-I talked to Warren, and he's saying you're making a new show.

-I am.

You want to be on it?

You are right now.

[ Both laugh ] I'm on the search for pickled things.

People started pickling things because we needed to keep food safe before refrigeration.

I'm having a chocolate pickle so you don't have to.

You have a whole host of knowledge that I pretend to have.

-I do some nutrition information in here.

-Come ride the pickle train!

-Whoo!

I don't like to participate or compete unless I think I can win.

This looks very intimidating to me.

-Three, two, one!

-Go!

-I'm Vivian -- part chef... This is a match made in heaven.

...part student... What is gluten, anyway?

...full of questions.

What's this?

How cold is it in here?

How do you heat it up?

Welcome to "Kitchen Curious."

-Major funding for "Kitchen Curious with Vivian Howard" is provided by... the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, the proud partner of South Carolina ETV and South Carolina Public Radio.

With the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations, the ETV Endowment of South Carolina is committed to sharing entertaining and uplifting stories and series like "Kitchen Curious."

And by... Additional funding provided by... Building community in Florence, South Carolina.

And... ♪♪ -Miss Lillie.

-Hey, Miss Vivian Howard.

-How are you doing?

-I'm doing fine.

What about you?

-I'm good.

I'm good.

You haven't aged a day.

-Yes, I have.

A whole lot of days and nights.

-Well, you -- You still look good to me.

-Well, you got bad eyes.

-Are y'all farming right now?

-They is.

I ain't.

-No?

[ Laughs ] It's too hot?

-Well, I be doing a lot of biscuit cooking, teaching class on how to make homemade biscuits.

So I stay in a cool spot.

-Getting smart.

Yep.

-Well, I learned it from you.

-[ Laughs ] -I learned that from you.

Oh, I talked to Warren, and he said you're making a new show.

-I am.

I am.

You want to be on it?

You are right now.

[ Both laugh ] No.

So, it's called "Kitchen Curious."

And I'm getting ready this weekend.

We're doing a pickle episode right now, and I'm going to the Mount Olive Pickle Festival.

And I'm going to participate in the pickle eating contest.

-Well, as long as you eat some sweet pickles, something that you like.

-I don't think you get to pick.

I'm hoping they're -- I think that they're these spears, you know?

I think that'll be relatively doable.

-Well, okay.

Enjoy yourself down there.

-Yeah, well... [ Laughs ] -Enjoy.

-I'll let you know how it goes.

-Alright.

And I'll be calling you anyway.

-Yes.

Well, thank you, Miss Lillie.

-You're more than welcome.

♪♪ ♪♪ -People started pickling things because we needed to keep food safe before refrigeration.

But we kept pickling things because pickles made food taste better.

For me, pickles bring the acid, and they often also bring the texture.

The issue I have is that people don't often make pickles at home.

You feel like you've got to have all this special equipment, you need a whole weekend to do it, you need to make enough pickles to last a year, and that is just not the case 'cause it's just not that hard.

So, today we're gonna make a sauerkraut out of odds and ends from your refrigerator.

The good news is you can make a fermented pickle, which is what we're about to make right here, out of almost any vegetable, I would say tomatoes are off the table because they're gonna have a little bit too much acid.

But right here I've got some coleslaw mix that I haven't finished.

It's got carrots in it and green cabbage.

And I had some green onions in the refrigerator that I just chopped up.

I had a couple yellow and orange bell peppers that I cut into strips.

And then I have a bag of classic romaine salad, and it's got some red cabbage, some romaine lettuce, and some carrots in it.

No dressing.

If there were dressing, you wouldn't want to put it in here.

So we're gonna put all these ingredients in this bowl, and then I'm gonna season it with salt.

Now, you want to make sure that you're either using pickling salt or kosher salt.

You do not want to use iodized salt to make kraut.

Or, really, anything else, from my perspective.

I have kosher salt right here, and I'm gonna go about seasoning all of these vegetables.

And I'm gonna toss it up and taste it.

