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Tag: Pickling

Is it Safe to Re-use Pickling Brine?

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
pickles
Photo: KSRE

Once you heat, or even soak, vegetables in the pickling solution, pH changes start to happen. (Heating makes the interaction happen faster.) The vegetables become more acidic, which is desireable in pickling. However, the pickling solution then becomes less acidic. So if the recipe states to do a hot pack for canned pickles, the vegetables are heated in the pickling solution (“brine”). This leftover brine should not be used for another round of the recipe. The expected ratio of acid to low-acid ingredients and ultimate pH adjustment in the next recipe will not be the same.

In some recipes, sliced raw cucumbers are soaked for hours in the pickling liquid (vinegar, sugar and/or salt, for example). Then the liquid is drained off the cucumber slices into a pan. The soaked raw slices are filled into jars while the liquid is then heated and poured over them. Even though this is a raw pack in terms of filling jars, this vinegar solution had its original pH (acidity) altered from that initial soaking before it was heated and poured into jars. It should not be used again for a canned pickle recipe since it is now of unknown acidity.

If the recipe is a true raw-pack recipe, such as dilled green beans, the vegetables are packed into jars and the hot brine is poured over the vegetables. Any leftover brine used in this scenario can be used again if the brine was initially heated just enough to bring it to a boil.

Source: https://nchfp.uga.edu/blog/that-leftover-pickling-brine

Choosing Vinegar for Pickling and Canning

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
vinegar
Photo: KSRE RRC

First step, read the label. Look for vinegar that is 5% acidity.

Today’s recipes, including Extension and USDA food preservation recipes, use vinegar that has 5% acidity. Not all vinegars are the same. They range from 2.5% to more than 6%. Therefore it is important to read the label or ingredient statement to verify the acidity level.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia gives these recommendations if you have used a vinegar with  less than 5% acidity.

  • If your canned food has been preserved for less than 24 hours using 4% vinegar, it is advisable to store the jars in the refrigerator to maintain the safety and quality of the product.
  • If your canned food has been preserved for more than 24 hours using 4% vinegar, it is advisable to discard the product.

 

Will Pickling Bitter Cucumbers Save Them?

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

You don’t know until you taste them. Cucumbers may look tasty, but one bite reveals the bitterness that will not go away.

Bitterness occurs due to heredity, moisture, temperature, soil characteristics and disease. Hot temperatures typically causes bitterness via the compounds cucurbitacins B and C. The stem end is usually where the bitterness occurs, but sometimes the entire cucumber is bitter. Removing the stem end and peeling the cucumber can help reduce bitterness.

Pickling bitter cucumbers will not improve or remove the bitterness.

Learn more about bitter cucumbers from the KSRE Horticulture Information Center.

Use the Pickle Juice Too!

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

After enjoying those crunchy pickles, use the pickle juice to add flavor to other dishes. Here’s some options:

  • Mix pickle juice with some olive oil and fresh herbs for an easy marinade.
  • Add pickle juice to BBQ sauce for some tangy flavor.
  • Chop raw vegetables into pickle juice, refrigerate and marinate.
  • Add pickle juice to your potato salad recipe to boost flavor.
  • Pickle juice is a great addition to Bloody Mary beverages. Garnish with a pickle spear!

Learn more about pickles from ILovePickles.org.

5% Acidity Vinegar—The Gold Standard for Pickling

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

For pickling, the recommended vinegar to use is one with 5% acidity. This is also known as 50 grain vinegar. While most vinegars are at 5% acidity, some are not. Therefore, show wisely and read the label.

Typical distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar has 5% acidity, but it depends on the brand. There are some alternative vinegars, such as a “pickling vinegar base” which is only 2.5% acidity. There are no pickle recipes developed for this type of vinegar for canning, but it could be used in a refrigerator pickle. Do not use “cleaning” vinegars as they are too high in acidity.

Learn more about different vinegars from Penn State Extension.

 

Pickled Asparagus Problems

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

rutin on asparagusA favorite spring garden perineal is asparagus. As weather starts to warm, those tasty fresh shoots will soon be popping out of the ground.

