Title: Time to Make Pickles!
1Time to Make Pickles!
- Lunch Learn
- 12 noon to 1 pm
- August 6, 2013
-
2Audio Setup
Computer (VoIP) Audio
Phone Audio
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1
Click on the Audio Setup Wizard button in the
Audio Video Panel.
Click on the blue telephone icon in the Audio
Video Panel.
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Dial the telephone number and PIN provided.
Click to talk.
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A icon by your name means your mic is
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3Need Help with Todays Program?
- Help Desk 800-442-4614
- Phone in to todays program
- Toll 630-424-2356
- Toll Free 855-947-8255
- Passcode 6774570
- Program will be archived
- www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/preservation.html
4Resources
- 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 IFerment, 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
- Andpickles as an appetizer in Cuban Pickle Bites
(beer battered, bacon-wrapped fried pickles) - Use Ball seasoning packets which should not
negatively impact safety.
5Safely Making Pickles at Home
- 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) - Traditional fermented or crock pickles
- Lactic acid is produced during fermentation
- Fresh or quick pickles
- Vinegar (acetic acid) is added
6Fermented (Crock) Pickles
Bacteria
- Cucumbers Salt 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
68-72F
- 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
7Key concepts in making safe, delicious crock
pickles
- Add the right amount, and type, of salt
- Use a clean, food-grade container
- Dont use a landscape planter, a plastic garbage
bag, a heavily pitted crock, or a galvanized
steel or iron bucket! - Place crock at a temperature best for bacteria to
grow and ferment sugar to acid - Below 60 - fermentation will slow or stall
- Above 78 - its too warm for fermentation and
spoilage takes over
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
8More key concepts
- Cover the crock to seal out air, help bacteria
growth, and keep spoilage at bay. B sure to skim
skum. - 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
OLD
NEW
9After the fermentation
- After 3-4 weeks, youll know when the pickles are
ready.by tasting! - Heat process pickles for storage (best) or move
them to the refrigerator (2nd best) - 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
10Sauerkraut 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
vegetablesonly 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.
11Pickles 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. - Use varieties designed for canning/pickling, e.g.
pickling cukes - Make it fresh! For best quality, pickle fruits or
vegetables within 24 hours of harvest, or
refrigerate for no more than a few days. - 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.
12More on pickling ingredients
- 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. - 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! - Lime (calcium hydroxide), traditionally used to
firm pickles, is used as an initial soak only and
excess must be rinsed off before canning.
13Other Vegetable Pickle Recipes A-Z
- 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).
14Canning 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.
15Dont Forget
- 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.
- Use a boiling water canner for safety and quality.
Note darker areas on the state map have an
elevation above 1,000 feet. Increase time when
boiling water canning.
16FAQ 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?
17FAQ Pickles
- 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. - 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.
18FAQ Pickles
- 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! - 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 ?. Or check-out the two recipes in the UWEX
bulletin for low sodium quick-process pickles.
19FAQs Pickles
- 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. - 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. - 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.
20No approved recipe?
- Just because Aunt Marys pickle recipe isnt
approved, dont 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 Stewarts 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!
21Nextin 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.