get in the way of the more subtle flavors of the mole.  The chorizo didn’t melt away in the sauce, so if you like that additional bite its a good option if you don’t mind the flavors the Spanish version adds to this.  A great dish!

Thank you, CT, for trying this and telling me about it.  What I love about cooking and sharing with others is how we can all work with and learn from each other.  When we cook and evaluate the results, it is more gratifying to tell people about it.  

What is also wonderful is how you found a good beer to pair this with.  I'm sure others reading here will appreciate it!

I imagine Miss Pinedo smiling if she knew her recipes were being used again.

Corn Pie - A Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe

My occasional forays into family history and genealogy helped me learn that one branch of the family was Pennsylvania Dutch, which tickled me because I have always found their foodstuffs and techniques appealing.  I have several cookbooks with their recipes in my collection, and today's recipe came from J. George Frederick's Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book.

ISBN 0-486-22676-X

It was published by Dover Publications in 1971 and is described as "an unabridged republication of Part II, 'Cookery', of The Pennsylvania Dutch and their Cookery, as originally published ... in 1935."

I found the cover charming, and the various categories include the usual soups, salads, vegetable dishes, etc., but also more intriguing ones like "Various Dutch Oddities", "The Dutch 'Seven Sweets and Seven Sours'" (a reference to the tradition of loading the table with precisely seven sweets and seven sours of preserves, canned good, pickles, etc.), and "Ways with Philadelphia Scrapple."

This recipe is found in the "Pennsylvania Dutch Pies" section, on page 114.  I was tempted to try it because it was a savory dish and uses one of my favorite ingredients, corn.

Dutch Corn Pie

Line a casserole with pastry (not quite as rich as for a pie).  Into this put a can of corn (not crushed) mixed with four or five chopped hard boiled eggs and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Scatter a good tablespoon of flour over the top.  Put dabs of butter around and enough milk to almost cover the corn and then cover with an upper crust.

Bake in a hot oven for about an hour.

My Ingredients

enough pastry for a two-crust pie

2 cans (15.25 ounces each) sweet corn

5 hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

about 1 1/2 tablespoon flour

butter (1 to 2 tablespoons)

about 2/3 cup milk (I used 1/3 cup evaporated milk and 1/3 cup water, mixed)

My Notes

I used my go-to pie crust recipe, as found here in a previous post.  Since I needed as "less rich" crust, I used equal parts butter and vegetable shortening.  It hydrated and chilled in the refrigerator for several hours before I rolled it out.

I wasn't sure how many cans of corn I would need, which is why there are four cans in the picture.  Two turned out to be enough.  

I mixed the corn, eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl and then put them into the crust.  That quantity seemed to fill the 9 inch wide pie crust just right.

It was difficult to sprinkle the big spoonful of flour evenly across the top of the corn.  I think I would use a small sifter next time.  I ended up putting on another small spoonful after my first attempt, and I did a slightly better job sprinkling it on the bare spots.

I didn't measure the butter, I just took little bits (maybe 1/2 teaspoon each?) and put them around the top.

It turned out that 2/3 cup of milk was just right. It was a good guess!

After I put on the top crust and crimped the edges, I put it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.  That is when the crust was a nice golden brown.

It cooled on the counter and then was put into the refrigerator for taste-testing the next day.  

The Verdict

The pie was cut when cold but the pieces to be eaten were heated in the microwave oven until steaming hot in the center.

What amazed me was how firm the filling was.  The milk, flour, and butter combined to make a filling that didn't fall apart when a piece was cut.  It was not runny at all, even after heating.

So how was it?

The filling had a creamy texture, although the corn remained crisp.  There was enough salt and pepper - the balance was good.

The eggs and corn were good complements, although the egg flavor was muted next to the corn flavor. (My guest taster appreciated the eggs as added protein.)

As I said, the filling was firm, but it was not dry.  It didn't need to be more juicy or wet.

As for the crust, there is a reason it is my go-to:  it was "just right"!  Fluffy, flaky, light, and cut easily with a fork.  And it is so easy to make!

Success!  If you love the taste of corn (and I do), give this a shot as either a main dish or a side dish to some roast meat.  

Or, if you want to match what we did, have it for breakfast!

