Preparing Pickled and Fermented Foods

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Title: Preparing Pickled and Fermented Foods
Categories: Canning, Information
Yield: 1 guide


The many varieties of pickled and fermented foods are classified by
ingredients and method of preparation.

Regular dill pickles and sauerkraut are fermented and cured for about 3
weeks. Refrigerator dills are fermented for about 1 week. During curing,
colors and flavors change and acidity increases. Fresh-pack or
quick-process pickles are not fermented; some are brined several hours
or overnight, then drained and covered with vinegar and seasonings.
Fruit pickles usually are prepared by heating fruit in a seasoned syrup
acidified with either lemon juice or vinegar. Relishes are made from
chopped fruits and vegetables that are cooked with seasonings and
vinegar.

Be sure to remove and discard a 1/16-inch slice from the blossom end of
fresh cucumbers. Blossoms may contain an enzyme which causes excessive
softening of pickles.

Caution: The level of acidity in a pickled product is as important to
its safety as it is to taste and texture.

* Do not alter vinegar, food, or water proportions in a recipe or use a
vinegar with unknown acidity.

* Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients.

* There must be a minimum, uniform level of acid throughout the mixed
product to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria.

INGREDIENTS

Select fresh, firm fruits or vegetables free of spoilage. Measure or
weigh amounts carefully, because the proportion of fresh food to other
ingredients will affect flavor and, in many instances, safety.

Use canning or pickling salt. Noncaking material added to other salts
may make the brine cloudy. Since flake salt varies in density, it is not
recommended for making pickled and fermented foods. White granulated and
brown sugars are most often used. Corn syrup and honey, unless called
for in reliable recipes, may produce undesirable flavors. White
distilled and cider vinegars of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) are
recommended. White vinegar is usually preferred when light color is
desirable, as is the case with fruits and cauliflower.

PICKLES WITH REDUCED SALT CONTENT

In the making of fresh-pack pickles, cucumbers are acidified quickly
with vinegar. Use only tested recipes formulated to produce the proper
acidity. While these pickles may be prepared safely with reduced or no
salt, their quality may be noticeably lower. Both texture and flavor may
be slightly, but noticeably, different than expected. You may wish to
make small quantities first to determine if you like them. However, the
salt used in making fermented sauerkraut and brined pickles not only
provides characteristic flavor but also is vital to safety and texture.
In fermented foods, salt favors the growth of desirable bacteria while
inhibiting the growth of others. Caution: Do not attempt to make
sauerkraut or fermented pickles by cutting back on the salt required.

FIRMING AGENTS

Alum may be safely used to firm fermented pickles. However, it is
unnecessary and is not included in the recipes in this publication. Alum
does not improve the firmness of quick-process pickles. The calcium in
lime definitely improves pickle firmness. Food-grade lime may be used as
a lime-water solution for soaking fresh cucumbers 12 to 24 hours before
pickling them. Excess lime absorbed by the cucumbers must be removed to
make safe pickles. To remove excess lime, drain the lime-water solution,
rinse, and then resoak the cucumbers in fresh water for 1 hour. Repeat
the rinsing and soaking steps two more times. To further improve pickle
firmness, you may process cucumber pickles for 30 minutes in water at
180 degrees F. This process also prevents spoilage, but the water
temperature should not fall below 180 degrees F. Use a candy or jelly
thermometer to check the water temperature.

PREVENTING SPOILAGE

Pickle products are subject to spoilage from microorganisms,
particularly yeasts and molds, as well as enzymes that may affect
flavor, color and texture. Processing the pickles in a boiling-water
canner will prevent both of these problems. Standard canning jars and
self-sealing lids are recommended. Processing times and procedures will
vary according to food acidity and the size of food pieces.

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* USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994)
* Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

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