Archive for the ‘Canning’ Category

Most people like crispy pickles over soft pickles, however it can be challenging to do. There are lots of different techniques people have used over the years. You should test these methods out and see what works best for you.

Picking your cucumbers at the right time

Picking your cucumbers when they are about 4 inches in length is a good size for pickling. If you pick them when they are bigger, you run the risk of getting those big seeds in the middle of the cucumber. If you pick them too early, they could be too soft. And avoid using waxy supermarket cucumbers

Can your cucumbers within 24 hours after picking

For best results, you should can your cucumbers within 24 hours after you harvest them. But what if you don’t have enough for pickling or simply want to can one big batch? You can keep the cucumbers in a vegetable bin for a couple days, but they will begin to break down and the quality of the cucumber with rapidly decline. If you are growing your own cucumbers, make sure you start all your cucumber plants at the same time so you can expect to harvest them at the same time.

Use Pickle Crisp

When canning, use pickle crisp granules in your jars. Pickle crisp will completely dissolve in the pickle brine and in turn, will help give your pickles their crispness. You can buy pickle crisp from many stores including the website your on right now.

Store your pickles in a COLD environment

If you have the proper space to do this, storing your pickles in a cold refrigerator will help maintain their crispness.

Soaking pickles overnight

Soaking your freshly pickled cucumbers in ice water overnight is supposed to help keep them crisp