And what I'm looking for is for this to taste like a like -- kind of like a perfectly seasoned French fry or a salty French fry.

[ Crunching ] It's salty, but I'm gonna add a little bit more.

The idea is, if you don't have enough salt, it won't ferment and it'll actually just go bad.

If you have too much salt, then nothing's gonna happen.

I know that people are afraid to make kraut at home because they're afraid that something that is slowly rotting in their house is going to make them sick very quickly.

But I encourage you to Google how many people have reported to the USDA getting sick from a fermented pickle.

Absolutely zero, okay?

So, now that we're all in this bowl, I'm gonna get to the work of making the kraut.

And that involves just pounding the heck out of this.

Had to watch my words.

We need to bruise all the vegetables to the point that they start to give off their liquid and form with that salt a natural brine.

And I really want to bruise these up.

You really cannot go too far here.

Okay, so, now that I have pounded this to death -- I have actually broken a sweat, and it's pretty chilly in here [chuckles] -- I'm gonna taste it once again and make sure I'm good on my salt.

Salty French fry level.

And then I'm just gonna cover this with a towel so that, you know, nothing falls into it.

I'm gonna let it sit for about 30 minutes, and that liquid is going to start to leach out and start to form that brine.

Once that happens, we'll pack it in the jars and talk more.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ My kraut has been sitting here for about 30 minutes, and I want to see if it's given up enough liquid, if all the pounding we did worked.

And so I'm just gonna pick this up and give it a little squeeze, and if it rains down, we're good.

You know, just as I said before, you really want to pack as much kraut in here as possible because oxygen is like Kryptonite to kraut.

If you've got oxygen in here, it is not going to ferment properly.

So, I'm gonna keep pressing it down.

So, now what I'm gonna do is -- I have this weight because the Kraut needs to be submerged in the brine.

And unless I weight it down, it's just gonna be popping up above it, and that is not going to ferment into a pickle.

So that is why you need to weight down your kraut.

To store this, you want to put a towel over it just so that no flies or anything find their way into it.

And then I like to put a rubber band around that.

And I'm gonna put this on my countertop at room temperature, and I'm gonna start checking it after three days because the really cool thing about making your own kraut is you get to decide when it's ready.

You know, I like a kind of fresh, crisp kraut that's not as fermented and funky as a lot of people.

So after about four days, this is ready for me.

And I can spread it on a sandwich.

I can put it on -- I love it on baked potatoes.

I love it stirred into soups.

You know, there's so many things you can do with it.

And if you make it yourself, you can determine when it's ready.

I also -- Yesterday I made a little kraut so that you could see what it would look like after it's been sitting for a day.

I also wanted you to see that you don't have to buy anything special to make this happen.

So, this is a regular old pickle jar.

I packed my kraut in there, and then I took another, smaller mason jar, filled it with water, put the lid on it, and then put it inside the mouth of this pickle jar to weight down my kraut.

And it does the same thing that this weight did.

So, you don't have to buy anything to make this happen, especially if you have some random lettuce hanging around your kitchen.

Pickles are really having a moment right now.

They are no longer a fringe condiment.

And for a change, they're a fad that's good for you.

♪♪ So, Christine, we are getting ready to go to Piggly Wiggly in pursuit of learning more about pickles.

You have a whole host of knowledge that I pretend to have, but I figured if I was gonna be talking about it on TV, then I really needed someone with real answers.

-Yeah, I do some nutrition information in here.

-Yeah, you know, I think there's a lot of myths and misinformation, a lot of words on the street about it.

And I think, you know, we rarely get to hear from a nutritionist.

-Yeah, off the top of my head, with pickles, I can think of a couple of things already.

-Tell me one.

-The probiotic thing, right?

Like, we definitely have to talk about that.

-Yeah, definitely.

♪♪ ♪♪ So, Christine, um, have you ever pickled anything?

-I have tried pickling onions before.

-Okay.

-But I don't think I've ever actually pickled a cucumber.

