To everyone who knows anything about canning....

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I got a GREAT deal on a pile of cucumbers for canning/pickling...most recipes I've read have me leaving them overnight in salt or some other manner of prep-stuff. Then, the next day, more steps and then canning. My question is this...I'm crazy busy and those cucumbers were beginning to "turn," so I quick sliced all of 'em up and have 'em all rolled in salt in various containers in my 'fridge. How long can they stay like that? I will get the first round of pickles done today but it could be Monday before ALL are done. Will they "keep" that long???

 

[Piper]

I usually do sweet, spicy, garlic, dill refrigerator pickles, just heat up the brine mix, let cool a bit, pour over pickles and store in fridge. I seldom get enough cucumber for more than four jars. Four jars will only last a week or two around here.
- I do not use alum, just vinegar, water, salt, sugar, dill seed, carrot seed, crushed garlic, and red pepper flakes, then into the fridge they go.
- Do you have enough room to store them as refrigerator pickles?

 

[Southbound_SF]

Man, I thought "Here is a topic I can help with!" But, alas, I don't have an exact answer. I do think the salt & the cold will help them keep - you just won't get terribly crisp pickles.

Then again, I've never discovered the secret to truly crisp canned pickles, even with very fresh cukes. Maybe it's this first salting step (which I've also never done)?

SB

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Well I got to all but one batch of cucumbers and they all seem frozen in time as far as ripeness...so I think I'm okay. Four rounds of canning later............. :lol: I really hope these all turn out, got a small batch of sweet pickles and a LOT of "bread and butter" pickles which are my personal fav. I have high hopes, the saucepan where I was boiling up the vinegar and sugar and stuff smelled sooooooo good. I wanted to drink it. :lol:

Just got the dill pickles left...they'll be tomorrow morning's project.

Thanks guys!

 

[ZRabbits]

Congratulations on the canning today. Look forward to hear how the dill canning goes.

Karen

 

[dragonladyleanne]

Hmm, well THAT was annoying, thought my post sent!

I "crisp" celery that has gone limp by cutting one end of the stems with a VERY sharp knife (you want to make sure you don't crush the veins), then sticking into a glass of PLAIN water and putting in the fridge for a day or 2, until they draw up the water (like a live plant or cut flowers). Salt draws out water, and as such is a great method to preserve meats, but I never heard of rolling moist veggies in it. AFTER the veggie (may work with cukes, though I haven't pickled them ever) is crisp, then make your brine recipe and can (method varies by what equipment you have). If you're looking for "no chemistry" methods, try this medieval recipe:

http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Med ... %20pickles

I made it for an SCA feast and it's pretty tasty! You can substitute things too, just pay attention to "hard" versus "soft" textures, and of course, quantities.<br /><br />__________ Sat Aug 18, 2012 4:25 pm __________<br /><br />Oops, I see you got them done while I was typing, LOL!