Is it ok to water bath pickles after they have been pickled in refrigerator?

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tds73

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jul 30, 2017
Messages
2
Location
SW Michigan
Hello all,
This is my first post here. I have searched the answer to this question with no good results.
We have made about 5 jars of sweet and spicy refrigerator pickles. I was wondering if we could make some more and once we had a batch, would it be ok to remove from fridge, bring to room temp and then water bath them to keep on the shelf in the basement for a longer amount of time(so we could have pickles in March). Main reason, would be to get enough ready to be able to get everything out and water bath all at once. Maybe not a good idea, but I do not know so I am asking. Also, we did not plant enough plants this year, so hard to get enough at once to do a big batch.
 
You may first want to make sure your recipe is approved for canning. Usually I check the university extension sites, or ball recipes and there are other approved tested sites with recipes. You can adjust your salt or sugar up or down but your vinegar needs to be 5% acetic acid and it needs to be correctly in proportion to water, as a recipe may say.

If your refrigerated ones are similar to an approved recipe, then yes, go ahead and can it. They may end up more soft due to the heat.

There are other people that do canning here on discuss cooking and I'm sure they'll give you more answers. Welcome to DC!
 
Hi and welcome to Discuss Cooking [emoji2]

Another option is to can small batches. If you have a saucepan or stockpot deep enough to cover the jars by one inch, you can do 2-4 jars at a time.
 
Hello all,
This is my first post here. I have searched the answer to this question with no good results.
We have made about 5 jars of sweet and spicy refrigerator pickles. I was wondering if we could make some more and once we had a batch, would it be ok to remove from fridge, bring to room temp and then water bath them to keep on the shelf in the basement for a longer amount of time(so we could have pickles in March).

I would say absolutely not. Refrigerators, believe it or not, are a breeding ground for bacteria. It's just that it grows far more slowly in a cold environment.

If you plan to store your canned goods at room temperature for any length of time, you should always process them somewhat quickly after performing the initial sterilization.

Since I'm not the food police, I'll also say it's possible you might be okay doing what you're considering. It would depend on a lot of factors, for example the amount of vinegar and salt used, how long they've been in the fridge, and whether or not you boiled your brine. But, honestly, if it were me, I sure wouldn't chance it.
 
Steve, you are not the food police?:cool:

Usually one good batch of food poisoning cures most of us of poor canning practices. That's why we don't have a food police for home canners.

So what is your recipe?
Did you boil the brine?
Did you sterilize your jars and lids?
How long has it been in the fridge?
 
Thanks for all the replies. I will have to get the recipe this eve when I get home. I do know the brine was boiled, and they have been in the fridge for 5 days.
Sounds like it may not be the best idea, don't want to get sick or take the chance. Will just have to plant more plants next year so we can do bigger batches at a time. Not being lazy, just don't have a lot of spare time, we both have busy schedules and a big house project going on.
 
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