# Pickle Canning



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

My wife and I did fourteen quarts of pickles yesterday using a basic brine recipe, I think two parts water to one vinegar. We added a little bit of salt also. I did a 2Cool recipe last year and put the salt in the bottom of the jars and they turned out good as well. Here is the dilemma and it happened to me last year making sweet pickles. We made all the pickles without a hitch and I had my A&M mild peppers ready to go also. We switched to pints and did everything exactly the same, washed the jars then tempered and sterilized them in boiling water then filled them with the peppers and hot brine. The process water was below boil and we set them in the rack partially submerged to bring to a boil and then set them in the water. Checked the clock and just about twenty seconds later I could smell it before I heard it, all but one blew the bottom out. Did it to me last year, must have been a bad bunch of jars I don't know but that was it for the pepper crop.:headknock


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Wado did you have the rack on the bottom? I've been doing a lot of pickles lately. I do my brine half water half vinegar use salt, 2 cloves garlic, slice of jap, dill, grape vine, & few pepper corns.
I've had some jars break every now again too.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

The rack was hanging on the loading notches. We load it and then ease it down slowly and you can see the bubbles coming out past the seals. These dang pint jars must not be able to take the pressure change like the quarts. I thought maybe I was screwing the rings down too tight but I barely snug them. Heck if I know, I sure don't think fishing out a dollars worth of peppers out of a pot full of glass is worth it. Better luck next time. Salsa makes a god awful mess and then you have to start over with the water bath. Ain't gonna be any salsa this year.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

My bad! They do break here & there. Mine usually just blow the bottom out & there's no glass to contend with. I'm gonna go broke buying jars for pickles this year. LOL 
Cucs are growing like mad. I'm not complaining though. My birds love cuc's but I think their getting tired of them. Problem is you gotta can them fast or they get soft.


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## Reality Czech (Jul 17, 2004)

It sounds like you did everything right. But,



> We load it and then ease it down slowly and you can see the bubbles coming out past the seals.


Did you leave a 3/4" airspace for expansion?
-------------------------------------
Only thing that ever caused a bottom to blow out for me was too cool of jars in too hot of water.

Also, you guys must like really SOUR pickles!
My water to vinegar to salt ratio is: 3-1-1/4, mixed and brought to boil. 
I use 9% canning vinegar that's 90grain though.

I trust Ball over Kerr even though they are supposed to be made by the same company.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I wouldn't call it sour but dilled. My pickles are actually spicy. I like spicy food. 
I probably eat over 20 qts of canned japs a year & as much salsa as I can make. Plus, plenty of pico as well. 
I'm getting more & more into canning each year. Okra is another favorite canning item as well & I like it spicy.
My vinegar is 5% so my mixture is about like yours if I'm doing the math right. It doesn't matter. Everybody's taste buds are different.


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## Reality Czech (Jul 17, 2004)

I would not make pickles without dill,...ever!
I don't remember a year that dill wasn't growing here.
The swallowtails love this place.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Reality Czech said:


> I would not make pickles without dill,...ever!
> I don't remember a year that dill wasn't growing here.
> The swallowtails love this place.


I hear ya. I'm not a real picky eater & there's very few things growing in a garden that I won't eat. I'm sure your pickles are fabulous.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I did a count. I've done 20 qts so far.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

I tend to under fill the jars but I always shake them a bit and add a little, never go over that first glass ring in the jar. That gives you about 3/4 to 1/2. I also started using distilled water which has no bearing on why the jars shatter but it keeps the brine clearer in my opinion. I have used 90 grain vinegar and this year I decided to go back to Heinz 5% Pickle Perfect vinegar. Some of my sweet pickles last year were a bit tart, makes you jaw lock up. We had so darn many cucumbers last year we made three different sour dills, two sweets and a bread and butter knock off plus two gallons of ice box pickles and I have one quart left of it. I will have to put that recipe up it is good stuff and no processing. I can't believe we devour so many pickles. As for dill, mine came up this winter and seeded out about a month ago and died. I had to use seeds for flavor. All of that dill and not one sprig for pickles........


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I use heinz. Post up that recipe. I've been using a dill called Litehouse Dill. Couldn't find any fresh dill. I used LH last year & love it. I always forget to plant dill.
I need another recipe these plants are growing lots of cucs.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Let me see if I am smart enough to do this the modern way!


