Homemade Pickles & Relishes

1. Homemade Pickles & Relishes

2. Resources for Today • Homemade Pickles & Relishes (B2267) www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/ • How Do I…..Pickle (NCHFP) www.uga.edu/nchfp/

3. 2 Types of Pickles • Fermented or crock pickles • Fresh pack or quick process pickles  BOTH require sufficient acid for safety

4. Cucumber Pickles Start with high quality ingredients • Choose fresh, firm cucumbers • Smaller cukes can be pickled whole; slice or chop larger cukes • Sort and wash before using Did you know? Zucchini can be substituted for cucumbers in most pickle recipes!

5. Other Ingredients • Softened water – to help prevent cloudiness and retain color • Vinegar (5% acetic acid)- white or apple cider Beware: 4% vinegar, homemade vinegar, other acids • Canning & pickling salt – to prevent cloudiness (critical for fermentation!) • Sugar and sugar-substitutes – use with care

6. Spices, grape leaves, firming agents • Add flavor with spices! Powdered spices will cloud brine • Grape leaves- not recommended • Lime as an initial soak only! Repeat rinsing to remove excess. • Alum is not recommended and only with fermented cukes, if used

7. Fermented Products • Bacteria naturally on cabbage or cukes produce acid from sugar • The amount of salt is key! • Keep cucumbers submerged in brine during fermentation • Store between 68°-74°F for best fermentation

8. Genuine Dills & Sauerkraut • Remove scum daily or seal crock with a plastic bag filled with brine (not water!) • Heat process for a high quality product or refrigerate • Use fresh brine for canning

9. Tips for Quality Pickles • Remove 1/16-inch from blossom end of cukesto prevent softening • Pack fresh cucumbers in ice before making fresh-pack pickles • Clean all produce well • Use the freshest possible ingredients

10. Heat Processing • Most pickles & relishes are processed in a boiling water canner for 5-10 minutes • Use pre-sanitized jars for processes under 10 minutes • A low temperature process (180°F for 30 min) can be used only where allowed

11. Common Pickle Questions • Salt is added for flavor in quick pickles and can be omitted • Sugar is added for flavor and quality but can be omitted, sugar can also be increased to combat acidity • No recipes for pressure canning pickles • For sugar-free or low-salt pickling: www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/diet_pick.html

12. Vegetables Pickles Asparagus ….. to Zucchini! • Always use an approved recipe • Or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks but don’t delay processing! • Try a freezer pickle recipe!

13. Fruit Pickles • Select firm, fresh fruit. • Simmer whole fruit in a spicy, sweet-sour syrup. • Pack and process.

14. Common Questions • Blue garlic is A-OK • Using ‘burpless’ cucumbers is not recommended • Aluminum pans for preparing brine are not recommended • Shriveled pickles - too much sugar, salt or vinegar, over-processing, ‘delayed’ pickling, and dry weather

15. Question time??