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mendingline

Doubling Size of Jar for Pickled Garlic

mendingline
16 years ago

G'Day all. I have just joined this forum and this is my first post. I have just taken up home canning for the first time. I have used Bernadin's Pickled Garlic recipe and followed the directions exactly. After one month we opened a jar. The garlics were wonderful and my wife and I went through them very quickly. My question to you all, can I use the same recipe and use pints instead of half pint jars? I presume that the water bath processing time will remain the same. Is that correct? Many thanks and cheers, Gary

Comments (22)

  • readinglady
    16 years ago

    Hello Gary. Welcome to the Forum.

    I'm sorry, but the size of the jar can't be increased. I've checked multiple sources and none provides a time for pint as opposed to half-pint jars.

    The problem is that the processing time (10 minutes) is designed to assure adequate heat penetration for a certain volume of product. Since the testing was done on 8-oz. jars, we have no way of knowing for sure how much additional time would be necessary for pints, nor do we know, given what would have to be a longer processing time, that the quality would be the same.

    Sometimes testing is done on larger volumes but not published because, while the recipe is safe, the product is over-cooked and not palatable.

    The rule-of-thumb is that you can always drop down in jar size and process the same amount of time, but you can't go up. Even jams, which are high-acid and almost totally risk-free, require an additional five minutes when canned in pints.

    Also, just as a reminder, is altitude an issue where you are? Anything above 1000 feet the processing time increases in increments depending upon altitude.

    Carol

  • dgkritch
    16 years ago

    Welcome to the forum, Gary!
    Carol is right. Smaller is OK, larger is not.

    Your screen name sounds like it has a story to go with it.... Do tell!

    Deanna -- also in the great NW!

  • mendingline
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you very much Carol and Deanna. I will abide by the size constraint. Do you have a good recipe for pickled garlic pints? Yes, I need to add 5 minutes for the water bath as my home is at 2,760', and I did do that.

    Yesterday, I pickled 27 quarts of garlic dill pickles. Whew, that was work.

    My "handle" refers to the process of mending one's fly line when fishing a stream. Typically, mending occurs when drag is placed on the fly line causing it to go downstream in an arc, thus pulling the trailing fly. So one must mend the line by just lifting the line in a smooth movement and placing it upstream to get rid of the arc so the fly will have a "dead drift." Cheers, Gary

  • readinglady
    16 years ago

    I don't think I'll share my fly-casting techniques. It did give my DH some moments of entertainment.

    No, sorry, as I said, no recipe for pickled garlic pints and I checked a lot of sources. I doubt any testing for larger quantities has been done because it's a specialty item and the majority of canners would want the smaller jars.

    Of course, you could refrigerate the pickled garlic, if you have the space, and then you could use any size container you wish. Pickled garlic refrigerated will keep up to a year.

    Carol

  • ksrogers
    16 years ago

    I've made pickled garlic and canned in pints and even quarts. Its a bit of work trimming off the brown root tips as well as peeling, but they do pickle quite well. I use mostly vinegar and salt and just a little water. To add variety, I will put in a few hot pepper flakes in some, or dill in others.

  • dgkritch
    16 years ago

    Gary,
    Thanks for the fishing explanation! I could actually "see" what you were talking about!!

    Every one of us decides what risks we are willing to take and what ones we won't when it comes to canning. As Ken mentioned, he's canned garlic in pints and quarts. There are no tested and recommended recipes. The choices are yours!

    Deanna

  • ksrogers
    16 years ago

    With plenty of vinegar and salt, they can't spoil easily. Its like any other pickled product. Its safe enough provided it has plenty of acid.

  • dgkritch
    16 years ago

    I'm in your camp for the most part Ken, I was just explaining WHY the differences in opinion on this forum sometimes.

    The "tested, verified, no liability" version may be different than what's actually "safe".

    Kinda like expiration dates.............. We report, you decide!!

    Personally, I'm a big fan of Personal Risk Management......................and Responsibility!

  • KatieC
    16 years ago

    Welcome, Gary...what part of Idaho?

    You can pickle anything as long as your pickling solution is at least half 5% vinegar. For garlic (which is the only pickle I can make that's edible) my family likes 1/3 water and 2/3 vinegar. I also toss in some black peppercorns and a layer of jalapeno rings (red and green for Christmas) or a whole jal...with a slit in the side.

  • mendingline
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    G'Day Katie and thanks for the post. I live in Boise, Idaho and have been here 19 years.

    Deanna and Ken, yes there is personal responsibility and I accept that. As a newbie to canning, all of the warnings I have read cause me to be a bit concerned.

    Refrigerated pickled garlic sounds like a great solution Carol. In fact, we just got a new refrigerator and moved the old one into the garage.

    Thanks everyone for the ideas and some recipes. Cheers, Gary

  • dgkritch
    16 years ago

    Ah........nothing like that extra fridge in the garage.

    Mine has pickles, bottled water and any number of other things at any given time. I use it for extra food during holiday events, pre-prepped all of my daughter's wedding buffet, etc. I don't heat process my dill pickles, so all of them are stored in the garage fridge. Beats driving 5 miles to the grocery store for pickles!! (smile).

    Deanna

  • zemmaj
    16 years ago

    Hummmm, I have three fridges and five freezers at home, not counting what I have at the store.... methinks it's time to get a big walk in freezer lol! I have made lots of garlic in large jars, and I second the idea of the fridge. I have done a lot of research and the stuff you read about garlic is scary. I can in half pints for the store but make large jars for my place that I keep in the basement fridge. You can try alternative recipes too. I pickle garlic with red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns and cloves, very popular! I could give you the accurate quantities if you want.

