How big is your package of calcium chloride?
Do you really have to figure the entire $37 into one batch of pickles?
Only you can decide if they are worth it. How much is a quart of pickles in the store (I haven't bought any in years)? What is quality worth to you? What is controlling what your family eats worth to you?

Canning/preserving your own isn't always the most cost effective. If that is the only determining factor, you may be disappointed. If the quality, control and possibly enjoying the process (I do. I take vacation time from work to stay home and can :+)) is important, then you may be pleasantly surprised.

As far as the tomatoes, the processing time will be fine. It's only 10 minutes longer for your altitude. I've never used calcium chloride in them. Maybe someone else has experience with that. Sauces and salsas would be a non-issue as far as texture I would think??

I do think you're right, try a batch and see! You might get 'hooked' like some others here. LOL

Best of luck,
Deanna

Hi Bonnie and welcome! ;)

First, please understand that the use of Pickle Crisp or its generic equivalent is not required in any way. Many like it and to them it may be worth the price because they are using less than fresh cukes from the store vs. fresh from the garden. But it is very possible to get crisp pickles without using it and far more make pickles annually without using easier.

Second, you aren't going to be pressure canning any pickles so texture isn't affected in that way. And you have to purchase some vinegar true but it is cheap and if you already have cider you can use it instead of white, some of us even prefer it. Garlic, peppercorns and dill are all also cheap and none of them are required to make pickles either - totally recipe dependent. Cukes, vinegar, water, canning salt are the basics. Add a spice can of dill weed, sugar, or a couple cloves of garlic as desired for flavor.

So I guess my point is, don't over-complicate or over- anticipate or over-expense either the process or yourself.;) Those new to the process tend to do all of those things.

Are they really worth it?

The value of doing this is totally dependent on the difference between the cost of buying the ready made product and making your own. If you family eats few pickles over a year then it make no sense to spend the money to home process a ton of them. Buy the few jars you need instead.

If you eat a lot of them, then it can easily be cheaper to make them rather than buy them IF you don't get carried away with multiple fancy recipes and IF you recognize that things such as equipment are one-time purchases.

Same things apply to tomatoes. You can BWB tons of fresh tomatoes plain in the jar, or sauce, or whatever with nothing more than the tomatoes, a bottle of lemon juice, and some canning salt (optional). You only have to get into pressure canning them if you wish to add additional ingredients and even some salsa recipes allow for BWB.

Yes, at your altitude diced or crushed tomatoes may get mushy given the time required but the solution is to just can them whole or in quarters and dice before using.

Hope this helps re-assure you. But it will also help if you will search this forum for 'newbie' and read some of those posts. You'll discover that your apprehension, confusion, and misunderstandings are shared by many newbies. We try to reassure as much as possible but it will usually take a few tries and some experience before they convince themselves that most of their concerns were unfounded. ;)

Dave

Thank you, Deanna and Dave, for the reassurances!

Deanna, I purchased the 1 lb 10 oz size, because the smaller size was only 4 oz. The shipping and packing fees were almost the same for the larger size anyway.

I purchased a pressure canner, because I have a glass cooktop, and the WB canner said not to use it on a glass cooktop, and the pressure canner said it was safe for glass cooktops. Plus, I heard somewhere that pressure canning was safer at high altitudes.

I spent quite a bit of time reading posts last night, and reading the canning book, but I'm still confused about the BWB vs. pressure canning for the pickle recipes though. The way the pickle recipe on p.302 of the Ball book reads:

... Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. Remover canner lid. ...

I thought this recipe was for pressure canning. Do you put the lid on for a BWB? Most of the pickle recipes in this book seem to be for refrigerator pickles, which I don't have enough space to store, or for what looks to me like pressure canned pickles. Am I reading these recipes incorrectly?

We don't eat tons of pickles, mainly for burgers, but I thought it would be a nice project to do with my son, to help him understand how the canned products at the store are actually made. So no, I guess it's not just about the cost savings.