Sugar Smoking, revisited and revised -- From a Guest Cook!

My friend, CT, told me of his love of grilling, so I had him look at a post I made in 2016: 

Sugar Smoking--A Technique from Hong Kong/Kowloon.

He found it interesting and decided to give it a try.  What follows is his description of his process.  Note that he used a gas grill instead of charcoal.

I decided to do something a little different and use duck breasts and quail.  I mostly followed the recipe, but I did use a little more garlic for the marinade (4 cloves instead of 1 - I like garlic). It wasn’t overpowering at all, at least for me.  

I altered the time for boil since the quail are so small, and had them on reduced heat for about 45 minutes, and the duck breasts for an hour.  That may have been too long, but it seemed to work well. I was concerned the quail would get dried out, but they stayed pretty moist - same with the duck breast.  

The duck had a texture and flavor were similar to pork shoulder (I think that's a good comparison, but not sure since it’s been a long time since I’ve had any kind of pork besides bacon - we don’t eat much pork).  

I think I used way too much brown sugar, so I got more than enough smoke:

The gas grill was a little tricky, but I decided to have the gas on one zone only to keep the heat around 375, about medium high, with the sugar pack right above the burner.  I put the meat right above the sugar to ensure maximum contact with the smoke:

A nice smoke:

A nice mahogany color:

 The Verdict

It went really well with a fennel salad and wild rice (cooked in the duck broth):

Thanks again for the recipe, this one's a keeper.

And thank you, CT, for trying my blog recipe and reporting on the results.  I'm impressed with your adaptation and your success -- I just wish I could have tasted it.  : )   

I'm glad you found a way to make this work with a gas grill.  I need to give that a try.  As much as I love cooking over charcoal, gas is easier to work with for small quantities of food.

Mrs. Charles Darwin's Fish Croquettes

Sometimes I just pick a cookbook off the shelf and look for a recipe to make from it.  Today's recipe is from Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book, Revived and Illustrated, by Dusha Bateson and Weslie Janeway.

ISBN: 978-0-9801557-3-0

Like many wives, before and since, Emma Wedgwood Darwin, wife of Charles Darwin, compile a cookery notebook.  ... this book offers a glimpse behind the kitchen and dining-room doors of one of the Victorian era's most eminent families. ... More than a cookbook, Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book delineates a lifestyle at the top of English society and intelligentsia.   (quoted from inside flap)

I bought the book because I am a Charles Darwin fan of sorts, so when you combine that with cookery and yet more Victoriana information, well, it had to happen.  The production of the book is lovely, with botanical art scattered throughout and reproductions of Mrs. Darwin's recipes in her own writing.  In other words, very pretty and visually appealing.  

The recipes themselves aren't necessarily very different from other Victorian era recipes I've seen before, although some didn't look familiar when I skimmed the book.  I was particularly drawn to the desserts section because like Charles Darwin, I have a sweet tooth.  However for this post, I was well-behaved and chose to make a savory dish.

The fish croquettes recipe appealed to me because it looked fairly straightforward but it also has one twist:  instead of binding the fish flakes together with the usual cooked potato, it uses a very thick white sauce.  Please see page 61 for this recipe.

Fish Croquettes

1 pound (450 g) cooked fish, chilled

1 ounce (30 g) butter

1 ounce (30 g) flour

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk from cooking the fish

1 tablespoon cream

1 egg yolk

Salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten and breadcrumbs for coating

Butter for frying

1. Flake the fish into a bowl, being careful to remove any skin and bones.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, cook for 1 - 2 minutes.

3. Add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, stirring constantly to make a thick, smooth sauce.  Let it bubble gently for a few minutes.  Add the cream.

4. Add the egg yolk, give the sauce a quick stir, and remove the pan from the heat.

5. Stir the fish into the sauce and mix gently to combine the two without breaking up the flakes of fish too much.  The mixture should be fairly stiff; it will become more so as it cools.  Let it get cold.

6. When ready to cook, take spoonfuls about the size of an egg and dip them in the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs.  Flatten them slightly and fry gently in butter for 8-10 minutes, turning them once.  They are done when crisp and golden on the outside and well heated through.

My Notes

The authors comment that if you don't start with leftover fish, you can poach the fresh fish "in a little milk together with some parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf."  Note that if you do start with leftover fish, you still need that milk-based poaching liquid, so plan ahead.  