    Marie

  • mendingline
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    G'Day Marie. Yes, please do share your recipe for refrigerator garlic. By the way, what brand of red wine vinegar to your recommend and what is its percent of acid? I have read just a wee bit about garlic and it is scary. I will stick with the half pints that Carol and Deanne recommend. I am going to pickle small baby carrots and put them in the refrigerator--they will go quickly :-) Our peaches are just coming on in Idaho and I will have to try some recipes. Anyone have a link for some peaches in light syrup or just by themselves? It is still hot here in Boise and the air is filled with choking smoke. And Deanne, right now I have all of the usual drinks and watermellon and cantelope in the second refrigerator. It is a bit liberating. Thanks again everyone. Cheers, Gary

  • dgkritch
    16 years ago

    Yes, Marie, please share the pickled Garlic with red wine recipe! That sounds really good!
    I made dill garlic last year for my daughter. She likes the garlic from my dill pickles better than the cuke, so I used the same recipe (Heinz Dill Pickle), but just put garlic in the jar and no cukes! Make them in little 4 oz. jars (they are so darned cute!).

    Gary, in another post you mentioned you were leaving to avoid the smoke. Where will you go?

    Deanna

  • readinglady
    16 years ago

    I'd love that recipe too, Marie. Thank you for sharing it.

    Gary, I just wanted to mention most times when you see red wine vinegar, it's up around 6-7%. I've yet to run across a red wine vinegar that's been less and so far all I've used have indicated % on the label. Rice wine vinegar is the one that tends to be weaker - usually around 4%.

    Only once did I have to email a company to find out the acidity and that was a small-production organic cider vinegar. It was great stuff, so I was happy to discover it was 5% also.

    I hope your home isn't in danger. It seems the past few years every fire season gets worse.

    Carol

  • mendingline
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you Carol. That is great news about red wine vinegar. I will see if I have a chance to put up some garlic before heading out. Deanna, I am going to Colorado to the high country and do a bit of hiking.

    Carol, thanks for your concern. Our home is in the city and we are in no danger from the fires. Idaho is pretty much on fire. There is a great deal of smoke and it makes for a fascinating sunrise/sunset. If anyone is interested in following the fires, here is a good site: http://www.inciweb.org/state/13/
    Cheers, Gary

  • zemmaj
    16 years ago

    Hi Guys, sorry it took me so long. I have(had)1300 heads of garlic in the garden and they were ripe. Getting them out at 6am so it was not too hot, than tying for a while and we had to find more space to hang them to dry. My 150 pickle plants are starting to produce in earnest now too, and the zukes, and the tomatoes....oh well. I am still canning cherries and apricots and baking a storm. Here is the recipe promised. It tastes especially good after a while. I sell a lot of this, so don't tell anyone I gave you the recipe (wink):

    Persian sugar Pickled Garlic ( my version follows)

    4 heads garlic
    2 cups red wine vinegar
    2 cups water
    1 cup sugar
    6 whole cloves (the spice)
    2tb black peppercorns

    Separate cloves but do not peel. Place all ingredients in a large heavy bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook for 10 min. stirring from time to time. Reduce heat to moderate and cook 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large glass jar. Seal and refrigerate at least 1 month before serving. The garlic improves with age for as long as 15 years.

    taken from a book by Janet Hazen

    I have modified this recipe to follow the guidelines of accepted recipes from Ball and other sources, here is my recipe. I make a lot of it at a time, you might want to cut down my recipe.

    5 lbs peeled garlic
    8 cups vinegar
    3 cups sugar
    2 tbsps salt
    30 cloves
    5 tbsps peppercorns

    Bring all to a boil, cook 10 minutes, put in half pint jars, trying to make sure to put spices in all jars, 3/4" headspace, fill liquid to 1/2". Process 10 minutes in BWB.
    yield approximately 14 jars.

    I use less liquid because it is still usually too much, but all of it is vinegar. The pickle is a little less soft, I guess you could use a bit of water if you made it for yourself especially to keep in the fridge. I also cook them for less since they go in the BWB.

    I sell a lot of these especially after people tasted them. They are not at all hard, yet not soft and they are sweet.

    hope you like them
    Marie

  • mendingline
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Many thanks Marie. That was very nice of you to share your recipe with us! I had to postpone my Colorado trip. I will try your pickled garlic this fall. Cheers, Gary

  • readinglady
    16 years ago

    Thank you, Marie. It's lovely of you to share.

    Carol

  • dgkritch
    16 years ago

    Those sound really good! I think I'll try a small batch this weekend. How long do you usually wait to try them? Or are they ready right away?

    Deanna

  • dgkritch
    16 years ago

    Nevermind.........I RE-read the recipe and saw the "one month".
    Thanks for sharing.
    Deanna

  • zemmaj
    16 years ago

    Well, Diana, truth to tell I never waited the month, but they do get better with time, they do, they do, they do lol. The first time I made the recipe I did it without peeling, which I dearly regretted. I would rather peel while cold (now I buy prepeeled) than try to peel while sticky, thank you very much. Other than that, they are one of my favorite pickle, after garlic buds which I never have enough of (made 25 jars, sold 25 jars, none left for me sniff).

    Marie who has been happy to share

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