Time to Make Pickles!
Lunch & Learn
12 noon to 1 pm
August 6, 2013
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Need Help with Today’s Program?
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Help Desk: 800-442-4614
Phone in to today’s program
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Toll: 630-424-2356
Toll Free: 855-947-8255
Passcode: 6774570#
Program will be archived:
www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/preservation.html
Resources
 Homemade
Pickles and Relishes (UWEX)
http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/preservation.html
Including family favorites: bread and butter, dilly beans, beet
pickles, marinated mushrooms, spiced apple rings, and more!
 How Do I…Ferment, Pickle www.uga.edu/nchfp
Dill pickles, sauerkraut and yogurt; cucumber, fruit or
vegetable pickles PLUS pickles for special diets (no-sugar
added and reduced-sodium)
 Ball
canning online www.freshpreserving.com
Bread and Butter Pickles*
 Kosher Dill Pickles*
 And…pickles as an appetizer in Cuban Pickle Bites
(beer battered, bacon-wrapped fried pickles)
*Use Ball seasoning packets which should not
negatively impact safety.
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Safely Making Pickles at Home
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Low-acid vegetables of all kinds can be safely
canned in a boiling water canner and stored
on the shelf if proper acid is present.
We can add the acid (quick pickles) or allow acid
to be produced naturally over time (fermented
pickles)
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Traditional fermented or crock pickles
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Lactic acid is produced during fermentation
Fresh or quick pickles
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Vinegar (acetic acid) is added
Fermented (Crock) Pickles
Cucumbers + Salt
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Bacteria
68-72°F
Genuine Dills
Salt selects for the right kind of bacteria &
keeps the spoilage bacteria at bay
Bacteria convert sugar to lactic acid
Over time, enough acid is produced to ensure
safety & a tangy flavor
Tips for success:
• Remove and discard 1/16th inch slice from blossom
end of fresh cucumbers to preserve texture
• Use only a tested recipe and never alter proportions
of vinegar, food, and water
• Use only vinegar with 5% acetic acid
Key concepts in making safe,
delicious crock pickles
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Add the right amount, and type, of salt
Type of salt
Weight equivalent Measure
Table salt
7 ¾ ounces (220 g)
¾ cup + 1 Tbl.
Canning salt
7 ¾ ounces
1 cup
Kosher salt
7 ¾ ounces
1 ½ cups
Use a clean, food-grade container
 Don’t
use a landscape planter, a plastic garbage bag, a
heavily pitted crock, or a galvanized steel or iron bucket!
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Place crock at a temperature best for bacteria to
grow and ferment sugar to acid
 Below
60° - fermentation will slow or stall
 Above 78° - it’s too warm for fermentation and spoilage
takes over
More key concepts
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Cover the crock to seal out air, help bacteria
growth, and keep spoilage at bay. B sure to skim
skum.
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Traditional – an inverted plate with a weight on top
Modern – a food-grade plastic bag filled with brine
½ C. salt + ¼ C. vinegar + 8 cups of water
Use very fresh cucumbers, wash well and
remove thin slice from blossom end
 The use of alum is not recommended
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OLD
NEW
After the fermentation…
After 3-4 weeks, you’ll know when the pickles
are ready….by tasting!
 Heat process pickles for storage (best) or move
them to the refrigerator (2nd best)
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Prepare fresh brine, heat, pour over cukes and process
in a boiling water canner, OR
Heat fermentation brine to boiling and fill jars packed
with cukes; process in a boiling water canner
Never use an oven or dishwasher to ‘can’ your
pickles
Sauerkraut and more on fermentation
Shredding of cabbage allows salt to draw out the
juice (and sugar!) for successful fermentation.
 At this time, no tested recipes exist for safe
fermentation of carrots, beets, greens or other
vegetables…only cucumbers and cabbage.
 A heat treatment after fermentation is important
to stabilize the product, otherwise texture will
deteriorate.
 Do not use salt substitutes in fermented
products. Rinsing prior to eating reduces salt
level dramatically.
 Hollow pickles usually result from a delay from
harvest to processing.
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Pickles in a ‘flash’ – Quick Process
Pickles
Adding acid allows us to make pickles from a
wide variety of fruits and vegetables. For safe,
high quality products:
 Use high quality ingredients. Select fresh, firm
fruits and vegetables for pickling. Discard spoiled or
damaged produce.
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Use varieties designed for canning/pickling,
e.g. ‘pickling’ cukes
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Make it fresh! For best quality, pickle fruits or
vegetables within 24 hours of harvest, or refrigerate for
no more than a few days.
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Use only 5% acetic acid vinegar. White or cider
vinegar can be used interchangeably; do not use wine
vinegars or homemade vinegar. Do not use lemon juice.