Thank you for your patience with me, and for sharing your experience!

Bonnie

That particualr recipe - Dill Sandwich Slices - is a BWB not a PC recipe - all pickle recipes will be BWB.

If it is a pressure canner recipe Bonnie it will say things like "process at 10 lbs. pressure for 25 minutes. Lock lid, vent steam for 10 minutes prior to putting on counterweight..." etc. EX: look at the Stewed Tomatoes recipe on pg. 378

If no Lbs. of pressure requirement is given then it isn't a PC recipe. Usually when they refer to "canner" they mean a BWB.

Some foods MUST be pressure canned, some foods MAY be either pressure canned or BWB (ie: tomatoes), and some foods CANNOT be pressure canned (ie: pickles) and MUST be boiling water bath canned. So no, ONE approach will not cover all. ;)

A boiling water bath canner is a different thing completely than a pressure canner, however, you can use your pressure canner as a BWB canner, some do. You just cover the jars with water as you would in a BWB and do not lock down the lid, just rest it on top. This is assuming you have at least the 16 quart pressure canner or even better the 23 quart or bigger. Smaller than a 16 qt. cannot be used for canning. They are pressure cookers, not pressure canners. Ok?

If you haven't already picked up on it, check out all the basics provided by the NCHFP at the link below. It is the canners 'bible' if you will. It explains all the basics about BWB canning and pressure canning, the differences, uses, and problems of each.

No, if all you want is pickles for hamburgers, you won't be able to justify the expense of home canning them unless you want to make tons of them or eat tons of hamburgers. ;) But they will keep for up to 5 years.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP

Bonnie, fyi, home-canned tomatoes are not firm like store-bought canned tomatoes. I use store-bought cans for no-cook pasta sauces and for salads and other dishes where I would use fresh (unless of course fresh are available). I do not like home-canned tomatoes for those uses; I just use my home-canned ones for sauces or long-cooking dishes.

Experienced canners probably have firmer home-canned tomatoes than I do, but I just like the extra bite that CaCl2 gives them.

Melissa

Hiya Bonnie, and welcome.

No matter the type of canning, pressure or boiling water, you cover the pot with a lid while processing the jars. Since you have a pressure canner you have the flexibility to use pretty much every approved canning recipe available.

I'm only a couple years into canning and, like you, have tons of questions and am still learning. As a relative newbie I encourage you to try different processes and decide what works for your taste and comfort zone.

You have specific issues due to your altitude and you may find answers by contacting your local county extension.

Of course there are great resources here as well. So dive in, the water's really nice.

Happy canning!

Hey, Bonnie, welcome!
Good luck with those pickles.
I don't can pickles (DH doesn't eat 'em and I'd take a year to go through a jar myself), but I do lots of tomatoes and I think you'll really be pleased with your home-canned ones. I started like you, messing with canning when I started growing veggies and had a few more tomatoes than I could eat fresh. Enjoyed it a lot and found it less difficult than I had feared, and soon was growing more and more toms so that I could meet ALL my tomato needs with my own growing & canning (quite the squeeze in my downtown TOronto backyard! a few years ago I moved to a small town and now have a bit more space... ;-) )

I wouldn't worry about the Pickle Crisp stuff in the tomato products. (Save the leftovers for next year's pickles!) The canned tomatoes will have a soft texture no matter what, and you'll use them in cooking so they'll get even softer. (The pickle crisp is to help preserve a "crunch," which you'll NEVER get with even a raw tomato....)

If you use meaty tomatoes---roma types---for the whole ones they'll hold their shape better in canning than the juicier beefsteak kinds.

But any kind will taste LOVELY when canned fresh from your garden.

Best of luck, and keep us posted on your high-alt adventures!

Zabby

I'M GOING TO TRY CALCIUM CHLORIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME. DO I USE THE SAME AMT. OF SALT?