Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Preserve Produce by Pickling


When people think of pickles cucumber usually come to mind. But cucumbers are just one of many fruits and vegetables that can be preserved by pickling. Some other favorites are pickled green tomatoes, okra, peppers, squash, onions, watermelon rind, beets, sauerkraut, relishes, and peaches.

There are basically two categories of pickles.
*Brined or fermented pickles are submerged in a salt brine solution to ferment for up to 6 weeks.
*Fresh pack pickles are canned in a spicy vinegar solution without brining, or brining for only a few hours. After canning, all fresh pack pickles should stand 4-6 weeks to cure and develop the desire flavor. Fruit pickles, relishes, chutneys and sauces are all considered fresh pack pickles.

If you are planning pickling produce this summer, keep in mind the following tips.

For best quality, choose fruits and vegetables that are firm but ripe and in good condition. Pickle your produce within 24 hours of harvest, the sooner the better.

Remove the blossom end of cucumbers. The blossom end contains enzymes that cause excessive softening of the final product.

The vinegar used can be white or cider, of at least 5% acidity. Never decrease or dilute the amount of vinegar in a recipe because the preservative affect will be altered.

Canning or pickling salt are best for pickling, because they do not contain iodine. Iodine causes darkening. If you use reduced-sodium salt, use only for fresh-pack pickles – never for fermented or brined pickles. Fresh-pack pickles are acidified with vinegar, so they can be prepared with less or no salt. However, their flavor and texture will be affected.

Spices used in pickles should be the fresh, whole spices. Powdered spices cause darkening and a cloudy brine. If good quality ingredients and up-to-date methods are followed, lime and alum are not needed for crispy pickles.

Pickling solutions should be heated in unchipped enamelware, stainless steel, aluminum or glass. Never use copper, brass, galvanized, or iron cookware or utensils. These metals can react with acids or salts and cause color changes in the pickles or form undesired compounds.

Pickled products need to be processed in a boiling water bath canner to sterilize the head space and to insure a tight seal but special precautions need to be taken, so the pickles don’t cook and become mushy.

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