Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Whether you have been pickling for years or it is the first time you are trying this ancient method of preservation, experts at the Food Safety Information Society (FSIS) have a few suggestions to help you produce safe and delicious pickles.
According to Pat Inglis, FSIS Food Safety Information Officer, the technique used is often at the root of problems.
“People tend to use recipes handed down over time by friends and relatives. Each time the recipe is transmitted, it gets changed. Important steps can be omitted: a little garlic is added here; something else there—the recipe can eventually even become unsafe.”
Inglis advises the use of a reliable recipe that has been tested and is accurate. Guidelines for home canning were updated in the late 1980s. Pickle recipes published before 1988 may contain outdated information that could affect the safety of your pickles.
“The process has to include heat processing in boiling water to ensure there is a good strong seal and that bacteria that may have landed on the vegetables at any point have been destroyed. You cannot just put the pickles into a jar and seal it.”
The correct boiling time varies with the type of pickle and size of jar. Failure to process with heat adequately can result in seal failure, food spoilage and health risks. At altitudes up to 1,000 feet (305 m), you are advised to process most cucumber pickles in 500 ml jars for 10 minutes, 1 l jars for 15 minutes and 1.5 l jars for 20 minutes.
Remember to increase heat-processing time if the altitude is higher than 1,000 ft. (305 m) because, at these elevations, water boils at temperatures lower than 212 degrees F (100 degrees C). And lower temperatures are less effective in destroying harmful microorganisms.
Another concern is frost damage. Make sure your ingredients are of good quality. Frost damaged vegetables will not produce a top quality product, Inglis points out.
“Do use pickling or canning salt and soft water when making pickles. And do use a clean stone or glass crock when fermenting dill pickles. Be particularly careful with cucumbers, as they deteriorate quickly. They should go into the brine within 24 hours from harvest. And do not use waxed cucumbers unless the recipe calls for peeling. Brine can’t penetrate the wax coating.”
“Here is another important point: if the seals fail on your jars, make sure they are reprocessed within 24 hours. Don’t let them sit for a week before you do something,” warns Inglis.
For answers to questions about canning, pickling and preserving, call the food safety consumer line toll-free at 1-800-892-8333. The line is answered Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or you can visit the Food Safety Information Society’s website at www.foodsafetyline.org.
For more information, contact:
Pat Inglis
Food Safety Information Officer
Food Safety Information Society
1-800-892-8333
fsis@foodsafetyline.org
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