Pickles dislodged and floating after jarring

[arvanlaar]

Hey All,

I made pickles for the first time following a recipe online. Because I had a ton of over grown, slightly bitter English style cucumbers, I peeled the skin, sliced in spears and shoved them into 500ml jars. They were in there nice and tight. Lo and behold, I add the brine and then boil to seal and I notice they have become dislodge and are not below the being level any longer. Is this a concern? I assume not as jars of pickles from the store always have the top one or two above the brine but they uae more preservatives and I just wasnt sure. What do you think?

 

[Roll_Bones]

I'm not the guy to ask about pickling. But if it were me I would never peel them first.
How long did you process them?

 

[arvanlaar]

Process then as in boiling after jarring? 15 minutes as per the recipe.

Just an FYI there are many recipes for older, more bitter cukes to pickle them. Apple Hill pickles actually require bitter, peeled cukes for example

 

[GotGarlic]

Did you use a recipe tested and approved according to USDA guidelines? Unless you're pretty experienced, I wouldn't trust random recipes.

That said, there's air inside raw vegetables that gets pushed out during processing, so sometimes they float afterward. If the brine was the correct acidity and the jars properly sterilized and processed, they will probably be fine. The parts above the brine may darken and once opened, they won't last as long.

 

[arvanlaar]

I am not sure if it was tested and approved. Im not sure ive ever seen a recipe that has those credentials. Where does one find these? And hoe does a recipe get certified under them?

 

[Kathleen]

I often use the Ball canning site as my reference points. That and extension offices are my go-tos. I may not use the exact recipe but always ensure that I keep the acidity levels if using a water bath.

 

[blissful]

I wouldn't worry about them, since they were packed tightly in when you started canning them. They'll be fine.

 

[arvanlaar]

Thanks for everyone's feedback! I will crack open a jar in about 3 weeks and let you know if there are any issues (or if you don't heard from me I died and apparently you shouldn't let them float lol).