They also commented that many different kinds of fish can be used; they used smoked haddock and fresh cod.  From this I decided that the big piece of bonita I had would work.  Bonita is a sea fish (I caught it myself!) and has a fairly strong flavor.  Since the authors had used smoked haddock, I felt that a strong flavor wouldn't go wrong.

I didn't have any milk but I did have half-in-half, so I made up a poaching liquid of that with a small bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf.

The liquid and herbs were combined in a pan, then the fish set on top of it.  Since the fish was a big piece, I placed it in the cold liquid.  The whole thing was brought to just the beginning of a boil, then I reduced the temperature to make it have a slow simmer.  After about 4 minutes, I turned the fish pieces over, then cooked it for another 3 minutes.  

The fish was removed from the liquid to drain, and both fish and liquid were allowed to cool.

I used my hands to skin, debone, and flake the fish.  This made it easy to find the bones, pick off the little bits of skin, and to remove the dark red meat that bonita always has.  I have never liked that part and decided it would be best to leave it behind.  I tried to make the flakes large, considering that they would be broken up more when I mixed in the white sauce.

The recipe didn't specify when to add the salt and pepper, so I chose to add 1/4 teaspoon of each to the fish, using forks to toss it in well.

I made the roux in a cast iron frying pan, using a fork to mix the butter and flour well.  It was very thick, and stayed that way even after I mixed in the poaching liquid and egg yolk.  Since I used a half cream/half milk liquid for the base, I did not add the cream listed in the recipe.

The completed white sauce.

I used a rubber scraper and the technique of folding to mix the sauce and the fish together.  This worked well and didn't break the fish flakes up too much.

All together now.  

The mixture went into the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to chill.

In the meantime, I used the leftover egg white and one more egg, all beaten together, to make the egg wash.  

Then I formed the patties.  The authors said this should make 8 to 10 croquettes; I got 9 comfortably-sized ones.  

Fish patties and the breading station.

Each patty was dunked in the egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs, and placed in the hot butter.  I estimate the butter was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.  I kept the butter hot enough to make the food bubble when it went in but was careful to not let the butter burn.  The instructions said to cook the patties gently, and this seemed to achieve that.

The foaming butter did a good job of cooking the sides.

I shifted the patties around as they cooked to make sure they were all getting that golden brown coloring on both sides.  

It took about 8 to 10 minutes to cook them, as the recipe suggested.

Voila!  Croquettes!

The Verdict

We didn't have them as a meal, really.  It was more like a taste test.  I was primarily interested to see what my guest taster thought of them because he didn't know how they were prepared.  I interrogated him at length  : )  and here are his thoughts:

He could taste the fish but also got a definite herbal taste.  This showed me that using the poaching liquid was a good idea -- it put the parsley, thyme, and bay flavors into the dish.  

He could not taste the pepper but thought it might be there in a subtle way.  The salt content was just right.

The texture was nice:  a crunchy exterior with a good interior that was not creamy because "it has some substance."  In fact, he said the "crust is excellent."

It was not greasy or spicy, and was heated through to the center.

He tried them just as they were out of the frying pan, which he thought was very good.

He also tried them with some adornments, and thought they were best with either tartar sauce (homemade with mayonnaise, mustard, capers, sweet pickle relish, and a dash of white wine vinegar) or a sprinkling of lemon juice.  It was okay with a drizzle of a very aged balsamic vinegar but he wasn't as thrilled with that.

The tomatoes were a nice side for the croquettes.

We imagined them being served at a buffet, and we thought they could be topped with a piping of tartar sauce to look more interesting and to make the sauce readily available.

Like this but with a star tip for piping to make it prettier.

We declared it a success!  I think the keys here were using the poaching liquid, keeping the flakes big, and gently cooking the patties.  

The authors commented that they had to be careful or the croquettes would fall apart while cooking.  I did not have that issue.  They were firmly together the whole time and I used a metal spatula below and a fork above to turn them.

The only thing I would change in my process is the chilling time -- the mixture wasn't chilled to the center when I formed the patties, which I think would have been better for handling.  So chill at least an hour, or even longer.  This is a bonus because you could make the mixture in advance of cooking.  What a convenience!

