Pickles and More!
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Pickles and More Presented By: Jackie Carattini Family Living Agent Marathon County UW-Extension (715) 261-1242 [email protected]
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There are four general types of pickling: Fresh Pack/Quick Process – covered with boiling vinegar, spices and seasonings. Sometimes may be brined and drained beforehand. Easy to prepare, tart flavor. Have a better flavor if allowed to stand for several weeks after they are sealed in jars. Fermented – requires more time and effort than quick pack. Pickles go through a curing process in a brine solution for 4 to 6 weeks while bacteria naturally present on cucumbers converts sugars in the cucumbers to lactic acid. Lactic acid preserves the pickles by lowering the pH to less than 4.0, an gives them their distinct flavor. Fruit Pickles – prepared from whole or sliced fruits and simmered in a spicy, sweet-sour syrup made with vinegar or lemon juice. Relishes – made from chopped fruits and vegetables cooked to desired consistency in a spicy vinegar solution.
Transcript of Pickles and More!
Pickles and MorePresented By: Jackie Carattini
Family Living AgentMarathon County UW-Extension(715) [email protected]
4 General Types…
Fresh PackFermented
Fruit Pickles
Relishes
Ingredients
produce • water • salt • vinegar • sugar • spices
• pickling variety• 1 -2 inch
cucumbers for gherkins, 3 – 5 inch for dills
• unwaxed• process within 24
hours of harvest• sort and wash well• trim 1/16 inch
slice from blossom end
softened water is best
• pickling or canning salt
• anti-caking materials can make brine cloudy
• do not alter amounts for fermented products
• concentrations can be altered for quick pack pickles
• 5% acidity• white or cider • no homemade• do not dilute or
decrease amount
• white or brown• substitutes not
recommended
• use fresh whole spices
• powdered spices will cloud brine
• tie loosely in clean cheesecloth bag
• garlic and dill
Firming Agents
• Grape leaves• Alum• Lime (calcium hydroxide)• Pickle Crisp
(calcium chloride)
Equipment
Pressure Canner
processes foods at 240˚F or 250˚F
used for low acid foodsmeats, vegetables
Hot Water Bath Canner
processes foods at 212˚Fused only for high acid
foodsfruits, pickles
2 Types of Canning
• use 2-piece lid with a self-sealing lid and ring
• use lids within 1 year of purchase• follow manufacturers directions in
preparing lids for use• do not use old, dented, deformed lids
Lids
• use threaded home-canning jars with 2-piece lids
• free of cracks and chips• wash empty jars in hot soapy water
and rinse well before use• if your process time is under 10
minutes in a water bath canner, jars must be pre-sterilized – full rolling boil for 10 minutes
Jars
Tips for Quality
• soak cucumbers in ice water 4 – 5 hours before pickling
• allow 3 – 5 weeks for flavor to develop
• low temperature pasteurization
? Omitting salt? Using artificial sweeteners? Blue garlic? Signs of spoilage ? Burpless cucumbers? Shriveled pickles
Common Pickle Questions
Vegetables Pickles
Asparagus ….. to Zucchini!• Always use an approved recipe • Or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks but don’t
delay processing!
• Try a freezer pickle recipe!
Fruit Pickles
• Select firm, fresh fruit.• Simmer whole fruit in a spicy, sweet-
sour syrup.• Pack and process.
Sauerkraut
Ingredients
Containersstoneware crockslarge glass jars
food-grade plastic containersno metal
line a questionable container with a heavy food-grade plastic bag
large enough to allow several inches of space between the top of the food and
the top of the container
How to…• Containers, plates and jars to be
used for fermentation must be washed with soapy water and rinsed well with very hot water
• Make brine with cold or room temperature soft water. Measure carefully!
• Vegetables must be covered with 1 -2 inches brine
• Plate & 2 or 3 quart jars filled with water• Brine filled bag (1 ½ T salt per quart water)
• Cover container with a clean, heavy towel
• Keep at 65° – 80°F. • Remove scum every day or two for plate
method. • Brine bag should not be disturbed until
normal fermentation is complete (bubbling ceases)
• During first week, kraut sometimes produces a “rotten” odor. Don’t throw it out!
• Generally complete in 2 to 4 weeks. Taste to determine
How to…
? Omitting salt? Red cabbage? Pink color
Common Kraut Questions
Approved Resources• Wisconsin Safe Food Preservation Series
www.wisc.edu/foodsafety/ • Ball Blue Book (1997 edition or later)• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning &• National Center for Home Food Preservation
www.uga.edu/nchfp• So Easy to Preserve
www.uga.edu/nchfp
