The tannins in the grape leaves can inhibit softening enzymes, though cucumber freshness and remembering to cut off the blossom end are more critical.

Lime makes a huge difference in crispness but pickle crisp (i.e. calcium chloride) is easier and doesn't present the safety issues.

I have used low-temp pasteurization, though it's been a while. It's kind of a pain, but it does help.

However, the best and easiest crisping agent after freshness is the pickle crisp. It just can't be beaten for effectiveness and convenience. (And I say that although I have one recipe I still use alum in.)

Carol

We used the low temp method last year.

The pickles were crisper than BWB, but not shattering, Vlasic type crisp. We found them much better than BWB, which were mushy to us, and worth the extra trouble (which was considerable).

However, this year, I am trying Pickle Crisp and/or lime (depending on the recipe) to try for really really crisp without so much hassle (at least for the Pickle crisp; lime has more hassles than the low temp method).

Sharon

You can only use the low temp. pasteurization if the recipe states it is safe. Each recipe will be different.
I can't see that it helps to use it.
I really like the Pickle Crisp.

Thanks! I had never seen this "low temp" method until I looked on the NCHFP Web site. It's not in the BBB, which is where I learned to can. There were a couple of recipes there using that method. They list it as an alternative to the 10 min. BWB.

Can you get pickle crisp in most grocery stores? I have not looked for it. What is it??

Pickle Crisp is a Ball product. They marketed it then pulled it off the market and this season re-introduced it. The demand was greater than they anticipated.

I think the problem originally was they didn't promote it, many people didn't know it existed, and then Ball wondered why it wasn't selling. Word gradually spread by word-of-mouth (a lot of word here) and just as people were getting excited about what it could do, Ball pulled it. Then when their customers started screaming they decided it was worth selling after all.

I know it's on the market, but even though canning supplies are very easy to obtain here, I have not seen a single container of Pickle Crisp, so whether it's stocked locally or not seems to vary.

Pickle Crisp is actually food-grade calcium chloride, so you can buy it generic in bulk. It's perfectly safe and doesn't alter pH. The only thing to keep in mind is that it must be kept away from moisture. In high-humidity areas you're likely to end up with a solid block.

It has applications beyond pickles. Commercially it's used for firming in canned tomatoes and I believe Linda Lou has added it to her canned potatoes. Green beans, wherever you want a little additional firmness.

Do a search on "calcium chloride" on Harvest and you'll find threads on how to use it.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Calcium Chlorida AKA Pickle Crisp at Bulk Foods

Thanks Carol!! I was kind of ingnoring the "pickle crisp" disscussion because I don't usually make pickled cukes, and I had not seen the product when I casually looked in the stores. I'll have to research it and maybe order some, and now the scientist in me wants to try it out!!

Recently I was at the brew supply store buying champagne yeast for mead making (we harvested some of our honey) and there it was, food grade Calcium Chloride a.k.a. Pickle Crisp! I bought a few ounces for thirty cents an ounce. Way cheaper than mail order or buying the brand.

I just thought folks might like to know that it is available at these kind of shops if you live in a fairly large city or near one. I don't know how it is used in brewing, didn't ask, I was just so excited to find it.

Abhaya

I was at my local Wegman's last night to pick up some specialty items and it seems that they jumped on the canning bandwagon, they had a whole "end of aisle" display with all kinds of cool canning stuff, including a lid lifter which I snatched up to replace the one I lost. AND, they had Pickle Crisp!! So I bought some. Not sure when I'll give it a try, I am still trying to eat up the leftover bread and butter pickles from my canning class, we ended up with enough pickles for TWICE as many jars as the recipe said we would need, (Recipe from NCHFP) and we still had a lot left over. And I have half a jar of store bought bread and butters in my fridge. I am just not much of a pickle eater.