Since I am new to canning and very new to pickling, I'm not sure which type they are. I don't really know the differences. I used the dill pickle recipe on page 50 of the BBB. They are canned in brine, so does that make them brine pickles? The BBB doesn't say.

Karissa

Karissa - if you will flip back to page 49 you'll see the category title for that recipe - "Fresh Pack Pickled Foods". That's the type aka "quick pack".

See right under the category title it where it says Allow 4-6 weeks for fresh pack pickled foods to cure and develop a satisfactory flavor.

That applies to all the recipes in that section of the book. ok?

In the BBB you will find general guidelines for each category laid out at the beginning of the category and if you go to pg.46-47 you'll find all the general pickling info called "Getting Started", the definitions of each type, general ingredients to have on hand, how to select cucumbers, etc.

Dave

Oops. Well I feel silly. I haven't had the chance to go through the book yet. And you all are so knowledgable.

Thanks Dave,
Karissa

No problem. ;) We all started out at one time too.

Dave

I made sweet pickles which are fermented for a short period of time (3 days) and then brined. I opened the jar yesterday after sitting for a week - too early! Should wait about 2 months or so for it to "taste" like the ones I'm used to!

I know this thread is old, but I was having the same question. And I am new to canning as well. And I also used a recipe on page 50 and did not see the
Allow 4-6 weeks for fresh pack pickled foods to cure and develop a satisfactory flavor.
So thank you to you posters for this!!!

First time to make pickles (dill) and found so many various recipes. You all mention a book - page 50 of the bbb - can I ask what that book or what bbb stands for? Perhaps I should get this book so I am not guessing about stuff.

"Brine" pickles are lactic-acid fermented and super simple to make. Just trim the flower off each cucumber, put your cucumbers in a large crock (I use five gallon plastic buckets), and cover with a 2.5 percent salt brine. For best results and crisper pickles, add picking spices, dill seed, and the secret ingredient - oak, cherry, or grape leaves off your tree! Use a clean plate on top of the pickles and weight down to keep them under the brine with a plastic bag also filled with brine. Leave for a week, you now have half-sour pickles. Leave another week and you have full sour pickles! Skim off any mold that develop. Just like your own old-fashioned pickle barrel! To can, pack pickles in jars and pour over heated brine, hot water process.

"Vinegar pickles" skip the lactic acid fermentation. Instead, you prepare your cucumbers, put in jar with spices, and pour a hot vinegar brine over them. Hot water process. These usually need several days to several weeks to develop flavor.

<First time to make pickles (dill) and found so many various recipes. You all mention a book - page 50 of the bbb - can I ask what that book or what bbb stands for? Perhaps I should get this book so I am not guessing about stuff.>

BBB stands for Ball Blue Book, sort of the bible for home canning and available for about $8 anywhere canning supplies are sold and also available online. The page numbers won't match with the latest edition but all the pickling recipes are in the book.

You can also find all the basic pickling info online at NCHFP which is the primary authority on safe home canning and the basis for all the other publications.

NCHFP - Pickling

Fermented Dill Pickles

Quick Pack Dill Pickles

What is confusing about all the recipes out there is that there are several different types of "pickles" - brined, fermented, and quick-pack. As explained in the link above.

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.

Hope this helps.

Dave

PS: please do keep in mind that while there are lots of recipes out there not all of them are safe to use. This is especially true for some of the so-called old family recipes. So until you learn to tell which are safe and which are not stick with approved sources only or feel free to post the recipe here for review.

Hi, Do you store fresh canned dill pickles or bread and butter pickles done the boil method in the refrigerator or do you keep them out of refrigeration until opening?

Thanks, Mike

Mike - any approved canning recipe that has been properly processed is meant to not be in the refrigerator until opening. That's the beauty of canning. It doesn't take up refrigerator space.

I have made a few batches over years with pickles from my garden (with perhaps a different recipe) and I know for a fact that certain batch I did keep great and crunchy for as long as 3 years !! ( I know right! )

Recently I did a batch with store bought "fresh" pickles. They weren't as freshly picked as those of my garden used to produce, but I tried it anyways.

They have been pickled 2 weeks ago (with boiled brine, garlic and dill) and the taste is exactly on point though the crunchyness is not what it should be.

Now, is that because they weren't as fresh as the one I used to produce, or is it because they might get crunchyer with time (I doubt the latter) but I will give it a couple of weeks more before I lay my final judgement.