Pickled Purslane

To pickle Samphire, Broom-buds, Kitkeys, Crucifix Pease, Purslane, or the like Otherways. 

(from Robert May's Accomplisht Cook 1660)

To pickle Samphire, Broom-buds, Kitkeys, Crucifix Pease, Purslane, or the like Otherways.
Put samphire in a brass pot that will contain it, and put to it as much wine-vinegar as water, but no
salt; set it over a charcoal-fire, cover it close, and boil it till it become green, then put it up in a barrell
with wine-vinegar close on the head, and keep it for use.

Modern translation:
Wash and pick over the samphire than place in a saucepan. Add sufficient of an equal volume of waterand white wine vinegar to cover then bring to a boil and continue boiling for about 4 minutes, or untilthe samphire is a bright green.
Remove the samphire with a slotted spoon and pack into a washed and sterilized jars. Pour in enough
white wine vinegar to cover the samphire completely then secure with a vinegar-proof lid. Label and
set aside to mature for at least two weeks before using.
Store in the refrigerator once opened.

I followed these directions to pickle purslane. I did 2 jars which took a lot of fresh purslane but I found that it does boil down so it took at least twice as much as you would think would fit in a jar. I used both white and red wine-vinegar which used all of what I had and I still didn't have quite enough so I topped off the second jar with rice wine-vinegar. The first jar with the red and white wine-vinegar sealed but the second one didn't and I will have to check it carefully before I decide to try it because the rice wine vinegar is only 4% acidity (I have read that it is important to make sure that the vinegar you use is at least 5% acidity for preserving. That jar when the lid is pushed on shows it is not sealed. The only reason I can see they would have sealed is that the purslane was still quite warm even though the vinegar added was at room temperature. I pickled the purslane on 10/21/12 and we tried it at the Cooks Guild meeting on 2/10/13. I had it stored in a closed cabinet in the garage since the weather had cooled and it was no longer hot out there.
One thing I did learn is that samphire may turn bright green when boiled in water and vinegar but the
color of purslane dulls. At the meeting we all agreed that purslane tastes much better and has a better
texture when fresh but it will work for adding to any salads I eat as a pickled vegetable. Here is a
photo of the jar we opened in February.