Canning sweet pickles

[grapenuts]

I am canning sweet pickles and have always processed them in a water bath but they are always soft. My neighbor cans pickles without processing them she boils all of the ingredients and also boils the jars and takes the jar out and packs them with the cucumber slices and adds the boiling ingredients. The jars seal and the pickles are very crisp.
I would like to know if anyone else has done this and any opinions you might have.

Thanks

[Aunt Bea]

Are the recipes the same? We always used alum in pickles to promote crispness.

[Snip 13]

I don't boil my jars at all. An Indian lady told me to seal my jars while hot and turn them upside down until they cool. It works like a charm. My jams, pickles, preserves and sauces never go bad and I've never had any problems when doing this.
Just fill your jars properly and make sure you start with sterilized bottles.
P.S I use Isreali cucumbers for making pickles, they stay crisp.

[sparrowgrass]

Well, as an Extension person, I am wagging my fingers at you both. Snip, the problem with the upside down method is that you run the chance of getting some of the juice/seeds/spices in the seal--those jars might look like they are sealed, but they can pop open in storage.

Grapenuts, you might be just fine. Or you might end up with mold or bacteria in your pickles. Too much work to mess around with something that might not work. Check out the USDA canning guide for a recipe.

Scroll down to the bottom of this recipe for a way to make crisper pickles.
National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Pickle

[grapenuts]

Originally Posted by Aunt Bea

Are the recipes the same? We always used alum in pickles to promote crispness.

I have always followed an old recipe for Bread and Butter pickles but it didn't call for alum to be added and since I'm a stickler for following recipes I didn't add it and that might make the difference.

My neighbor uses Mrs Wages sweet pickle mix and followed the ingredients on the package and I believe that she said it does call for alum. The package says to process the pickles but she doesn't do that. I plan on using Mrs Wages this time to if I can find it seems it's in great demand or I've waited to long to get it.

Thanks for the help.

[grapenuts]

Originally Posted by Snip 13

I don't boil my jars at all. An Indian lady told me to seal my jars while hot and turn them upside down until they cool. It works like a charm. My jams, pickles, preserves and sauces never go bad and I've never had any problems when doing this.
Just fill your jars properly and make sure you start with sterilized bottles.
P.S I use Isreali cucumbers for making pickles, they stay crisp.

I've heard of turning the jars upside down but have never tried it, I may give that a try.
I appreciate your help and will look for those Isreali cucumbers.
Thanks for the tips.

[grapenuts]

Originally Posted by sparrowgrass

Well, as an Extension person, I am wagging my fingers at you both. Snip, the problem with the upside down method is that you run the chance of getting some of the juice/seeds/spices in the seal--those jars might look like they are sealed, but they can pop open in storage.

Grapenuts, you might be just fine. Or you might end up with mold or bacteria in your pickles. Too much work to mess around with something that might not work. Check out the USDA canning guide for a recipe.

Scroll down to the bottom of this recipe for a way to make crisper pickles.
National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Pickle

I agree that it's a lot of work and I certainly wouldn't want to lose any jars due to shortcuts but I do want crisp pickles which I haven't been able to achieve when processing the jars. I don't even know that is what's causing the pickles not to be crispy but I'm about ready to try anything.
I'll check out the canning guide and maybe that will answer my problem with crispness and safety at the same time.
I do appreciate your time and help.
Thanks

[Snip 13]

Originally Posted by grapenuts

I've heard of turning the jars upside down but have never tried it, I may give that a try.
I appreciate your help and will look for those Isreali cucumbers.
Thanks for the tips.

It's my pleasure, the Isreali cucumbers are available in most supermarkets, they are smaller than regular ones and firmer to the touch. Nice in salads too if you want something that holds its crunch well.
It works! Really. If your jar is in good condition it won't leak and I also use my regular jars. Empty jam jars, pickle jars and mayo bottle etc. for my pickles. I still have jam from last year and some chilli sauce. Both are still as good as the day they were made. I find that as long as you keep everything sterilized and prepare your preserves as you should, you won't have problems. I might not be an expert but I have done it like this for the past 6 yrs and never had a problem.
I also have a recipes for quick pickles that have to be kept in the fridge. They are really crisp and last about a month or 2.

[johpor]

I get so tired of hearing about the USDA canning guide and hot water baths. My mother and grandmother canned pickles for years and never used that method and did not lose product to mold. And since they both lived into their 80s they did not have problems with bacteria.

I have been canning pickles for 20 years and use my mother's method: hot product into hot jars, seal and leave to cool. Out of over 70 jars of pickles canned last year I lost 2 and both were due to an imperfection in the rim of the jar. I use the same method for salsa, tomatoes, hot peppers and jam.

[dcSaute]

"the no boil cucumbers" approach I believe is called a "raw pack" method - it's known and documented. for pickles, considering the high acid level, not much risk of botulism.

tomatoes used to be considered "way safe" but only because older varieties tended to be more acidic - more modern day hybrids, strains, etc., have with full intent be bred to be low acid - which becomes problematic in canning. things change, if the methods don't change, could create some issues.

peppers - in vinegar - no problem. jam - in sugar - never has been an issue. we used to use old jelly jars / whatever and sealed with molten wax.