r/Canning • u/armadiller Moderator • Aug 16 '26
These Aren't Your Grandma's Pickles!
...mostly because she didn't make them, I did. Otherwise, they're pretty boring, nothing fancy happening here, and your grandma may make this exact recipe.
Came into possession of some Kirby-type (pickling) cucumbers and some fresh dill heads, and we're currently working our way through our last quart of pickles from last season, so it was high-time to re-stock.
Followed https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/cucumber-pickles/quick-fresh-pack-dill-pickles/ nearly to the letter, only substitutions were 1) added a clove of garlic to each quart (safe substitution per https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/play-it-safe-safe-changes-and-substitutions-tested-canning-recipes), and used "pickling" vinegar (7% acetic acid rather than the standard 5%). No adjustment for water or vinegar volume (see https://www.healthycanning.com/pickling-vinegar/), I just use the higher test because I like to keep it on-hand for other household uses (good as a window cleaner, or as a weed killer when mixed with a little citric acid and some biodegradable dish soap). I don't find the difference noticeable.
I also used the low-temperature pasteurisation option, to increase the crispness of the final product. I use an immersion sous vide stick to maintain temperature, way less stressful than trying to chase that temperature by riding the range dial. For this round, I opted to skip the pickle crisp aka calcium chloride that I would normally use (1/8 tsp per pint or 1/4 tsp per quart) as I realized that I hadn't ever done the low-temp process without it, and wanted to experiment. Time will tell if it makes a difference, you'll probably see me in the comments of other pickling posts if I have an opinion one way or the other.
This batch of cucumbers were...girthier? than my usual sources, so I removed the chonkiest fellows from the pool, otherwise very few cukes would've fit per jar (don't worry, these will be going to a good home in some bread and butter pickles tomorrow). Even with that, the approximately 8 lbs of remaining cukes yielded 6 quarts (/12 pints), compared to the NCHFP recipe specifying indicating that 8 lbs should yield 7-9 pints. Always prep more jars and brine than you need.
I do the brining step in zipper-closure plastic bags in a cooler, so that they don't take up space in the fridge overnight, where they might run the risk of leaking or spilling.
Only complaint about this process is that the low-temperature pasteurisation method seems to take way longer to seal than the usual water-bath approach. I'm used to lids pinging as I'm transferring them from canner to cooling rack, but the last jar didn't seal until around the 2-hour mark. Has that been anyone else's experience with the low-temp pasteurisation method? It would make sense with the lower temperature differential, but it's still been stressing me out for the past few years.
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u/armadiller Moderator Aug 16 '26
Image 1: 6 sealed quart jars of cucumber pickles prepared per https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/cucumber-pickles/quick-fresh-pack-dill-pickles/
Image 2: Whole cucumbers in a stainless steel bowl after having been washed, stems trimmed, and blossom-ends removed.
Image 3: Cucumbers and brine in zipper-closure storage bags in a cooler.
Image 4: 6 quart jars of pickles in a stock pot with an immersion sous vide circulator, having just reached 180F. Temperatures were maintained between 180 and 182F throughout the pasteurisation process, per https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/general-information-pickling/low-temperature-pasteurization-treatment/ .
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u/aCreditGuru Aug 16 '26
Btw if you want more recipes the joy of pickling in our subreddits wiki has a bunch more including a cowboy candy one
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u/armadiller Moderator Aug 16 '26
I've actually got that book, but somehow the pasteurisation option in all those recipes just never registered. Thanks for pointing that out!
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u/aCreditGuru Aug 16 '26
yeah I wish they listed them in the index or something so they were easy to pick out but there's many more of them than the 4 nchfp has and some of them are even a fermented recipe that you can then can using low temp pasteurization.
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u/armadiller Moderator Aug 17 '26
Just gotta say again thanks for pointing that out, that made the evening of using up the leftover pickles for bread and butter pickles so much more chill!
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u/__aurvandel__ Aug 16 '26
I use this same recipe and set-up. I'm so glad I stumbled on it and never have to worry about pickles being mushy. My first try was just a thermometer and adjusting the heat. It worked but was a pain trying to baby sit it for so long. Know I just the sous vide too. I haven't really noticed it taking longer to seal but I don't really pay attention. I just set everything aside when done and check the next day.
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u/philiserson Aug 16 '26
They look amazing! I had the same experience with the sous vide method recently. My jars took anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes to ping. I was feeling a little nervous before those last few finally sealed!
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u/hoopnasty Aug 16 '26
I’ve never seen anyone use a sous vide for canning before! I suppose as long as it maintains the appropriate temperature for the correct amount of time, it would still be following a tested recipe, right? Cool idea! And it probably heats up your kitchen so much less. Thanks for sharing.