Garlic dill pickles UPDATE! READY TO EAT IN 3 DAYS WITH VAC CANISTER

[SmokinAl]

I gotta try this and thanks for sharing.So no hot water bath?no pressure canner?seems awfully easy lol.Wondering if anyone does plain fermented pickles?these tend to be our favorite

I used to do fermented pickles, but was never very happy with them.

I like real crispy pickles & the fermented ones were always somewhat soft.

Al

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Thanks Al

They look great

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Thanks Al

They look great

You have to give them a try Rick.

They are addictive!

Al

 

[okiedave]

I just made a double batch. I ended up with two pints of chips for sandwiches and five pints of spears (which could have been packed a little tighter if I'd had more cucumbers). I'd prepared eight jars with spices, so I made a pint of carrots as an experiment.

Report to follow in six weeks or so.

 

[foamheart]

Just got my BALL BLUE BOOK  also.....  that thing is loaded withy good stuff to make!!

That's the canner's bible. You'll find all your Mom's, Grannies, and great Grandma's secrets. !

Oh and I love green tomato pickles! Always made a point to eat at a family owned BBQ in Odessa, Tx. cause they always had them. Those just made the best pickles!

BTW my niece's 5 year old daughter asked me, "Pooh Pah when can we have some pickles, they've been in there forever!" And she's the patient child....LOL

 

[okiedave]

Pickles.jpg

• okiedave
• Jul 15, 2016

Forgot to mention--one of the pints of spears is spicy (it's in the back to keep people from grabbing it unintentionally).

 

[SmokinAl]

 

Pickles.jpg

• okiedave
• Jul 15, 2016

Forgot to mention--one of the pints of spears is spicy (it's in the back to keep people from grabbing it unintentionally).

They look great!

Al

 

[Flatrate]

Al,

Again, Thank You for sharing this. Here I am its 1am, I am drinking beer, and just finished jarring some up!

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• Flatrate
• Jul 22, 2016

 I ended up with 7 jars total. Since you recommend 3 or 6 months, I marked some for the 3 month mark. I can't wait until the end of October. And some marked for 6 months.

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• Flatrate
• Jul 23, 2016

I will keep you updated with the results, but I am sure they will be fantastic! Thanks again.

Dave

 

[SmokinAl]

 

Pickles.jpg

• okiedave
• Jul 15, 2016

Forgot to mention--one of the pints of spears is spicy (it's in the back to keep people from grabbing it unintentionally).

They look great!

Once you taste them you will be making them all the time.

If you ever get a vacuum machine they are really easy to do.

I'll be waiting for your results!

Al

 

[okiedave]

Oh, I'll definitely post updates.

A thought occurred, though: rather than using pints--which requires time to clean and sterilize a bunch of jars, and lots of space in the refrigerator, why not use the big Claussen jars (or, even better, the bigger plastic containers)?  They both have wide mouths, so packing the cucumber spears/chips tightly wouldn't be an issue, and I could fit a whole lot more in while taking up less shelf space in the refrigerator.  We're not processing these to be sealed, so there's no strict need for Mason jars that I can see.  As long as the proportions stay the same, is there any good reason I couldn't do the next batch in a larger, more space-efficient container?  Maybe even something tall enough to put two layers of spears down (expand vertically instead of horizontally)?

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Oh, I'll definitely post updates.

A thought occurred, though: rather than using pints--which requires time to clean and sterilize a bunch of jars, and lots of space in the refrigerator, why not use the big Claussen jars (or, even better, the bigger plastic containers)?  They both have wide mouths, so packing the cucumber spears/chips tightly wouldn't be an issue, and I could fit a whole lot more in while taking up less shelf space in the refrigerator.  We're not processing these to be sealed, so there's no strict need for Mason jars that I can see.  As long as the proportions stay the same, is there any good reason I couldn't do the next batch in a larger, more space-efficient container?  Maybe even something tall enough to put two layers of spears down (expand vertically instead of horizontally)?

Your absolutely right, as long as you keep the proportions the same you can use any container.

This one holds 6 lbs. of pickles. It's what I use now to keep them in the fridge.

I have 2 of them & when one is empty I fill it right away & start eating from the other one.

