Ahhhh, there's nothing better than
a crunchy, home made pickle. One advantage of making your own is
that you can adjust the ingredients to produce the flavors you
want. Want them sweet? Sour? Spicy? Just adjust the ingredients
and you can have whatever you prefer.
But, are you comfortable feeding
them to your friends and family? Are they safe? Here are some
tips to help you make sure your pickles are safe.
1. Rule number one, above all
others: Discard any preserved food that is mushy or has a foul
odor. It is not worth taking a chance if you are not sure they
are safe. When in doubt...throw them out!
2. Everything that touches the
cucumbers must be sterilized. The jars, lids and all utensils
used, must be sterilized. This may be accomplished by submerging
in a boiling water bath for a minimum of 10 minutes.
3. The cucumbers used for
pickling should be free from bruises or blemishes and, ideally,
should be canned within 24 hours of being picked. If you buy
cucumbers from the store, use them the same day they are
purchased. Do not use waxed cucumbers. Wax interferes with the
curing process. Unfortunately, most store-bought cucumbers today
are waxed to give them a shiny appearance.
4. Use only trusted recipes. Do
not change the amount of vinegar, salt or water called for in
the recipe. The ratio of salt to vinegar is a critical element
in curing the cucumbers and making safe pickles.
5. The container used for
making the brine (salt/vinegar mix) should be stainless steel,
aluminum, glass or un-chipped enamel ware. Do not use copper,
brass, galvanized or iron utensils. These metals can react with
acids or salts and cause undesirable color changes and/or form
toxic compounds in the pickles.
6. Used canning jars may be
used if they have no cracks or chips. New lids should always be
used. Other jars, such as used Mayonnaise jars should not be
used since they are difficult to seal properly.
7. After packing the cucumbers
in the jars and attaching lids hand tight, they should be
processed in a boiling water bath. Follow the instruction in
your recipe to determine how long to process. Usually 10-20
minutes. Be aware that if you are at altitudes over 1,000 feet,
you must process a little longer. If your recipe does not
specify, add 5 minutes to the processing time.
Make sure the boiling water
completely covers the top of the jars. Do not start counting the
time for processing until the water returns to a full boil after
placing the jars in the water.
This is not an all inclusive
list of every canning tip, but if you follow the cautions here,
you can be fairly comfortable that your home made pickles are
safe to eat.
