jawnn
Senior Cook
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2011
- Messages
- 119
Apparently it is a lost art to make pickles without all the modern garbage, like sugar, distilled vinegar and even pickling lime. Then refridgeration came in and now it is hard to find details about the lost art of pickling.
What is Alum and how much to use?
I have been pickling cucumbers with brine of 3% salt [until the winter sets in, then I could dilute the brine]. Adjusting the acidity is the best idea. But how much tannin acidity can I get from the on blackberry leaves? Or maybe I should add a piece of apple in the beginning to make more acid? That is part of the KimChi process.
I think the real problem is that there is so much water without sugars in the cucumbers that the acidity is not high enough after the salt sucks it out. Bacteria make's it's own vinegar from carbohydrates. This is NOT overthinking, Only people that can't think would think that. Think about it. Without thinking we would be animals.
For the plums I pickled, I found an article about Umiboshi that said to use between 8% and 12% salt; so I diluted the brine. No problems, just soak out the salt before eating. Or unlike cucumbers the tart plums can be mixed into a food that needs more acid.
2tbsp salt is 3 1/8th % of a quart. 1/8th being the air between granules. 8% of a quart is 5 1/8th tbsp.
That must be the reason someone invented vacuum fermenting lids. [Do I need to keep sucking out the gas coming from the bacteria until it turns acid?]
They aren't cheap and are probably twice the price now that trump is playing games with China. Good thing I bought enough glass fermenter's weights last month. And I'm not buying more canning jars every thing is made in China.
My attempt at pickling Tomatios ended with yeast and soft fruit. So now I caned them. I should make relish.
What is Alum and how much to use?
I have been pickling cucumbers with brine of 3% salt [until the winter sets in, then I could dilute the brine]. Adjusting the acidity is the best idea. But how much tannin acidity can I get from the on blackberry leaves? Or maybe I should add a piece of apple in the beginning to make more acid? That is part of the KimChi process.
I think the real problem is that there is so much water without sugars in the cucumbers that the acidity is not high enough after the salt sucks it out. Bacteria make's it's own vinegar from carbohydrates. This is NOT overthinking, Only people that can't think would think that. Think about it. Without thinking we would be animals.
For the plums I pickled, I found an article about Umiboshi that said to use between 8% and 12% salt; so I diluted the brine. No problems, just soak out the salt before eating. Or unlike cucumbers the tart plums can be mixed into a food that needs more acid.
2tbsp salt is 3 1/8th % of a quart. 1/8th being the air between granules. 8% of a quart is 5 1/8th tbsp.
That must be the reason someone invented vacuum fermenting lids. [Do I need to keep sucking out the gas coming from the bacteria until it turns acid?]
They aren't cheap and are probably twice the price now that trump is playing games with China. Good thing I bought enough glass fermenter's weights last month. And I'm not buying more canning jars every thing is made in China.
My attempt at pickling Tomatios ended with yeast and soft fruit. So now I caned them. I should make relish.