Making pickles

[vagriller]

I saw Ted Allen say you could make pickles by saving the brine on a pickle jar and just putting more cucumbers in the brine. How long would you have to leave them in brine before they taste like pickles? And how long would they last in the fridge?

 

[Alix]

I tried it...didn't work worth a darn. Sorry, thats all the help I can offer.

 

[vagriller]

Alix, how long did you leave them in the brine? And did you put it in the fridge?

 

[Alix]

Did them strictly in the fridge. I left them 3 days before testing, nothing. Waited a week...nada. Tried again in another week...blech. They just got soggy, no real crunch or flavor. A LITTLE vinegary, but not "pickly" if you know what I mean.

Could just be me though and the brine I used.

 

[vagriller]

Did them strictly in the fridge. I left them 3 days before testing, nothing. Waited a week...nada. Tried again in another week...blech. They just got soggy, no real crunch or flavor. A LITTLE vinegary, but not "pickly" if you know what I mean.

Could just be me though and the brine I used.

What brine did you use?

 

[Alix]

Vlasic.

 

[vagriller]

If it were summer (and I had cukes coming out my ears like I usually do) I'd try it.

 

[larry_stewart]

The only way I have ever had success with this, is by slicing the cukes and placing them in the brine. ( probably could cut them into spears too). Leave out on the counter over night, and should be ok. Can only do it once , because after the brine is exposed to the sliced cukes, it becomes a little more viscous, and diluted. Whole kirbies would take close to a week to get fully pickled. Also, they probably wont maintain the same " crunch" as the original batch.

All this based on my personal experience.
I used the brine from BaTampte half sour, and also from left over brine of home made pickles during the summer

 

[justplainbill]

The only way I have ever had success with this, is by slicing the cukes and placing them in the brine. ( probably could cut them into spears too). Leave out on the counter over night, and should be ok. Can only do it once , because after the brine is exposed to the sliced cukes, it becomes a little more viscous, and diluted. Whole kirbies would take close to a week to get fully pickled. Also, they probably wont maintain the same " crunch" as the original batch.

All this based on my personal experience.
I used the brine from BaTampte half sour, and also from left over brine of home made pickles during the summer

Most Ba Tempte pickles are intended to be kept refrigerated. This implies that they do not contain preservatives which permit many other brands of pickles to be 'shelf stable'. The lack of preservatives may make Ba Tampte's brine more effective for treating a subsequent batch of cucumbers.