2 replies to this topic

[Eschaton]

Hi there, I'm brand new to posting here and pickling at home, so forgive me if this is the wrong place for a couple questions.

I've just decided to make some refrigerator pickled carrots, cukes and okra (too scared to approach canning yet) and I've found a lot of conflicting information on the internet about safety issues. I boiled roughly a 1:1 ratio of water/vinegar and about a tablespoon of kosher salt for every 2 cups of liquid, and added some dill, garlic, hot peppers and filled some tupperware containers with the brine.

One concern I had is using garlic - I read it lowers the acidity of the solution and can cause botulism, so should I have used more vinegar or salt in the ratio? And is there a standard vinegar/water/salt ratio that is preferred?

I also can't seem to get all the veggies completely submerged in the brine even with it filled to the top and spilling out the sides when I put the lid on. The okra in particular likes to stick its stems out. Is this unsafe and how do I get them to stay down under?

Sorry, I know this is cooking 101 on a phd level forum, but that's why I couldn't resist asking here.

Thanks!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Personally, I think you'll be fine so long as you don't exceed one month of fridge life for those pickles. But here's a question for you - did you poke any holes in your okra before putting it in the brine? The floating problem comes from air trapped in the veggie - so if you poke them a couple of times with a knife or sharp fork, you should be able to get them to sink....

Incidentally, canning pickles is probably the easiest possible place to start, since (so long as you don't start with garlic or onions) it's nearly foolproof, and the hot-canning process actually does a lot by way of preventing toxins from ever starting.

[janeer]

I like to freeze my pickles.