Anyone use Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix recipe?

11 years ago

Pickle Crisp is not stocked locally, so I bought a jar of Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix (BKDPM) because it has calcium chloride already in it.

The ingredients are: salt, dehy garlic, calcium chloride, dextrose, maltodextrin, dill seed, less than 2% of spices, natural flavors & color, silicon dioxide. Instructions are to mix 1/4 cup of the mix with 2 cups water and 1 cup vinegar. This makes 2 quarts of pickles. Process in boiling water canner.

This is a Ball recipe, so can I assume this is safe and approved?

Does anyone also add dill heads and/or garlic to the jars as you would if you were making the NCHFP Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickle recipe or other approved dill pickle recipe? I used NCHFP recipes last year, but without adding Pickle Crisp my pickles were not crunchy of course.

One last question:

Do you think I can use this mix for pickling Okra? The NCHFP Pickled Dilled Okra recipe calls for equal amounts of water and vinegar. If I do that, and use this mix to replace the salt and spices, but still add the hot peppers, will that be safe?

Thank you for your help.

Featured Answer

Cynthia D Crews

6 years ago

I am new at canning. My okra floated to the top about 4 inches. And okra was slimy. Are these ingredients good enough to can 1 quart of okra I'm using canning salt, garlic, ( ball) kosher dill pickle mix , and some (ball) mixed pickling spice, and the okra. These are the ingredients I have as of now. I know nothing at all.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

digdirt2
11 years ago
As a very general rule those here who use the packaged mixes seem to prefer the Mrs. Wages mixes over the Ball ones. It isn't a safety issue IF you follow the instructions on the package to the letter, just a taste preference. I have only used the Ball mix one time and it was ok but wife and I both agree we prefer the Mrs. Wages.

The issue with adding other ingredients or using the mixes in ways not intended by the manufacturer (as in using it for okra) can be a safety issue. If you do that you have no way of knowing how far out of whack you have shifted the pH.

You can always add additional dried herbs and seasons with no concerns (except for flavor changes) but you are not supposed to add fresh ingredients, especially when they are low acid like dill and garlic are. You would be altering the pH substantially and the mix is balanced only to cover the ingredients listed in its recipe.

This doesn't mean you can't do it, just that it would be done at your own risk.

Dave
digdirt2
11 years ago
Pickle Crisp (aka calcium chloride) is often available as food grade calcium chloride if you can't find Pickle Crisp.

I noted today that the Walmart here still have a good supply of Pickle Crisp jars and so did Ace Hardware. And of course it is readily available online under both names.

Dave
Related Discussions
Ball kosher dill pickle mix OK to use for sweet pepper rings?
Q
Comments (3)
First you'd have to determine the pH of the peppers vs. cukes. Don't know if there is enough acid in the mix to compensate for the differences or how much extra you'd need to add. The mixes are sold as tested and safe for the directions on the package, not for use with other foods. I also don't know if the Ball mixes contain citric acid like the Mrs. Wages mixes do. One could speculate that it would be ok because the peppers have less water in them than cukes do but that doesn't compensate for the different density of cukes vs. peppers and peppers are much more dense. So speculating is just that - speculation. You begin to see the problems? It is your choice. Dave
...See More
Basic dill pickle recipe and directions
Q
Comments (15)
Hi, I have a recipe for dill pickles that is very simple, the pickles are very crispy and crunchy and people LOVE them... 6cups water 2cups vinegar 1/2cup coarse salt Dill and garlic I start by keeping my pickles in ice cold water, I clean my jars in the dishwasher, boil the lids... I stuff my jars tightly with the pickles, I add a couple heads of fresh pickling dill and a couple garlic cloves, I then boil the water, vinegar and salt (I normally double the batch) and once it starts to boil I pour the boiling solution in my pickle jars, I leave a little space at the top, I quickly put hot lis on top, put the rims and tighten. All of this in theory sounds correct but it's not!!! The problem is that I made a large batch 9days ago (about 6 dozen jars)...all the lids popped overnight, I was ecstatic! I put all the jars in the basement storage (a little cooler than room temperature) but within 5-6days a lot of jars turned cloudy and everyday I go down to see, there are 4-5 more jars that turn cloudy, now I have more cloudy jars than good jars and I don't know why!!?? I understand that I can refrigerate them and they will still be good to eat but I don't have enough room in the fridge to store 6 dozen jars and my whole point of making dill pickles is to make large batches, store them and give them away to friends and family throughout the year... So after this big problem I started reading a lot online about what I could be doing wrong...I did another batch of dill pickles with the same recipe but this time I used distilled water (instead of hard water) as suggested a few places...I made sure to wipe the rims before I put the seals and rims on and this time less than half of the lids popped (if I take the rims off, the seal seems to be tight but they didn't pop)...I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong...this last batch I made was done 3days ago so it's still too early to see if they will get cloudy but I have a feeling they will... Finally I thought to myself, maybe the problem is that I have to put the jars in a boiling water bath (of course I realized this 3days after I made the pickles) but I figured I have nothing to lose by trying so I put a few of the jars in the boiling water bath (once the jars were in, I waited until the water started boiling again and left them in for about 5min) ..but sure enough..a few of the lids ended up exploding, others turned out ok but again, it's too early to test the taste or see if they become cloudy or not... So the big question is....am I doing something wrong? is the problem my recipe? Is it a recipe that needs to be refrigerated right away and shouldn't be made in large quantities? Would I be able to make a large batch and store them in the basement if I put them in a water bath right away filling them? And finally if the water bath is the solution, would it make my pickles softer? I would really appreciate some help or feedback... Sorry my post is so long but I figured the more info the better..thanks, help!!!
...See More
Bubbie's Kosher Dill Pickles
Q
Comments (8)
Breasley, I think you're right, these Bubbie's Pure Kosher Dills are something like a three-quarter sour. They are definitely beyond half sour, with an olive green color rather than bright green. But it's hard to tell whether they're fully soured because of the hot pepper flakes in the jar. I find the amount of spice pleasant, but I'd rather it be toned down to let more of the fermented flavor through. This reminds me of an old article, linked below, about the "pickle wars" on the lower east side of Manhattan. One guy trained the other and now they both have shops. The trainer said of the trainee, "Alan doesn't even know how to make a sour pickle! I never taught Alan that. Sure, he's made three-quarter sours, but he can't make a full sour." I always thought that was funny. Verdict: Bubbie's are good, but too spicy to hit the spot the way NY pickles do. One great place to get pickles without driving into Manhattan is Harold's NY Deli in Edison, NJ. If you eat in, the pickles are all you can eat, but if you get takeout you have to buy them. Melissa Here is a link that might be useful: sure, he's made three-quarter sours
...See More
Anyone ever had Mt. Olive Kosher Dill pickles?
Q
Comments (15)
Penn State's agricultural service (food safety division) says slicing or burpless varieties aren't well-suited for pickling (mainly a quality rather than a safety issue) but that they can be used in bread and butter-type pickle recipes or in relishes so finding the right recipe can make use of at least some of the surplus. If you want to mix some of the white cucumbers in with the green, you can. It's a pickling cucumber, so sure. Keep in mind that time will change the pickles, so they may be great initially but not hold up so well over time or the delicate flavor may be subsumed by the pickling brine. Only time will tell. In that case the benefit may be principally aesthetic, but there's nothing wrong with trying to make your pickles "pretty." Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Penn State Cucumbers for Pickling
...See More
KSprairie
Original Author
11 years ago
Dave,
Thank you so much for your help.
I live in a very rural area and we don't have a big selection of canning supplies to choose from. When I came across the Ball mix, I was so excited because I saw it had the calcium chloride already in it.
I think based upon your advice, I'll make the trip to the big 'city' and find some calcium chloride, or Mrs. Wages if that's not available.
Thanks!
KSprairie
Original Author
11 years ago
Dave,
Thank you so much for your help.
I live in a very rural area and we don't have a big selection of canning supplies to choose from. When I came across the Ball mix, I was so excited because I saw it had the calcium chloride already in it.
I think based upon your advice, I'll make the trip to the big 'city' and find some calcium chloride, or Mrs. Wages if that's not available.
Thanks!
junelynn
11 years ago
You can order it from Bulkfoods.com
That's where I got mine from...
digdirt2
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Floating is usually not a safety issue. It simply means that air was still trapped in the vegetable pieces. Over time, assuming it was processed correctly, they will sink.