-Well, I think people think it's, you know, something that's hard to do, but it really isn't.

Do you have pickles in your fridge?

-I always have pickles in my fridge.

So, I know that this is not everyone's opinion, but I love the bread and butter pickles, like, the sweet and salty ones.

-Mm-hmm.

-And then usually dill and relish.

-Yeah, you got to have a jar of relish.

I think you got to have a dill pickle.

-Yeah.

-And I think you got to have a bread and butter.

-Yeah.

-And then there's more pickles over here.

And do you know why there's some that are refrigerated and some that are not?

-So, actually, I do.

It's the way that they're processed.

The shelf-stable ones that aren't refrigerated, they're heat processed, which is similar to what happens when things are canned.

-Mm-hmm.

-And it's just so that they can kill any bacteria and it can stay stable at room temperature for a lot longer, whereas these are not.

-The tricky thing about pickles when you talk about them is that there's really two types.

You know, there's the quick vinegar pickle, which we were talking about here, and then there's the fermented pickle like a sauerkraut or a kimchi.

And as a nutritionist, I would imagine that's, like, the thing that gets you -- your heart pumping.

-Yeah.

There's a lot of talk about probiotics, right?

The good bacteria that -- -Yes, I just gave some to my dog this morning.

-Yeah.

And gut health and all this stuff.

And if you go to, you know, the supplement aisle, you're gonna see these probiotics on the shelf, and they cost like $80 for a jar, when, really, that is the same probiotic that's in your fermented pickles, your sauerkraut, your kimchi.

So I think people are so quick to think that the more expensive thing is better, but, really, these fermented pickles that we've had this whole time are gonna do pretty much the same job.

-Does your body absorb it differently?

-I'm always gonna err on the side of actually eating the food.

-Me too.

-Well, yeah, because it tastes like something, right?

So you're getting more stuff, whereas with the supplements -- First of all, you don't always know exactly what's in there, even if it says so on the label.

And there's just not all that other stuff being digested at the same time to help it break down.

So I think, yeah, in that sense, like, food is better in almost every way, especially when we're talking about probiotics.

♪♪ ♪♪ -When I made the kraut with all the veggie bits from my fridge, I mentioned that I would not use tomatoes in the kraut because they have too much acidity.

But don't worry.

I've got the most amazing recipe to pickle tomatoes you can imagine.

It's actually probably my favorite recipe of all time.

If you've ever worked with me in a kitchen or you've ever eaten my food in one of my restaurants, you've probably had a little bit of Red Weapon on your plate.

♪♪ This is a quick pickle, meaning it is a food that is pickled or suspended in time by an acid, such as vinegar.

So, we're gonna start by putting those acids in this pot.

So, I've got some white wine vinegar.

[ Pan sizzling ] I had a hot pan already, too.

Got some rice wine vinegar, have a lot of jalapeños sliced, light brown sugar, diced ginger, minced garlic, mustard seeds, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, and salt.

So, the cool thing about this pickle is that you not only -- whew-whee!

-- you not only not only end up with pickled tomatoes.

You also end up with a brine, a liquid that makes a great addition to sauces or dressings.

And you end up also with a fat cap that's gonna be created by this olive oil that is super flavorful and excellent for sautéing things in.

So, it's really three products in one.

I need to chop up these scallions.

When you make a quick pickle like this, you do not have to can it.

In fact, you can store most quick pickles in your refrigerator for up to three months or until you eat all of them, and these Red Weapons are no different.

So, I got my scallions.

I'm gonna throw these in here.

And I want this to come to a boil so that all the flavors kind of infuse this brine.

But I don't want the liquid to evaporate out, so I'm gonna cover it while I prep my tomatoes.

Typically, I would quarter these tomatoes, but I'm gonna cut them into 1/8s 'cause this is a little bigger than I'm used to.

These are Roma tomatoes.

This is what I want to make these out of.

I like them because they're always available at the grocery store.

They're always firm, so they hold up to the heat that this brine is going to provide them.

