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A SAFE refrigerator dill pickle recipe? Please?

11 years ago

Hi there. I'm new to canning/pickling. I've been reading the forums here (thank you!) and am looking for a proven SAFE refrigerator recipe for pickles (that will be eaten within a week...)

I've read that there are some not so safe ones and some that are (the vinegar to water ratio?)

Any help appreciated - want to make these tonight for this weekend! Thank you!

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Comments (7)

digdirt2
11 years ago
You can use the NCHFP recipe for starters and if you are making just a small batch they can go into the fridge rather than processing them.

The minimal safe vinegar to water ratio is 1:1, more vinegar is safer. The NCHFP recipe linked below is a bit less than 1:1 but it is lab tested. Those recipes that aren't lab tested, stick with the 1:1 ratio or more. Of course any 100% vinegar recipe would be ok.

But for most recipes it may take more than 1 week for taste to develop.

Here are some previous discussions on them, some with recipes.

And then there is the Mrs. Wages pickle mixes that many folks like.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Quick Fresh Pack Dill Pickles
QueenOfKing
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you so much Dave!
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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!!!
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Comments (1)
There have been lots of dill pickle recipes posted which do meet current processing standards. Try the one Linda Lou has posted. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Dill Pickles
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Comments (12)
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
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Comments (1)
Well, since you don't know the exact recipe, my first thought is it's going to be really hard for you to re-create it "perfect for your taste." Good luck. Generally, if you cut the veggies into pieces, pack the veggies somewhat loosely in the jars and use a 100% vinegar brine you're going to be OK with any combination. You might take a look at this mixed pickle recipe for a method and time. In this recipe you could leave out the sugar and mustard and any of the spices, using only your dill and use only the veggies you list and still be fine re safety. It's the preparation method and the processing time that's important. Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Mixed Pickled Vegetables
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skeip
11 years ago
And I would like to offer this as my favorite

THE BEST REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

4 Cups thinly sliced Cucumbers
1/2 Medium Onion, thinly sliced
3 Cloves Garlic, sliced
1 Teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Dill, or three Dill Heads

In a small saucepan, combine Water, Vinegar, Sugar and Salt, bring just to a boil and shut off heat.

In a quart jar place Peppercorns, Garlic, half the sliced Cucumbers, the Onion and Dill, and the rest of the Cucumbers, in that order. Pour in the hot Brine, leaving 1/4 inch headroom. Use a chopstick or knife to remove air bubbles. Store in the refrigerator. Best if allowed to stand a day for the flavors to come together. Makes one quart.

Steve
Moms_Kitchen
11 years ago
Dave is right about worrying about how much vinegar is in a pickle you are canning. If you are making a pickle for the fridge, there is no safety worry. You can use any ratio you like for vinegar and water.
skeip
11 years ago
"If you are making a pickle for the fridge, there is no safety worry. You can use any ratio you like for vinegar and water"

Not exactly true. Dave and I just had an extended email conversation about this very topic. His very considered advice was that the higher the vinegar to water ratio the longer you can keep them in the fridge. The recipe that I asked him about had a 1:1 ratio, and he felt that storing them for no more than three months in the refrigerator would be the safest. Aparently, after that the threat of Listeria becomes an issue. It comes down to your accceptable level of risk as to how long you store them.

Steve
QueenOfKing
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, these are two jars at a time that haven't lasted longer than 3 DAYS in the fridge. LOL So I think I'm good!Thank you all for your responses (and recipes!)
digdirt2
11 years ago
f you are making a pickle for the fridge, there is no safety worry. You can use any ratio you like for vinegar and water.

Sorry but I have to disagree with that statement. First because a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water is the recommended MINIMUM safe ratio for any pickle - fridge or not - with the exception of a couple of NCHFP lab tested recipes. And the recommended storage time for that strength of brine is 3 months max.

Second because of all the water in the cucumbers any brine is quickly diluted even further. So using too little vinegar to begin with can quickly and easily lead to rapid listeria growth even in the fridge. Listeria has been proven to grow even down into the mid-30s.

So the ratio of vinegar is still quite relevant even in refrigerator pickles as that ratio is what will prevent listeria growth and control the length of safe storage time.

Dave

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