But now in mid October the top portion of the cauliflower is turning brown. Why, and is it safe to eat? I pressured canned pickled beets in August. Two months later we are getting ready to go south for the winter and packing up the canned goods. We found 7 out of 14 quarts had unsealed. A few days after moving the jars into packing crates we have discovered 3 more have unsealed. I used a new brand of lids called Empire.
My question is this Are they still safe to eat? I opened one and it smells great. Pressure canned at 15 pounds for 15 minutes. Hi, Linda, This is, as you know, a pretty important matter. Our best recommendation is that you click into the site below from the National Center for Home Food Preservation that is specifically about beets.
Briefly, it is noted there that the size of the jar dictates the time in the pressure canner, as does your altitude. Here is the site: It would be tragic to have to discard the beets after all that work but it would be better to be safe than sorry. I was looking at this site to determine the correct time to wait before eating my pickled beets.
How to make pickles - made easy, and illustrated!
Hi, I tried pickling today for the first time as my garlic wasn't getting used quickle enough. I pickled about 7 heads of garlic today in two,what I estimate to be ml, jars today. The bottle of vinegar I bought didn't have enough in it, there was only 1 cup of vinegar. I poured it over the garlic and it almost covered it completely andI topped it up with some boiled water. I processed the bottles in a water bath for 15 mins and let them cool before they went in the fridge where they are turning a lovely blue around the edges. I'm wondering if there is too little vinegar for the garlic to be safe to eat?
I put down 5 quarts of dills on Monday and just noticed that 2 of them did not seal properly. The lid isn't tight to the touch. What do I do to fix this or can I? Thanking you in advance for your reply. You might be wise to eat the loosely lidded jars first, Bev. We are planning on making dilly beans but would like to process in the pressure cooker because we can process more at once and generally faster timewise.
I cannot find a conversion from a water bath to a pressure cooker. I believe they would process at 10lbs pressure but looking for confirmation on length of time. Is there a way to convert from water bath to pressure cooking? Hi, Kari, This is a dodgy idea, apparently. The National Center for Home Food Preservation advises against it, depending on the size of your jars and equipment.
There is too much to explain; pls see details here: Another source says simply and directly, pressure cookers are not safe: We certainly understand that this may alter your plans but we can not recommend the idea and have no further information. It's been years since I made spicy green beans but I don't remember this happening before. My beans looked shriveled so I opened a jar to taste - very salty. Also, my one jar of asparagus all but disintegrated.
Will the saltiness mellow after a few weeks it's only been a few days and what did I do wrong with the asparagus? Hi, Deb, In the beans, did you use table salt? If so, that could be the source of the problem with both vegetables. It is best to used pure salt, with no additives. I just brought all of them to a boil. Are they ok to can? I have looked everywhere! You said in a comment that you can not do cucumbers cause it will turn them to mush but green beans are a harder vegetable.
So is it ok to do them in the canner? I have done green beans plain and the recommended time was 25 minutes but because of the acidity of the vinegar and I do not want to overcook, "better crispy" should I only do for 10minutes? Yes, pressure canning is the way to go with green beans. I have baked beetroot in sterile jars together with hot spiced vinegar. There is a good vacuum seal on the kilner jars, but I can see beetroots are not quite covered And if I should top up, should I use hot or cooled vinegar?
OK, you can make your own pickling mix from spices, salt, dill, etc. If you want to make your own seasoning see this page! This method produces pickles which are just as crisp - as long as you pick very firm cucumbers. It also helps to add 2 grape leaves to every jar I kid you not, they have something in them that makes the pickles crunchier. And be sure to get them by July - they tend not to re-order them when they sell out. Wages "quick process refrigerator pickle mixes" are the easiest, as they do not even require a water bath canner but must be stored in the fridge!
The others require canning as shown in these instructions, and may be stored on the shelf. To interject a crass commercial here - hey, I've got to pay for the website somehow: I have found the best crispest, best tasting pickles from a mix are with the "Mrs. They're ready to eat in 24 hours! Our affiliate sells the mixes and at really good prices, too. Whether you want dills or sweet pickles; canning them or straight into the refrigerator; there is a mix for every taste and need here! Get everything you need to make pickles: Step 6 - Heat the pickle mix Bring the mix and vinegar to a near-boil - just simmering!
The directions on the packet will tell you how much vinegar to add, it's usually about 4 cups.
Be sure to use a NON-metal pot - or a coated metal teflon, silverstone, enamel, etc. Pack the raw cucumbers from step 3, whole or slices in and pour the simmering pickle mix liquid over them. Fill them to within -inch of the top, seat the lid and hand-tighten the ring around them. Put them in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Boil them for 10 minutes or as directed by the instructions in the pickle mix, or with your canner.
Remember to adjust for altitudes and larger jars! Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger.
Types of Pickles
If it pops up and down often making a popping sound , it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them with a new lid and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok. When can you start eating the pickles?
Pickling Tips and Recipes
Well, it takes some time for the seasonings to be absorbed into the pickles. That's at least 24 hours, but for best flavor wait 2 weeks! See this page for a more complete set of frequently asked pickling questions and answers. You can get all of the tools in a kit here:. This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce.
This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables other than tomatoes.
To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here! Usually ships in business days. Note that you can reuse the jars! Many products are sold in jars that will take the lids and rings for canning. For example, Classico Spaghetti sauce is in quart sized jars that work with Ball and Kerr lids and rings.
Note that the Classico's manufacturer does not recommend reuse of their jars: We ship to all 50 states! Use our Feedback form! Answers to Common Questions Click here for the page of frequently asked questions with answers about making pickles. How to make pickles - made easy, and illustrated! Then learn to can and freeze! Farm owner menu Search Farm Owner: Making Homemade Pickles Using the "Quick process" method and a store-bought mix Click here for a PDF print version Making and canning your own pickles, gherkins, kosher dills, bread and butter, sweet pickles, etc.
Types of Pickles Fresh-pack or quick process pickles are cured for several hours in a vinegar solution or are immediately combined with hot vinegar, spices, and seasonings. Examples include dills, bread-and-butter pickles and pickled beets. Quick Process is what these instructions below on this page show. Fermented pickles are vegetables soaked in a brine solution for 4 to 6 weeks. During this time, lactic acid bacteria, naturally present on the surface of vegetables, grows.
Other microbes are inhibited by salt. Examples include dill pickles and sauerkraut. See this page, if you'd rather make fermented pickles. Refrigerated dills are cucumbers marinated for 1 day to 1 week in a salt and spice brine in the fridge and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. No canning is required!
See this page for refrigerated dill pickle directions! Fruit pickles are whole or sliced fruit simmered in a spicy, sweet-sour syrup. Examples include spiced peaches and crabapples. See this page for directions to make spiced peaches! Relishes are made from chopped fruits or vegetables that are cooked to a desired consistency in a spicy vinegar solution. Examples include corn relish and horseradish.
Pickling Recipes and Tips | How to Pickle Fresh Food | The Old Farmer's Almanac
See this page for cucumber pickle relish directions! Ingredients Cucumbers - fresh, crisp - not wilted, soft or overripe! A packet will make about a dozen pint jars. See this page for pickling supplies, equipment, books, crocks and additives. Equipment 1 large pot ; teflon lined, glass or ceramic. See notes below about metal pots.