But slimy can be a serious problem as it is often indicative of too low acid brine (too little vinegar) and the food should not be consumed. The problem okra is often slimy naturally, especially if overly mature when harvested. So there is no way to know if the slimy results was from the okra or the too-low-acidity. To be safe I would recommend tossing them.

" Are these ingredients good enough to can 1 quart of okra I'm using canning salt, garlic, ( ball) kosher dill pickle mix , and some (ball) mixed pickling spice, and the okra. These are the ingredients I have as of now. I know nothing at all."

There are many tested and approved recipes for making pickled okra and when one is new to canning only those tested and approved recipes should be used. In all cases the amounts that can be added are limited to the specific amounts in the recipe - no additions.

In other words the Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix is safe to use IF you follow the instructions on the label. I don't have a packet of it to check butyou would use only the packet mix, and the vinegar and water it calls for and the okra. No additional pickling spices or salt can be added unless the instructions call for them. I doubt they do as the salt and all the spices should already be in the mix in the packet.

As for quarts - only if the instructions call for quarts. Normally such instructions are for pints only and you can never go to a larger jar than what is in the instructions as it creates safety issues in the pH and the processing time required.

If you want to use an approved recipe for Pickled Okra instead use this one.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_dill_okra.html

Dave
Judy Pipkin Ferguson
3 years ago
I bought a container of Kosher Dill Pickle Mix (Crunchier Pickles) and there are no instructions. The Ball web site is not helpful. We Will us Mrs. Wages as it has explicit directions.
Lori Harris
3 years ago
I have same problem. Who puts out a mix without directions and processing times? Ticks me off, especially coming from Ball!
Lisa Hayes
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I thought the same thing. And the FreshPreserving.com website only gives you recipes for the packaged amounts, not the containers that I bought (tsp, tbsp, etc). AWW!
Beth Miller
2 years ago
In assuming no one has figured out the Kosher Dill Pickle Mix intructions?
HU-443483225
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
1 cup Kosher Dill Pickle Mix with Pickle Crisp included, 8 cups water, 4 cups vinegar, Process according to your elevation. Makes 8 to 9 Quarts. or 16 to 18 pints

Call your local county extension office for that info. That is why they are there. To help homemakers, preppers etc.

Anyone use Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix recipe?

Cynthia D Crews

Comments (12)

digdirt2

digdirt2

Related Discussions

KSprairie
Original Author

KSprairie
Original Author

junelynn

digdirt2

Judy Pipkin Ferguson

Lori Harris

Lisa Hayes

Beth Miller

HU-443483225

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Anyone use Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix recipe?

Comments (12)

Related Discussions

KSprairieOriginal Author

KSprairieOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

KSprairie
Original Author

KSprairie
Original Author