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Refrigerator pickle question

12 years ago

I have found several variations of refrigerator pickles, but am a little unsure about what a refrigerator pickle actually is. Is it a fermented pickle that is then refrigerated instead of canned? Is it fermented in the refrigerator? I found a recipe I would like to use because it seems the simplest of the ones I have found. Is it safe?

Thanks!

http://www.foodinjars.com/2011/06/urban-preserving-refrigerator-dill-pickles/

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Comments (2)

digdirt2
12 years ago
As mentioned on the recipe, a refrigerator pickle means that they are not shelf stable and must be kept in the fridge.

Fridge pickles are not fermented and they are not canned/processed (no BWB). They are brined pickles (soaked in a brine in the fridge) and as such have a limited storage life even in the fridge.

Fermented pickles depend on salt to form the lactic acid they ferment in to keep them safe. Brined pickles depend on vinegar (acid).

This particular recipe is made in very small amounts at a time so it isn't intended to be canned (processed). It calls for a 1:1 vinegar to water brine. So it meets the minimum safe brine guidelines. But it also adds both garlic and onions to the mix so if you were going to process these for shelf storage you'd need more vinegar.

As it is I would be comfortable eating them within a 2-3 week fridge shelf life as the recipe intends. I would not use the recipe for making canned/processed pickles to store on the shelf.

Does that help?

Dave

PS: the *note below the pic of the pickle jars does not refer to these pickles but to the *asparagus mentioned above.
Rosie025
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you Dave!

I made 2 jars, just to give it a shot, because it is so quick and good for when i only have a handful of cukes. I'm wondering how pickle like they will taste in just a day or two as the recipe states... only time will tell!
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Others may disagree, but I would consider the second horizontal cucumber from the top about right and the rest a little overbig. I find cucumbers with prominent "warts" are at the best stage. If they start to show yellow, they are over-ripe for sure. Also, and I'm not sure how much this is true with refridgerator pickles, but I find that picking Wednesday means pickling Wednesday. Waiting 2 days after picking to pickle may result in cucumbers that are no longer as crisp as they could be, or that may be heading toward bitter. Sharon
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That depends on the recipe you are using in large part. In most cases you will treat the new batch just as if staring from scratch since re-using brines isn't recommended. So presoak the cukes if that is what your recipe calls for. Standard recommendation is to begin with fresh syrup to eliminate the molds and bacteria that have developed in the existing syrup over time. If for some reason you feel you must use the existing syrup even though it isn't recommended then yes, you will definitely want to reheat it first. Dave
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The peeling is optional with any recipe. The need for it depends on the type of pepper and how thick the skin is. Cutting slits in the whole peppers is recommended. The soaking in vinegar is optional. The slits will allow the brine access to the interior. Just takes time. So pre-soaking them could speed up the process. Personally I've never done it. As for the pickle crisp, the amount used depends on the brand used, there are several and some are more or less coarse ground so different amounts would be called for. So use the directions on whichever brand you have, To determine if it is enough or not try some of the ones you have already done and see if you may need a bit more. That will be the best indicator and with time and testing you can decide how much works best for you. But you need to know that using too much can affect the flavor badly and that "very crisp" may not be a realistic expectation with home-canned pickled products. Heat processing just doesn't allow for "crunchiness" so homemade will never be as crisp as store bought which are processed quite differently. JMO Dave
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Depends on your taste preference. With no, or very low salt and only vinegar, its not going to be very flavorful, even if you triple up on spices. Salt helps to prevent spolage just liek vinegar would do. Making changes to a refrigerator pickle recipe can give you unsatisfactory results, and could also be dissapointing. Please read all the other very recent post threads regarding refrigerator pickles and various ways to make them.
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