I'm in a Pickle

[Mark Webster]

Hi everyone,

I really want to be able to can several items this summer such as my own pickles, salsa etc. I can make great items, but I want to make sure that I can store them properly and not be worried about a bad canning job. Can anyone walk me through the steps? I know I can find this info on line, but I would like someone to let me in on any secrets or things to look out for.

Thanks
Mark

 

[Diane1415]

I can frequently.
Pack your jars tight,but leave the required 3/4-inch from top. thoroughly sterilise the jars well ( I steam them and if they cool down before I can use them they are sitting in water and suck it up into the jar sealing it off. Use the freshest vegetables you can. I used old cucumbers one year and got limp, mushy pickles.
If you have a pressure canner use it even for the pickles. you want to keep the canner at 5 lbs pressure for 15 minutes. Then lep the canner cool off on its own.
I put a grape leaf at the bottom and on top of my pickles (it is supposed to help keep them crisp).
It is best if you gett lots of help and have an assembly line going. one filling the jar - one wiping it off - one placing the lid on - one putting on the ring and tightening it down tight. Be sure you have at least 4 inches of water in the canner.
If you are going to use the watter-bath method then..
pour boiling water to 1 1/2 inches over the top of the jars in the canner and boil for 30 minutes at a rolling boil.
Protect yourself and don't cut corners and you will be alright.

 

[Mark Webster]

Big Thank You!

When I get closer to actually starting my canning I will definately give you a shout. Thank you very much.

Mark

 

[jkath]

Diane - thanks from all of us who can't can!

Mark, you'll also get a lot of answers if you use our search engine at the top of your page. There are some good ideas there!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Well, Mark - with your 25 plus years of working in professional kitchens and being a professional Chef and Culinary Educator - you understand the importance of "doing it right" when it comes to canning - and what our grandmother's did may not be right today.

If you want a book you can kick back and read - you might consider the Ball Blue Book of Preserving - and check out the rest of the Ball/Kerr Homecanning.com/USA website. This will give you a basic guide to get you started.

If you are really serious and want to go a little deeper in depth - check out the USDA canning website. If you are REALLY serious - you can sign up and take the free online study course from the University of Georgia.

Can anyone walk me through the steps? I know I can find this info on line, but I would like someone to let me in on any secrets or things to look out for.

Read the above links - there is little use in reinventing the wheel, or committing plagiarism or copyright infringements, when these two sites will answer just about any question you could ever have.

 

[Mark Webster]

Michael,

Thank you very much for the great info. When I get closer to my pickling adventure I will definately use the info you provided as my starting points.

Mark

 

[GB]

I second Michaels suggestion of the Ball Blue Book. You will usually find it wherever you buy your canning supplies (supermarket, hardware store, etc.).

The book runs over the exact procedure and what to look out for. I found it very helpful when I first started canning.

 

[BigJim]

canning

Hey Mark:
this is bigjim< i have been canning for years mostly making jams and jellies,
this year i got the itch to can some dill and bread and butter pickles. I went
to this new store they have here in Fresno, and I got some pickling cucumbers, and the pickling salt. on the jar of salt there was a recipe I
used. and both types of pickles came out fantastic. So what I`m trying to
tell you when you get your pickling salt , look on the back of the container
for there recipe. mine is great and all my friends and neighbors told me
I done one thing wrong and that I did`nt make enough of them. I was
really proud of both styles of them. I will be making more this year.I love to
can. I will keep looking for new ideas on here. If I can help you with anything
let me know. talk to you later. take care and God Bless.....

 

[Swann]

The best pickle recipe book that I know is The Complete Book of Pickles and Relishes by Leonard Louis Levinson. Hawthorn Books, Inc. 70 5th Ave., NYC 10011. Sept 1965. You can order it from Border Used books. I have used many of the recipes with great success. There may be a later edition but I still use the 1965 one.... I have used it since I bought it in the 1960s.