Sometimes people ask me if they can use, you know, the heirloom tomatoes from their garden or cherry tomatoes for this, and I say, "Yeah, sure, but why?"

What we're really trying to do is improve a tomato that's not that great.

My last cookbook that I wrote, I had an entire chapter dedicated to Red Weapons and all the things that you can do with them.

One of my favorite things is to make an avocado toast and chop Red Weapons and put on top.

Scrambled eggs, put Red Weapons on top.

Baked potato with Parmesan and olive oil, put Red Weapons on top.

The possibilities are really endless.

And when you see how easy this is, you're gonna do it.

I promise.

Alright, so, I have my tomatoes quartered or cut into 1/8s, nestled in this bowl.

Now I'm gonna add my olive oil.

The olive oil is going to help preserve this and, as I said, create a fat cap over the top of the entire pickle, which will keep it submerged and keep these safe to eat.

Alright, so, we need this to come back to a vigorous boil because not only is the acid in the vinegar and the salt in the brine going to pickle the tomatoes, but the heat from the brine is going to kind of "bruise" the tomatoes and make them more vulnerable to all the acid and the spices in here.

Okay, so, I've got a vigorous boil.

I'm gonna pour it over to my tomatoes.

And that's all, folks.

I mean, that is so simple.

So, what I'm gonna do now is leave them on my counter at room temperature for several hours, maybe even overnight.

They'll be fine, y'all.

I want to allow them to cool slowly so that they pickle quickly.

And then all you need to do is put them in a container with a lid, and they'll stay in your fridge.

Good to go for up to three months, but I promise you will not keep them that long.

♪♪ I am on my way to the Mount Olive Pickle Festival.

[ Indistinct conversations ] Despite growing up like only 30 minutes from Mount Olive, I've never been to this.

So I wonder what they're gonna have here.

I imagine they'll have some hot dogs with some pickles on it.

I'm down with that.

They'll probably have some pickle lemonade.

I heard something about pickle fudge.

I really hope that's not part of it.

Hopefully there's some pickle juice [laughing] with some alcohol in it.

Maybe I can join that contest.

But if I'm being honest, the thing I'm most excited for about the Pickle Festival is that I don't have to cook anything.

♪♪ ♪♪ Hi.

-What can I get you?

-Just the Pickle Bloody Mary.

♪♪ Thank you.

That's good.

♪♪ How many people come to this festival?

-Somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 people come, and our town population's 4,500.

-Oh, my God.

So, what's your favorite food out here, pickle-related food?

-Um... Pickle margaritas are good.

They're "dill-icious."

[ Both laugh ] -I've got to come up with a pickle pun before this is over.

♪♪ I'm on the search for pickle things.

-[ Chuckles ] Yeah.

-I knew my job at the Pickle Festival was to eat as many pickle products as possible.

I just didn't know how far these people would take it.

-I've got a regular dill pickle, and I've got a peanut butter pickle.

-Yeah, I'll try the peanut butter pickle.

What's your favorite?

-I like the dark espresso.

So tell me what you think.

You get sweet -- the peanut butter -- then the dill comes on the finish.

-Yeah, it is spicy.

-There's a spice.

-Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

Thank you.

-May I have a, um, chocolate covered pickle?

-Yeah.

-Is this a big seller?

-Yeah, it is.

There you go.

-Thank you.

I got the pickle lemonade, too.

-Mama's Chocolates is our company name.

We're out of Newton Grove, North Carolina.

So, we were like, "No better thing to have at the North Carolina Pickle Festival than chocolate-covered pickles."

Oddly good.

-The chocolate's very good.

-It is a good -- It is very high-quality chocolate.

-Thank you.

This is not bad.

It's a strawberry pickle lemonade.

I think I'm gonna have to take a pickle break before the eating contest.

-Pickle train!

Come ride the pickle train!

$3!

-Whoo!

[ Laughs ] [ Siren chirps ] Great ride!

Whoo!

