Quick process pickles differ from fermented pickles because the pickling process uses acetic acid from vinegar rather than lactic acid from fermentation. Quick process pickles are ideal for those who want to make pickles, start to finish, in a few days. However, the flavor of fresh pack or quick process pickles is better if they are left to stand in sealed jars for several weeks.
Select tender vegetables. Always use a cucumber variety recommended for pickling. Refer to seed catalogs for information. Catalogs often distinguish varieties best for pickling by labeling them for "table use" or for "slicing." If you buy cucumbers, select only unwaxed ones.
For highest quality, plan to pickle the vegetables within 24 hours after they are picked. If the produce cannot be used immediately, refrigerate it, or temporarily store it in a cool, well-ventilated place. This is particularly important for cucumbers because they deteriorate rapidly, especially at room temperature.
Sort the vegetables and select the size best suited for your recipe. Do not use vegetables showing evidence of mold. Wash vegetables well, especially around the stems. Soil trapped around the stem breeds bacteria that softens pickles. Because the blossom end of the vegetables contains enzymes that can cause softening, it should also be removed.
Proper processing kills organisms that cause spoilage but does not destroy the off-flavor produced by mold growth on the vegetables.
Salt--Use canning salt, pickling salt, or kosher salt when making quick process pickles. Although iodized and non-iodized table salt may be used safely, the non-caking materials added to table salts may make the brine cloudy and the iodine may darken the pickles. Do not use flake salt as it varies in density. Reduced-sodium salt may be used in quick process pickle recipes, but not in fermented pickle recipes.
Vinegar--Use white distilled or cider vinegar of 4 percent to 6 percent acidity (40 to 60 grain). Use white vinegar for a lighter color (especially when pickling onions and cauliflower).
Sweeteners--White granulated and brown sugars are the sweeteners most often used in pickling. White sugar will not add any color to the product; however, brown sugar may add a distinctive flavor and color. Do not use a sugar substitute unless the recipe has been developed for that product.
Firming ingredients--Lime and alum are not needed for crisp pickles. Alum does not improve the firmness of quick process pickles. An excess of alum can cause digestive upsets.
Lime may lower the pH of a pickled product, thus allowing harmful organisms to grow. For safe limed pickles, soak cucumbers in a mixture of 1 cup pickling lime (food grade) and 1/2 cup salt to 1 gallon of water. Do not inhale the lime water solution while mixing. Soak cucumbers in lime water for 12 to 24 hours, then remove the excess lime. Remove cucumbers from the lime solution, rinse, and soak for 1 hour in fresh water two more times. Handle carefully, as slices will be brittle. Drain well.
Spices--Use fresh whole spices for best quality and flavor in pickles. Powdered spices may darken and cloud the product. Pickles will darken less if you tie whole spices loosely in a clean white cloth or cheesecloth bag, then remove the bag from the pickling solution before packing the jars.
Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients. Sources of tested recipes include the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), land-grant universities, and companies that manufacture pickling ingredients and canning equipment. Precise measurements and tested recipes guarantee the quality and the safety of the product. Do not alter vinegar, salt, or water proportions in a recipe or use vinegar with an unknown acidity.
Recommended process time for Sweet Gherkin Pickles in a boiling-water canner
| Process time at altitudes of | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Style pack | Jar size | 0-1,000 ft. | 1,001-6,000 ft. |
| Raw | Pints | 5 min. | 10 min. |
7 pounds cucumbers (1 1/2 inch or less)
1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
8 cups sugar
6 cups vinegar (5 percent)
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)
Yields 6 to 7 pints
Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, leaving 1/4-inch of stem attached. Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water.
Six to 8 hours later, and on the second day, drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4 cup salt.
On the third day, drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork. Combine and bring to boil 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups sugar, turmeric, and spices. Pour over cucumbers.
Six to 8 hours later, drain and save the pickling syrup. Add another 2 cups each of sugar and vinegar and reheat to boil. Pour over pickles.
On the fourth day, drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. Six to 8 hours later, drain and save pickling syrup. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla and heat to boiling. Fill sterile pint jars with pickles and cover with hot syrup, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process as indicated below, or use the low-temperature pasteurization treatment described in Making Fermented Dill Pickles and Sauerkraut fact sheet (HYG-5342-97).
Recommended process time for Quick Fresh Pack Dill Pickles in a boiling-water canner
| Process time at altitudes of | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Style pack | Jar size | 0-1,000 ft. | 1,001-6,000 ft. |
| Raw | Pints | 10 min. | 15 min. |
| Quarts | 15 | 20 | |
8 pounds of 3- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers
2 gallons water
1 1/4 cups canning or pickling salt (divided)
1 1/2 quarts vinegar (5 percent)
1/4 cup sugar
2 quarts water
2 Tablespoons whole mixed pickling spice
3 Tablespoons whole mustard seed (1 teaspoon per pint jar)
14 heads of fresh dill (1 1/2 heads per pint jar)
4 1/2 Tablespoons dill seed (1 1/2 teaspoon per pint jar)
Yields 7 to 9 pints
Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16 slice off blossom end and discard, leaving 1/4-inch stem attached. Dissolve 3/4 cup salt in 2 gallons water. Pour over cucumbers and let stand 12 hours. Drain. Combine vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, sugar, and 2 quarts water. Add mixed pickling spices tied in a clean white cloth. Heat to boiling. Fill jars with cucumbers. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seed and 1 1/2 heads fresh dill per pint. Cover with boiling pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process as indicated below, or use the low-temperature pasteurization treatment described in Making Fermented Dill Pickles and Sauerkraut fact sheet (HYG-5342-97).
Complete Guide to Home Canning. United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539
So Easy to Preserve (1984). Reynolds, Susan and Williams, Paulette. Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens.
Information Compiled by Joyce McDowell, Extension Agent, Home Economics, Adams County
Updated by Marcia Jess, Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ottawa County
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