Cebolletas en vinagre -- Pickled Scallions

 I'm still translating and exploring  Encarnación Pinedo's book, El cocinero español.  

Today I am trying a recipe on page 56:

Cebolletas en vinagre.

Se toman cebolletas tiernas y blancas, se despellejan y se les quita la cabeza. Se ponen en vinagre hasta que la vasija quede llena, cubriendolas con estragón, hinojo y pimienta en grano.

Se salan despues y se cierran hermeticamente hasta el momento de servirlas.

Pickled scallions.

Take the tender white part of scallions, skin them and their heads are taken off. They are put in vinegar until the jar is full, covering with tarragon, fennel and ground pepper.

They are salted afterwards and hermetically closed until the moment to serve them.

Plus the pepper, which didn't make it into the picture

My Redaction

4 or 5 bunches of scallions (green onions)

fennel leaves

tarragon leaves

salt

pepper (Miss Pinedo says ground, I used whole)

white wine vinegar

Wash and trim the scallions. Cut off most of the green part.  In a clean jar, put in some fennel, tarragon, and pepper.  Put the scallions into the jar, put in more fennel, tarragon, and pepper.  Cover with vinegar.  Add salt to taste.  

Close jar and store in the refrigerator for at least a week.  

My Notes

I interpreted the directions to "skin" the scallions and "take their heads off" as "trim off the root ends and take off the outer layer if it was dirty, slimy, or otherwise unappealing".  My store-bought scallions didn't need to be skinned except in a few cases.

I cut them to a length that would fit in my quart canning jar.  That included some of the green part but still with enough of the white to keep it "tender."

I didn't know how much fennel, tarragon, and pepper to use.  I wanted their flavor to infuse the vinegar and scallions but not so much as to overwhelm.  So I decided that putting some below and some above would be helpful.

A few pieces of leaves and about 5 peppercorns below

A greater quantity of leaves and about 5 more peppercorns above.

Then I filled the jar with white wine vinegar, which I chose for its mild flavor and mild acid bite.  I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt on top.

I tried to put the scallions in decoratively!

I noticed everything floated and so the tops of the scallions were out of the vinegar.  So once the jar went into the refrigerator, I shook it at least once a day to get the tips covered.

The store where I purchased the scallions also had an item specifically labeled as cebolletas, so I bought some of them to try, too.

The bulbs were at least 1 inch in diameter and I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to bite into that much onion flavor and eating the whole thing in a sitting, so I decided to cut them into rings and pickle those.

I had fewer cebolletas, so I used a pint canning jar.  I put leaves and peppercorns at the bottom, the middle, and the top.  I didn't adjust the quantity downwards for the smaller jar - I expect the herb flavors to be bolder.  Also, I used apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  It helped to use a spoon to gently pack the rings down into the jar.

This jar went into the refrigerator, too, to wait out its week.  It was also shaken regularly.

The Verdict

Several weeks went by until we tasted them.  

The cebolletas in apple cider vinegar were crisp, flavorful, and had a mild acid bite.  The fennel was a dominant flavor.  My guest tasters liked the acid level but I wanted it diluted, either with water or sugar.  They made a good relish next to roasted meat and on a charcuterie platter.

The scallions in the white wine vinegar were soggy and the acid bite was too strong for me.  The fennel was still the dominant flavor (not a bad thing).  I think I should have not included as much (or any) of the green stem as we all agreed that it was fibrous and you had to really pay attention to how you were biting it to make sure you could get a piece in your mouth.  This was not good.

The majority opinion was that either vinegar would be fine (I still wanted to dilute both and I liked the apple cider vinegar best), the cebolletas were better than the scallions, and the flavor was good.  I would have liked less fennel so I could taste a better balance with the tarragon and pepper.  

Success, especially for the cebolletas.  I would do this again with the scallions and only use the white part.  I would also put in less fennel, more tarragon, and crack the peppercorns.

UPDATE:  No one really wanted to eat the soggy scallions as they came out of the jar.  However, I found that chopping them into about 1/2 inch long pieces and including them in stews is absolutely wonderful.  They add a depth of flavor that is unexpected and they also make the whole dish smell so enticing.  A bonus!