# Vacuum Pickles ***Update*** 4 Days Later!!



## smokestack32 (Jul 31, 2016)

I saw 

 SmokinAl
 SmokinAl's vacuum pickle post and I had to try. A buddy of mine had some extra cukes from his garden so I used those. 












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__ smokestack32
__ Jul 31, 2016






I ended using sea salt. I thought I could use kosher salt, but I read that Morton's Kosher Salt had anti-caking agent in it. So, I weighed out a 1/4 cup and then used the same weight in sea salt. I also added a tablespoon of sugar to the brine. 













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__ smokestack32
__ Jul 31, 2016






My recipe was:

Brine
1c white vinegar
3c distilled water
1tablespoon sugar
2.5 grams of sea salt *(ounces not grams)*

Jar

Sliver of onion
Heaping spoonful of chopped garlic
1tsp pickling spice
Cukes
2-3 sprigs of dill
1/8 tsp pickle crisp
(One jar I split 2 Serano Pepper and stuff them in as well for some spicy pickles)

I used the FoodSaver Jar Sealer to get all the air out. I'm not sure how long I will have to let these guys "marinate" before I try them. If anyone has any idea let me know. 













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__ smokestack32
__ Jul 31, 2016


















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__ Jul 31, 2016


















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The Mrs. Also made some zucchini bread...yum!!!












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__ smokestack32
__ Jul 31, 2016






UPDATE
I made it 4 days and just had to try me a pickle! (or 4)













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__ smokestack32
__ Aug 4, 2016






The pickles turned out delicious! They were nice and crispy and full of flavor. They were a bit on the salty side, but I'm not sure if this is because I substituted canning salt with sea salt. I still ate about 1/2 the jar. Luckily, I have 3 more jars. Using the jar sealer was a super simple way of doing these pickles and I will be saying good bye to store bought pickles.


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## sigmo (Jul 31, 2016)

Those look like they'll be great.  I need to try that myself.  I shall look for the attachment for the FoodSaver that sucks the air out of the mason jars, too!

I made some cauliflower pickles one time, and they were really good.  That's something folks should try, too, if they think they'd like 'em.


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## SmokinAl (Aug 1, 2016)

They look great!

You only need 3-5 days in the vacuum & they will be good.

I like stronger pickles so I go 5 days, then you can store them in any container in the fridge & they will continue to pick up more flavor.

I have been making 6 lb. batches at a time & putting them in large buckets after the vacuum stage.













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__ SmokinAl
__ Aug 1, 2016






Al


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## smokestack32 (Aug 1, 2016)

sigmo
 Thanks!! I really want to try pickled green beens...I think they woild be great in a Bloody Mary!!


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## smokestack32 (Aug 1, 2016)

SmokinAl
 Thanks!! I'm gonna have to get me one of those jars! I can't wait to try these guys. Thanks for recipe tips!!


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## kernbigo (Aug 9, 2016)

i did the same thing you did, i added 1/8 cup sugar to the recipe for the 4 pint jars, they came out perfect, also ball pickle crisp. I waited a week and they are ready, could go longer if you like.Vacuum sealing is the only way to  go for crisp pickles.


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## sigmo (Aug 10, 2016)

Well, on the basis of this thread, I got the two sizes of attachments for the FoodSaver to let me vacuum large and small mouth Mason jars.  And I've already made a batch of cauliflower medley.  I can't wait to try it.

Patience.  Patience.  ;)

Next up will be some dill pickles using the recipe you've posted here.

I did use the "quick marinade" mode on the cauliflower, so they'll probably be ready to rock and roll very soon.

Being able to vacuum seal stuff into Mason jars will be handy for a lot of things.  But my wife and I both love good dill pickles, so that's going to be really great!


SmokinAl said:


> They look great!
> 
> You only need 3-5 days in the vacuum & they will be good.
> 
> ...


That's a good idea.  I've thought of just recycling the pickle juice from good store-bought pickles, too.  I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not, but it always seems like such a waste to pour it down the drain after finishing a good jar.  And the old pickle jars would be great for the home-made pickles (again, after the vacuum process is finished).


smokestack32 said:


> @Sigmo Thanks!! I really want to try pickled green beens...I think they woild be great in a Bloody Mary!!


