Pickle Recipes - 500ml glass jars
Recipe for fresh pack (unfermented) vegetable pickles
Method for packing and processing jars is outlined in my Steam Bath Canning Guide.
For all Recipes
Quality & Safety - if possible obtain ingredients that do not have any agricultural chemical residues present. Agricultural chemicals may include pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. If you purchase food at local farmer’s markets, ask the vendor if they use chemicals. For food sold in retail stores, organic label may indicate the producer makes an effort to avoid chemicals. The best option is to grow them in your own garden where you have control of all production and processing steps.
Pickled Carrots - 500ml jar
Ingredients
Carrots - 1.5 to 2 lbs carrots required for each 500ml jar
Dill - I recommend fresh flower heads that have turned lime green. at this stage they will impart the best flavour and aroma. One or two heads per jar
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp per jar. Check best before date or packed on date to verify freshness.
Optional
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves, crushed, per jar
chili pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp per jar
Making the pickling solution:
Vinegar 5% - rule of thumb for safe vinegar / water pickling solutions is that the vinegar should be of at least 5% acidity, and that the vinegar ratio in that mix should be a minimum of 50%
Water - Soft water makes the best brine for pickles. Hard water may cause cloudiness in the brine and discolor pickles.
Pickling Salt - Pickling salt does not contain anti-caking agents or additives like iodine, which can affect the color or clarity of the pickling liquid.
for 6 x 500 ml jars: Mix 500ml water with 500ml vinegar and 1/4 cup pickling salt. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally to dissolve salt. Multiply batch size as required.
Government recommended processing time at sea level to 1000’ above - 10 minutes. Add 5 minutes for every 1000’ above that. There may be other sources that provide recommendations based on scientific analysis. Due diligence is required
Dilled Green Bean Pickles - 500ml jar
Green or Yellow Beans - 1.5 to 2 lbs carrots required for each 500ml jar
Dill - I recommend fresh flower heads that have turned lime green. at this stage they will impart the best flavour and aroma. One or two heads per jar
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp per jar. Check best before date or packed on date to verify freshness.
Pickling solution - same as for Carrots
Optional
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves, crushed, per jar
chili pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp per jar
processing time - same as pickled Carrots
Cucumber Pickles - 500ml jar
Ingredients to ensure crisp pickles
Calcium Chloride 1/8 tsp - add to each jar before packing with ingredients
Oak Leaves or Grape leaves (source of tannins) - add 1 to 2 leaves/jar before packing with ingredients
Dill - I recommend fresh flower heads that have turned lime green. at this stage they will impart the best flavour and aroma. add one or two heads into each jar after the calcium chloride and oak leaves
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp per jar. Check best before date or packed on date to verify freshness.
Fresh Cucumbers - 1.5 to 2 lbs cucumbers required for each 500ml jar
Pickling solution - same as for pickled Carrots above
Optional
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves, crushed, per jar
chili pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp per jar
Note on preserving the texture of Cucumbers
cut 1/4 inch off the blossom and stem ends in order to remove enzymes that might soften the cucumber during processing
If you want to accumulate smaller quantities that you pick each day until you have enough for a batch, cut the blossom ends off and store them in a bowl of water in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I have tried this and found them to be crisp and tasty.
processing time - same as for pickled carrots