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Recipes*

I did it! Class of '76, barely could use a calculator back then. The okra was a bit tart with 90 grain and don't over process or they will be soft. You can see the slight changes I made but we follow the ice box pickles recipe closely. I like to make them in quarts and turn them upside down every now and then to get the goody mixed up. If you have good cucumbers you have good pickles. I always eat them before I can them. I chill mine for a few days also, makes them crisp. Some people put them in ice water ahead of pickling. Nothing worse than a mushy, bitter pickle. This is for a gallon jar of pickles by the way but I use quarts.
( She wrote do not pee, meant peel! )


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Wado said:


> I did it! Class of '76, barely could use a calculator back then. The okra was a bit tart with 90 grain and don't over process or they will be soft. You can see the slight changes I made but we follow the ice box pickles recipe closely. I like to make them in quarts and turn them upside down every now and then to get the goody mixed up. If you have good cucumbers you have good pickles. I always eat them before I can them. I chill mine for a few days also, makes them crisp. Some people put them in ice water ahead of pickling. Nothing worse than a mushy, bitter pickle. This is for a gallon jar of pickles by the way but I use quarts.
> ( She wrote do not pee, meant peel! )


Thanks! I pretty much use the last recipe for my dill pickles.


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## whistech (Jul 25, 2005)

Here's another thing you can do to have dill at the right time for pickling. Wash out a gallon or one half gallon glass jar very well (I run through the dish washer). When your dill is ready, cut the ferns off and wash very well. Stuff all you can in the jar leaving about one to two inches open at the top of the jar. Pour vinegar over the dill and fill the jar to within about one half inch from the top. Place the lid on the jar and screw it normal tight. Store your jar in the pantry. For the first week, I usually leave it setting on the cabinet so I can add a little more vinegar if needed. When your cucumbers are ready, use the dill ferns in the jar for flavoring and use the vinegar in the jar for your pickle recipe. When you use all of the dill and vinegar you need for your recipe, refill the the jar with vinegar and you will be ready for the next pickle making event. It works great for me but like anything else you do what is comfortable for you.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

whistech said:


> Here's another thing you can do to have dill at the right time for pickling. Wash out a gallon or one half gallon glass jar very well (I run through the dish washer). When your dill is ready, cut the ferns off and wash very well. Stuff all you can in the jar leaving about one to two inches open at the top of the jar. Pour vinegar over the dill and fill the jar to within about one half inch from the top. Place the lid on the jar and screw it normal tight. Store your jar in the pantry. For the first week, I usually leave it setting on the cabinet so I can add a little more vinegar if needed. When your cucumbers are ready, use the dill ferns in the jar for flavoring and use the vinegar in the jar for your pickle recipe. When you use all of the dill and vinegar you need for your recipe, refill the the jar with vinegar and you will be ready for the next pickle making event. It works great for me but like anything else you do what is comfortable for you.


I will have to give it a try. I even thought about drying some in a dehydrator but figured it would be the same to use seeds. My dill is all coming back up now and I figure about two more weeks on the cucumbers and that's it. I guess I will have to plant another patch to see if I can synchronize it with the rest of the garden. That's a good recipe for dill pickles and can be improvised to suit your personal taste.


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

We tried canning pickles in the past but the wife is from up North(Yankee), not energetic and will not help so I buy 1/2 gallon jars of whole or bread and butter at Wal Mart for $3.86 in the bulk canned goods section and they are great. They also have pickled Okra, 1/2 gallon for $5.86 each which is hard to beat. We eat and/or give away alot of cucumbers and okra to the retired people at the lake.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Sugars Pop said:


> We tried canning pickles in the past but the wife is from up North(Yankee), not energetic and will not help so I buy 1/2 gallon jars of whole or bread and butter at Wal Mart for $3.86 in the bulk canned goods section and they are great. They also have pickled Okra, 1/2 gallon for $5.86 each which is hard to beat. We eat and/or give away alot of cucumbers and okra to the retired people at the lake.


The ones you buy ain't even close to the ones you grow.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

I had terrible leg cramps last night and drank a whole jar of pickle juice.That's as close as I get to eating store bought pickles.My old Great Grandmother use to make,the best I can remember,salt pickles.The best pickles I ever ate.She was Choctaw,lived on Red River her whole life,couldn't read or write,so nothing was written down.No recipes at all.She was a terrible cook,but man we loved her pickles.


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## SaltMan (Jun 15, 2012)

*Pickling Help*

I pickled my first batch last year and I'm looking for a new recipe. I like sour pickles and a little spice never hurt anything.

Being that I am extremely novice with the pickling process(mine turned out wayyyy to soft), if someone could help me out with a good sour dill recipe, with some good crunch to it, I would be much obliged.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Can them the day you pick them. I started adding some grape vine to mine.


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## Rog (May 27, 2004)

Rubberback said:


> Thanks! I pretty much use the last recipe for my dill pickles.


Are you using quart jars for this recipe?

Thanks!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Rog said:


> Are you using quart jars for this recipe?
> 
> Thanks!


Yes!


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## The Driver. (May 20, 2004)

http://nchfp.uga.edu/

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/flavorsoffall/sweet-dill-pickles.htm

http://www.food.com/recipe/mondos-hot-spicy-pickles-65005

I do not add the alum to this recipe. I always use wild grape leaves.

http://cookiescreek.com/456/davids-homemade-hot-sauce/

http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/recipe-freezing-sweet-corn-rebel/


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