Refrigeration necessary for pickles?

[GB]

I seriously doubt these stores are going through thousands and thousands of gallons of pickles a day Charlie. I believe it was an Anthony Bordain show that showed him in one of these stores were they have tons of giant barrels all open and overflowing with pickles. Trust me, there is not way they sold out of all those pickles in a few days time. There were way too many for that.

Altons pickels have a lid while fermenting, but it is a lid that allows air in and out. It is not a tight fitting lid. He specifically said that they do not need to be refrigerated after opening. that 3-4 weeks was after fermentation, not before.

 

[CharlieD]

The show I saw with Alton making pickles, I wouldn't touch those things with a 10 foot pool. He used all kind of weird thigs, starting with vinegar. Yuk.
I was in NY and specificaly went to famous Guesses(sp) picklles. Because they are not vinegar, but the real dill/garlick pickles, the way they used to be made in the olden days, and are still made this way in my house today. I was watching them and talking to guys, asking all kind of questions. During half an hour I was there they sold 2 barrels full of pickles and kept bringing mre from a cooler. I gurantee you that they sell tons of them daily.

 

[GB]

Charlie, I have no doubt that the store that you went to does it the way you describe. You can not guarantee that the stores I am talking about do the same.

 

[harryf]

Refrigerator dills are fermented for about 1 week.

So I have the "refrigerator dills" then. I better eat all of mine soon. Because I bought a big jar of it, and it would not fit into my portion of the refrigerator.

Fresh-pack or quick-process pickles are not fermented; some are brined several hours or overnight, then drained and covered with vinegar and seasonings.

If the above was imported (say from India) it would count as fermented, right?

They were like the pickle barrel in the deli GB was talking about - fermented and kept in their brine.

Those were the good days. I do not like being so dependent on electricity.

If you want to make your own - you might want to visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation and read the sections on fermenting and pickling.

Thank you for the link, Michael.