A great way to preserve asparagus is to pickle it for a tangy addition to meals. Here’s a pickled asparagus recipe that is formulated for 12-ounce jars or pint jars from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Pickled asparagus is safely canned in a water bath canner.

But after preserving your prized asparagus, have you noticed some little yellow/white spots form on the surface? Is it safe to eat?

The answer is yes, it is safe to eat. These little specks are called rutin. According to the University of California Extension, when asparagus is heated with vinegar, the bioflavonoid rutin is drawn out of the asparagus. It becomes insoluble and crystallizes, leaving the spots on the surface of the asparagus. Commercially made pickled asparagus has an additive added to prevent this reaction.

Rutin crystals on pickled asparagus

Photo: Oregon State University Extension

 

Making Pickled Eggs

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
pickled eggs
Pickled eggs Photo: Canva.com

There are no home canning directions safely pickle eggs. Home pickled eggs stored at room temperature can lead to botulism.

For safe pickled eggs, they must be refrigerated. Eggs are hard-cooked, peeled and cooled. Then a pickling solution is made, boiled and poured over the peeled eggs. Store in a container that can be closed or sealed tightly. Canning jars are a good choice. A quart-sized canning jar will hold about one dozen medium-sized eggs. The eggs should be completely covered with the pickling solution.

See the National Center for Home Food Preservation for recipes and instructions.

 

Try Freezer Pickles!

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

While plain cucumbers do not freeze well, pickled cucumbers are an option for freezing.

Salt draws out water and a sugar syrup will help firm the pickle texture. Slice cucumber thin for quicker absorption of the sugar syrup.

Pickling variety cucumbers are best. Do not use waxed cucumbers as the wax interferes with brine absorption. As with canning pickles, remove the blossom end and stem. Slice cucumbers 1/16th to 1/8th inch thick.

After freezing, thaw them in the refrigerator and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Source: Penn State Extension

For recipes to make freezer pickles, see The Wisconsin Safe Food Preservation Series: Homemade Pickles & Relishes by Dr. Barbara Ingham

Do Your Pickles Taste Watery?

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Pickles
Pickle slices
Photo: NCHFP

After going through the work of pickling cucumbers, you expect that great pickle flavor to come through. But why would they taste watery, or just lack flavor?

If you’ve used tested recipes, it could be due to the variety of cucumber used, and not all cucumbers are destined to make tasty pickles. If using a burpless or table cucumber variety, they will not make the best pickles. Pickling varieties are short and blocky in shape, with a firm flesh that makes a crisp pickle. Spartan Dawn, Liberty, Pioneer, SMR-8, Alibi, and Bush Pickle, are suggested varieties for Kansas gardens.

Use current pickling methods for best results. After canning, allow the jars of pickles to develop their flavor for at least 4-5 weeks before consuming.

Source: KSRE Horticulture Information Center, Cucumber and Cucumbers and Melons

Vinegar and its Shelf Life

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Vinegar
For pickling, use vinegar that has 5% acidity. Photo: Univ. of Georgia

When preserving food, fresh is best. This is also true for pickling. Vinegar is the acid of choice to pickle foods. But if vinegar is past its “Best By” date, is it still safe to use?

Vinegar has an “almost indefinite” shelf life. It’s acidic nature is self-preserving. It does not require refrigeration, just a cool, dry, dark storage location. Over time, there may be slight visible changes. They include:

Cloudiness—After opening the container, vinegar is exposed to other harmless bacteria that can create cloudiness. It does not affect the flavor of quality. Try straining it through a coffee filter to clear away the cloudiness.

Color—Sulfites help protect the color of red wine vinegar, but color can also change due to Maillard browning reactions. Color changes can also signal flavor changes.

Sediment—Less filtered, or unfiltered, vinegar may form a sediment layer over time. Place a coffee filter in another strainer and strain out the sediment before using.

Mother—Most vinegars are pasteurized. But, if a slimy, amorphous blob or substance forms and floats, the vinegar has been re-inoculated with bacteria after opening. The Mother means some sugars or alcohol were not completely fermented when that vinegar was made.

Source: Iowa State University AnswerLine, May 11, 2021

 

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