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• SmokinAl
• Jul 24, 2016

Al

 

[kernbigo]

use ball pickle crisp instead of alum

 

[SmokinAl]

 
use ball pickle crisp instead of alum

I have been using alum since the first jar, my mother used alum.

Why would I change?

I have never had anything but super crispy pickles.

Al

 

[okiedave]

I wonder...is there any way to make these shelf-stable, or would that make them mushy? It'd be great to be able to stick them in the back of a cabinet somewhere to age.

 

[SmokinAl]

I wonder...is there any way to make these shelf-stable, or would that make them mushy? It'd be great to be able to stick them in the back of a cabinet somewhere to age.

You can use this recipe & just water bath can them. They are not quite as crispy, but still very good.

That's how I used to do them. NO vacuum, just put in canning jars & water bath for 15 minutes.

They last on the shelf at least 1 year. But you still have to wait about 6 weeks before eating them.

Al

 

[littleolme]

What size is your large foodsaver canister? I have a set of 3 but my largest does not look as big as yours. I think mine are 25, 50 and 80 oz. (.75, 1.5 and 2,5 qt I think?)

 

[SmokinAl]

 
What size is your large foodsaver canister? I have a set of 3 but my largest does not look as big as yours. I think mine are 25, 50 and 80 oz. (.75, 1.5 and 2,5 qt I think?)

They don't have a size on them, but they are about 11" tall & 4" dia.

They each hold about 3 lbs. of cukes.

Al

 

[timstalltaletav]

After reading this thread a few weeks ago, I decided to go out and buy a few vacuum canisters to see how they'd work.  All I can say....  AWESOME!  

I made a spicy batch using just one larger cuke to try the recipe.  It was enough to pack the small .75 quart canister full.  I left it sit in the fridge for 3 days as indicated.  I hate sounding like a glutton, but I ate the entire jar in one night with a few beers!!!!

I made a big batch of the same recipe earlier this week that should be done today.  I can't wait!

This morning I made a small batch of bread-n-butter pickles with a recipe a friend gave me.  I can't wait to see how they turn out.  I am really liking the vacuum canisters.  Much easier than dragging out the canning equipment.

This morning I went to a local farmer's market and asked for the freshest cukes the farmer had.  I got 6 medium sized cukes that are rock hard.  I'm pretty sure I could break a window with these.  I can't wait to make a large batch with them later today.

I also picked up the FoodSaver mason jar sealer.  I was thinking of doing large batches in the plastic vac canisters then transferring them to mason jars and resealing for long term (Hahaha  yeah right...) storage in the beer fridge. Does anyone see any issues with that plan?

 

[kernbigo]

use the top recipe and put them write in the mason jar and vacuum seal that is what i did, i also added 1/8 cup sugar and ball pickle crisp. I tasted them in a week and they were ready.

 

[SmokinAl]

 
After reading this thread a few weeks ago, I decided to go out and buy a few vacuum canisters to see how they'd work.  All I can say....  AWESOME!  

I made a spicy batch using just one larger cuke to try the recipe.  It was enough to pack the small .75 quart canister full.  I left it sit in the fridge for 3 days as indicated.  I hate sounding like a glutton, but I ate the entire jar in one night with a few beers!!!!

I made a big batch of the same recipe earlier this week that should be done today.  I can't wait!

This morning I made a small batch of bread-n-butter pickles with a recipe a friend gave me.  I can't wait to see how they turn out.  I am really liking the vacuum canisters.  Much easier than dragging out the canning equipment.

This morning I went to a local farmer's market and asked for the freshest cukes the farmer had.  I got 6 medium sized cukes that are rock hard.  I'm pretty sure I could break a window with these.  I can't wait to make a large batch with them later today.

I also picked up the FoodSaver mason jar sealer.  I was thinking of doing large batches in the plastic vac canisters then transferring them to mason jars and resealing for long term (Hahaha  yeah right...) storage in the beer fridge. Does anyone see any issues with that plan?

As long as you keep them refrigerated you can put them in any container. Lately I have been doing 6 lbs at a time & putting the whole 6 lbs in a large bucket.

They will last at least 1 year before they start to get soft. I have 2 buckets & when one gets empty I start to eat from the other bucket & make 6 lbs. more.

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• SmokinAl
• Jul 24, 2016