I have had some excellent pickled green beans, and they are excellent in a Bloody Mary!  A lot of pickled things would be good in a Bloody Mary.  :)


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## smokestack32 (Aug 10, 2016)

Sigmo said:


> Well, on the basis of this thread, I got the two sizes of attachments for the FoodSaver to let me vacuum large and small mouth Mason jars.  And I've already made a batch of cauliflower medley.  I can't wait to try it.
> 
> Patience.  Patience.  ;)
> 
> ...


@Sigmo  Did yours turn out salty?? Mine were really good, but just a bit on the salty side. I


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## sigmo (Aug 10, 2016)

smokestack32 said:


> @Sigmo  Did yours turn out salty?? Mine were really good, but just a bit on the salty side. I


I haven't gotten the regular pickles made yet.  I will look at your recipe, and maybe reduce the salt when I make them.  I may do that later today!  :)

What I already made, a few nights ago, is a batch of "cauliflower medley".  I haven't opened them to try them yet.

Since you adjusted your recipe based on the mass of the salt, I think you had to have been right on for what the recipe called for in terms of the concentration of salt in the pickling solution.

But I am confused a bit.  On the one hand, your recipe calls for 2.5 grams of salt.  But you also say you weighed out 1/4 cup of salt.  That would be a LOT more than 2.5 grams!!!

By my measurements earlier today, 2.5 grams of salt would be about 1/3 of a teaspoon.

Of course, maybe you made a much larger batch of the solution.  :)

Update:

I opened the smaller jar of the pickled cauliflower medley and had a good serving.  It's good, but a bit heavy on the vinegar.  While the recipe I used did call for a bit of dilution of the vinegar, it wasn't much.  Next time, I may dilute it 50/50 (like you did for your dill pickles) to tame it down a bit.

And... I bought some more cucumbers tonight, so I'll have more to use making some of those dills!  :)


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## smokestack32 (Aug 11, 2016)

Sigmo said:


> I haven't gotten the regular pickles made yet.  I will look at your recipe, and maybe reduce the salt when I make them.  I may do that later today!  :)
> 
> What I already made, a few nights ago, is a batch of "cauliflower medley".  I haven't opened them to try them yet.
> 
> ...


@Sigmo  I think I meant 2.5 oz. I just didn't know If reducing the salt would effect the pickling process. I am going to definitely have to try some cauliflower. I might do a cauliflower and pepper ring mix.


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## kernbigo (Aug 11, 2016)

i added 1/8 cup sugar to the 4 pint jar recipe, they were to sour. I made a second batch a lot better, may even go 1/4 cup sugar?


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## sigmo (Aug 11, 2016)

smokestack32 said:


> @Sigmo  I think I meant 2.5 oz. I just didn't know If reducing the salt would effect the pickling process. I am going to definitely have to try some cauliflower. I might do a cauliflower and pepper ring mix.


That makes sense!

The cauliflower recipe I used has some carrots and jalapeno slices (rings) in it as well.  Overall, I like them.  They're just very tart to say the least!  :)













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__ sigmo
__ Aug 11, 2016






No bananas were used in the recipe.  They were just there when I took the picture! 


Kernbigo said:


> i added 1/8 cup sugar to the 4 pint jar recipe, they were to sour. I made a second batch a lot better, may even go 1/4 cup sugar?


I didn't use any sugar, even though the recipe I was following did call for some.  That may be the difference.  But my wife and I are both trying to eliminate carbs as much as possible, so one of the great things about pickles is that they're usually almost zero carbs.  Plus, neither of us like sweet pickles anyway.  Even those "bread and butter" types are far too sweet for my taste.

So I'm hoping to work out recipes that have no sugar.

The label on the store-bought kosher dills that we both love lists ingredients as:

Cucumbers

Water

Vinegar

Salt

Dehydrated Garlic and Onions

Calcium Chloride --------  (Which, I believe, is what Morton sells as "pickle crisp")

Natural Flavors

Polysorbate 80

Yellow 5

Blue 1

So I think they're getting a flavor I really like without using any sugar.  And that's what I want to emulate.

Since they list their second ingredient as water, that makes me think that they do dilute their vinegar solution with water such that it's at least half water, maybe more.  The recipe I used called for about 85% vinegar with just a bit of water.  So I think that was just too strong of a vinegar solution and I really should have used no more than a 50/50 mix of water to vinegar.

I also think I'll use lots of garlic and onions in whatever I try next.  I love garlic, and onions too.


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