More on pickling ingredients…
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Sugar in quick pickles helps firm texture and
provides flavor. Use brown and white sugar
interchangeably. If using sugar substitutes,
choose recipes designed for success.
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Splenda: no-sugar added cantaloupe pickles, sweet cucumber
slices or pickled beets
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/diet_pick.html
Use whole spices for great flavor and best
quality. Hint: freeze dill heads so they are ready when
your cucumbers are!
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Lime (calcium hydroxide), traditionally used to firm
pickles, is used as an initial soak only and
excess must be rinsed off before canning.
‘Other’ Vegetable Pickle Recipes: A-Z
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Artichoke (Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke)
Asparagus
Beets (including no-sugar added with Splenda)
Brussels sprouts
Dilly beans and corn relish
Mushrooms, peppers, and green tomatoes!
Zucchini can be substituted for cucumbers
in many quick-process recipes. Try bread
and butter zucchini slices (p.40) or zucchini
relish (p.49).
Canning Fruit Pickles
Even though most fruits are naturally high
in acid, use only tested recipes for canned,
pickled fruit.
 Melons are not acidic and acid is critical for
safe canning.
 Try these family favorite recipes for another
way to preserve fruit: spiced apple rings,
spiced crabapples, watermelon rind pickles.
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Don’t Forget
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Use an up-to-date tested recipe. Now is not
the time to be creative!
Follow the recipe carefully, including a
processing step. Pay attention to jar sizes.
Use 2-piece lids.
Adjust for elevation.
*Note: darker areas on the state map have an elevation
above 1,000 feet. Increase time when boiling water canning.
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Use a boiling water canner for safety and
quality.
FAQ: Pickles
What causes my pickles to have a bitter flavor?
 What causes canned pickles to shrivel?
 Why do my canned foods turn brown or fade?
 Can I use a salt substitute in my crock pickles?
 What causes a white sediment to form in my
jars of pickles?
 The garlic in my dill pickles turned blue, are
they safe to eat?
 How long do I process my pickled eggs in a
boiling water canner?
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FAQ: Pickles
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What causes my pickles to have a bitter
flavor? Cucumber pickles can have a bitter flavor if
the cucumbers were grown in hot, dry weather. For
other pickles, the use of salt substitute or cooking too
long with a spice bag can also cause strong flavors to
develop.
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What causes canned pickles (cucumbers, green
beans, etc) to shrivel? Cucumbers or green beans
are prone to shriveling if placed in too strong a salt
brine or too strong a vinegar solution. If following a
tested recipe and this happens, there is nothing you
can do. Hot weather can contribute to shriveling on
canning.
FAQ: Pickles
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Why do my canned foods discolor or fade?
Discoloration of pickles can be due to use of cooper,
aluminum or brass pots when brining or cooking. Use
stainless steel or glass pots and utensils when working
with acidic foods like pickles. Let your senses be your
guide: When in doubt, throw it out!
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Can I use a salt substitute in my crock pickles?
The safety to crock (fermented) pickles relies on the
proper kind and amount of salt. This means the use of
canning salt. Always follow a tested recipe. You can rinse
pickles (or sauerkraut) before serving and reduce the
sodium content by about ⅓. Or check-out the two recipes
in the UWEX bulletin for low sodium quick-process
pickles.
FAQs: Pickles
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What causes a white sediment to form in my jar
of pickles? Cloudiness or a sediment in pickles can most
often be linked to the use of hard water, powdered spices,
or table salt. If cucumbers are not fresh when canned, the
natural cuticle can break down and cause sediment to
form. If a tested recipe was followed, the pickles are safe
to eat.
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The garlic in my dill pickles turned blue, are
they safe to eat? Yes, this is a natural reaction
between the acid in the brine and the garlic. The pickles
are perfectly safe to eat.
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How long do I process pickled eggs? There are no
approved recipes for canning pickled eggs (and leaving
them on the shelf). Pickled eggs must be kept
refrigerated.
No approved recipe?
Just because Aunt Mary’s pickle recipe isn’t
approved, don’t give up (yet)….
 Untested recipes can be prepared and stored
in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Do not
store on the counter.
 Remember, just because you found a recipe
on the web, saw it on Martha Stewart’s show
or printed in your favorite magazine, does not
mean it has been tested for safety. Use only
up-to-date, tested recipes for safe home
canning.
 Try freezer pickled products for a tasty treat!
Next…in our Lunch & Learn Series
August 19, 2013
12 noon to 1 pm
Drying Foods at Home
Wondering what to do with those few onions, tomatoes, carrots, and
mushrooms? Try dehydrating them to create a flavorful, salt-free
seasoning mix for soups, or to use to flavor pasta or bread. And consider
dried fruit for a healthy snack for hungry kids home from school.