Tips for Making Cucumber Pickles

From The Well Preserved news column which is prepared by Penn State Extension

The selection and handling of cucumbers as well as the ingredients used to pickle them determine the quality of the finished product. Start with fresh cucumbers. For the highest quality pickle, cucumbers should be used within 24 hours of picking. As vegetables age, they lose their crispness. Wash the cucumbers well. This removes soil and microorganisms that can cause spoilage.

Pickling cucumbers are generally recommended for making pickles. This is a shorter cucumber with a more bumpy skin than salad or slicing cucumbers. All cucumbers should be young and tender, and no more than 2 inches in diameter. Large cucumbers are better suited for relishes. If you buy cucumbers for pickling, avoid waxed ones, because the brine or pickling solution cannot penetrate the wax. Remove a 1/16-inch slice from the blossom end of a cucumber to remove enzymes that can cause soft pickled products.

Use only scientifically tested recipes. Recipes should be developed since 1994 or more recently. Older recipes and recipes handed down from friends or family may not have adequate acidity (vinegar) to control bacterial growth. Also, older recipes may not process canned pickles in a boiling water bath. Process pickled products in a boiling water bath to destroy yeast, molds and bacteria that may cause spoilage. Processing also inactivates enzymes that can affect color, flavor and texture. Just pouring hot pickles and syrup in jars, putting on lids and rings, and waiting for the jars to seal is not adequate to control enzyme activity and spoilage organisms. Make altitude adjustments for processing time if you live more than 1,000 feet above sea level.

Never alter the proportions of vinegar, food or water in a pickle recipe. The level of acidity in a pickled product is important to the taste, texture and safety of the product. Acid in the form of vinegar (and occasionally lemon juice) prevents the growth of the bacteria that causes botulism. Use cider or white vinegar of 5 percent acidity. This is the most common level of acidity for commercially bottled vinegar, but some brands vary. Read the label. Do not use homemade vinegar for making pickles. Do not dilute vinegar unless the recipes specify adding water — you could make the product unsafe by diluting the preservative effect of the vinegar. If a less-sour pickled product is desired, add sugar, but do not decrease vinegar.

Sugar substitutes are not usually recommended for pickling because they do not plump the pickles and help firm them like sugar. Use pickling or canning salt. This is a pure granulated salt without additives. Minerals and anti-caking ingredients in other salts can cause cloudiness and discoloration. Use fresh whole spices. Powdered spices may cause the product to darken and become cloudy. Putting whole spices in a spice bag allows them to be removed before the pickle is put into the jar preventing discoloration from whole spices like cloves, cinnamon or allspice.

One of the simplest methods of firming pickles is to use ice. Soak cucumbers or other vegetables in ice water or layer with crushed ice for 4 to 5 hours before pickling. Sometimes this step is combined with a salt solution. If good-quality ingredients are used and up-to-date methods are followed, firming agents are not needed. Alum is no longer recommended. Some recipes call for lime, which is a source of calcium. Calcium does improve pickle firmness. However, excess lime absorbed by the cucumbers must be removed to make safe pickles. This involves draining the lime-water solution several times, and rinsing and re-soaking the cucumbers in fresh water until all lime is removed. A safer alternative to lime is a calcium chloride product sold under the brand name Ball Pickle Crisp or Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch. Follow the directions on the containers for the amount to use, usually 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon per pint jar. Calcium chloride does not lower the acidity of pickles. It is an ingredient in some commercial pickle mixes and is found in many commercially made pickles.

With all the fresh cucumbers available in our gardens or from local produce stands, it is a good time to make a variety of tasty pickles.

If you have food preservation questions, a home economist is available to answer questions on Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., by calling 717-394-6851 or writing Penn State Extension, Lancaster County, 1383 Arcadia Rd., Rm. 140, Lancaster, PA 17601.