From The Old Farmer's Almanac: Sign up to receive a FREE guide (A $9.95 value!) plus updates from Almanac.com.
Print
EmailPickling is a way to preserve the bounty of the season's harvest, and keep many vegetables and fruits. See tips, pickling measures, and pickling recipes.
In pickling, the process is about adding acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to a low-acid food to lower its pH to 4.6 or lower. Acid foods include all fruits except figs, most tomatoes, fermented and pickled vegetables, relishes, and jams, jellies, and marmalades.
Pickling Tips
- Produce must be fresh when pickled. Avoid using waxed supermarket produce.
- Select the most uniform, unspoiled produce.
- Scrub food well. Be sure to remove and discard 1/4–inch slice from the blossom end of fresh cucumbers. Blossoms may contain an enzyme that causes excessive softening of pickles.
- Use canning or pickling salt (not iodized table salt!). Pickling salt has no additives. Iodized salt makes the brine cloudy and may change the color and texture of the vegetables as well as possibly leave sediment at the bottom of the jars.
- For the best results, use white distilled or cider vinegars with 5 percent acidity. Use white vinegar when light color is desirable, as with fruits and cauliflower.
- For crisper pickles, put the vegetables (whole or sliced) into a wide bowl and spread a layer of pickling salt on tip. Cover and let sit overnight in a cool place. Discard the liquid, then rinse and dry the vegetables before pickling or canning as usual. The salt helps to pull the moisture out of the vegetables and makes them crisper.
- Measure or weigh carefully, because the proportion of fresh food to other ingredients will affect flavor and, many times, safety. Here are pickling measures:
Pickling Measures
| Pickling salt | 1 pound = 1–1/3 cup |
| Granulated sugar | 1 pound = 2 cups |
| Brown sugar | 1 pound = 2–1/4 to 2–3/4 cups, firmly packed |
| Fresh herbs | 1 tablespoon = 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried herbs |
- See our Measuring Vegetables and Measuring Fruits charts to translate pounds to cups (in Related Articles above).
- Sterilize your empty jars. Do not use recycled commercial jars or old-style home-canning jars. They can break in the canning process.
- Use new jar lids for a tight seal. To avoid rust, screw bands should be removed from processed jars that are stored. They can be easily removed after the jars have cooled and sealed, and then reused.
- Always wipe the rim of the jar clean for a good seal after filling and just before putting the lid on.
- Process jars in a boiling-water canner for the correct amount of time (a canner is a large standard-size lidded kettle with a jar rack, designed for heat-processing 7 quart jars or 8 to 9 pint jars in boiling water).
- Label and date your jars and store them in a clean , cool, dark, dry place such as a pantry, cabinet, or basement. Don't store in a warm spot!
- To allow pickles to mellow, wait at least 3 weeks before using.
Pickling Recipes
Jane's Zucchini Bread-and-Butter Pickles
See more about How to Make Sweet Pickles.
See more about How to Make Dill Pickles.
.jpg "Save 10% off classic weather instruments!")
Related Products:
The beautifully photographed 2012 Recipe Calendar features seasonal recipes that are both easy to cook and delicious, along with helpful hints and advice, and much more.
More Articles:
Comments
I am looking for a way to
I am looking for a way to make and can yellow mustard. I live old school so to speak and I make as much as I can home made but I haven't found a recipe to can yellow mustard does anyone have one. Thank you
I'm growing jalapenos. What
I'm growing jalapenos. What is the best way to store for future use?
You can definitely preserve
You can definitely preserve jalapenos by canning or pickling! You can also freeze them. Cut into strips. Blanch in boiling water for 30 sec, plunge into ice water, then put in freezer bags.
How long will pickled peppers
How long will pickled peppers last? How do you tell if they are bad?
Pickled peppers last about 12
Pickled peppers last about 12 months in a cool, dark place. You'll know if they're bad by the taste, believe me!
We have had Jalapenos last
We have had Jalapenos last five years. The shelf life depends greatly on; #1 the quality of the fresh peppers and #2 preperation and #3 storage. Contact your local county home extension. They may have some publications for free about home canning.
Is it possible to use a
Is it possible to use a pressure canner for making pickles? If so do you know the process time?
Yes, you can use the pressure
Yes, you can use the pressure canner vessel, but remove all the removable plugs and stoppers in the top of it, and use it as a boiling water bath canner--in other words do not build up pressure in it. Processing time would be the same as a BWB canner. You do not need to go out and buy a separate pot just to do the occasional boiling water canning.
The other answer is correct, you cannot process under pressure, but you can use the pot to boil the water in and the lid to cover it, just don't seal it up.
No, pressure canning will
No, pressure canning will turn your pickles to mush. You must use a Water Bath (Boiling Water Canner) only. Be sure to process for the correct amount of time so you don't over or under cook them.
I must have lost the plot
I must have lost the plot somewhere in the distant past. I have been making pickles and chutneys for nigh on 50 years and have always used the crops that aren't fit for storing. This how they came into being in the first place. I never use a pickle or chutney until it is at least 12 months old.I have always followed the same practice. Make the chutney allow to cool put it in jars and store. I have never seen a pickle or chutney go off. I am eating chutney I made in 2005. It is a little thicker but still tastes great( orange and apricot chutney) As for exact measures it normally works out at about 1/2 pint of vinigar to every 1lb of fruit or veg plus whatever spices that suit you. Keeping it simple makes it more fun.
Sussexman
Dig a little, Dream a lot.
Post new comment