What kind of pickles are we eating up there?

-We are eating whole kosher dill Mount Olive pickles today.

-How many of us are there?

There's a lot.

-We are planning for 22.

-Okay.

How long do I have?

-5 minutes.

So, you get a tray of 20... -Okay.

-...whole kosher dills.

-What's the record?

-13.

-I feel a lot of pressure to win.

-Okay, well, you are all set.

-Thank you.

-Thank you!

Good luck.

-[ Laughs ] Thank you.

♪♪ You know, I'm getting ready to do the pickle eating contest.

-Yes.

-And I thought it was gonna be spears, but they told me it's the whole thing.

-No, it's the great big fat dills, yeah.

How many you think you're gonna eat?

-I don't like to participate or compete unless I think I can win.

-[ Laughs ] Of course.

-So I'm gonna go -- I think I'm gonna try to eat -- I mean, I can't imagine 20 pickles going into my body in 5 minutes.

-Yeah.

-I'm gonna do my best.

How about that?

-Well, you know, some people, they take and they find the smallest pickles, and then they squeeze the juice out of them and make them even smaller so they can eat them faster.

-Well, that's a good thought.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

Now I've just given a secret away to you.

-Well, I'll probably need the secret.

[ Indistinct shouting ] [ Cheers and applause ] -We are so delighted to have all of you here today.

We had somewhere around 200 entries for 22 spots.

[ Cheers and applause ] So, we're getting ready to get started on our pickle eating contest.

I'm gonna call up Abby Leigh from WQDR radio.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Hey, y'all!

Let's introduce these amazing pickle eating contestants.

Hunter Lopez from Havelock.

[ Cheering ] Whoo, Hunter!

Alright, we got Kaitlin House from Wilson.

-Whoo!

-Christian Chase from Wilmington.

[ Cheers and applause ] He came ready.

Vivian Howard from Kinston.

[ Cheers and applause ] These contestants have 5 minutes, and there's 20 pickles.

-That's me.

-This is Vivian... -Hello!

-...in the orange right here.

Okay, since you're, like, a professional.

what is your strategy?

I need to know.

-I'm a professional cook.

This looks very intimidating to me.

[ Laughs ] [ Dramatic music plays ] -Assume your pickle-eating position.

In five... -Four, three, two, one!

-Go!

[ Indistinct shouting ] ♪♪ Two minutes to go!

Two minutes to go!

♪♪ 40 seconds!

-No.

[ Shouting continues ] [ Cheers and applause ] Whoo!

♪♪ -Alright, Miss Vivian, professional chef over here, how was it?

-It was really hard, and I did terribly.

And I don't want to ever do that again.

[ Laughter ] I'm sorry.

-What do we say, A for effort?

Let's give it up for Miss Vivian.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Participation ribbon.

-And our champion for this year... Miss Haley Yu... [ Cheers and applause ] ...with 12 pickles!

Stand up, honey.

Bask in all your glory.

Give it up for Haley!

Give it up for Haley!

[ Cheers and applause continue ] Yeah!

-How many did she eat?

-12.

-Miss Haley, how does it feel?

-Pickle-icious.

[ Laughter ] -Pickle-icious.

I love that.

[ Indistinct conversations ] -So, I did not win the pickle eating contest.

I think I probably came in last.

And I'm fine with that.

Eating contests are not for me, I don't think.

It was a lot harder than I thought.

I was pretty embarrassed 'cause my family was there watching, and I wanted to stop after one pickle.

But I tried.

Oh, here we go!

Whoo!

[ Laughs ] -Come ride the pickle train!

$3!

♪♪ ♪♪ -Major funding for "Kitchen Curious with Vivian Howard" is provided by... the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, the proud partner of South Carolina ETV and South Carolina Public Radio.

With the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations, the ETV Endowment of South Carolina is committed to sharing entertaining and uplifting stories and series like "Kitchen Curious."

And by... Additional funding provided by... Building community in Florence, South Carolina.

And...