Question on Refrigerator Pickle Recipe

11 years ago

I made my first batch of pickles today using this recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ted-allen/refrigerator-pickles-cauliflower-carrots-cukes-you-name-it-recipe/index.html

This recipe does not have a hot water bath processing step yet says pickles will last for up to 3 months. Does this seem like an overall safe pickle recipe or is it safest to avoid any direct refrigerator recipes that don't have a hot water bath processing step like this one?

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

readinglady
11 years ago
There are refrigerator pickles to avoid, but this one doesn't fall into that category.

I compared the recipe with a similar one from The Joy of Pickling, which is a reliable book. Linda Ziedrich's pickle is 3:1 water to vinegar while Ted Allen's is 2:1, so his brine is well within the safe range.

There are two aspects of this recipe I would disagree with. He says to pack the vegetables tightly, but it's important in any pickle recipe that the vegetables are thoroughly bathed in the brine. I would rather make additional solution and pack a looser mixture for a more secure sense of safety. You don't want dry areas where one vegetable is jammed up against another. For the same reason, I wouldn't want the pieces of vegetable to be too big, reducing the penetration of the brine.

Ziedrich says one month to age and one month beyond that, a timeline I'm comfortable with. Three months seems a little long.

You can see Ziedrich's recipe at the Google Books link. Just be prepared to struggle with the yellow print. Her book is highly recommended for anyone with a serious interest in pickling and all her recipes are verified.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Armenian Mixed Pickles
dse1
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for the great response!!

I did pack the cucumbers in pretty tightly, I will remember not to do that so tightly the next time. There was plenty of extra brine, so the amount that was made was certainly not an issue.

I do have the Joy of Pickling book (just bought it). One last question. Why does it say in Ted Allen's book that they can be eaten within a day or 2 and the Zeidrich recipe says 1 month to age? Is it because the vinegar concentration is higher with the Allen recipe? That is why I used that particular recipe, because the time to tasting was so short!
Related Discussions
What is a lug in pickles and recipe question
Q
Comments (8)
Oh, then try my Sweet Pickle Chunks ! They are so good ! Sounds similar to your recipe. The days go by fast and I don't find this that time consuming, just a little time each day. SWEET PICKLE CHUNKS Use 24 medium pickling cucumbers. Wash and then slice off 1/16 of an inch off of the blossom end. Boil enough water to in a large pan that will be enough to cover the cucumbers. Boil water , and let cool a little bit. Then, place cucumbers in the water. Let cool, then place a lid over the pot. On the 5th day, drain the water and make this syrup. Cut cucumbers into 1 inch thick chunks. SYRUP : 8 cups sugar 4 cups cider vinegar -5% acidity 3 1/2 tsp. pickling salt 2 Tbsp. pickling spices, tied in a bag. Drain cucumber chunks, and boil this same syrup for 3 more days. Let cool some, then place the cucumber chunks back into the syrup daily. On 4th day, pack pickles into jars, seal with a lid and ring. Process in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. I love these with tuna! I used pickle crisp on these and some say they are TOO crunchy. I like them crunchy. The pickle crisp didn't hurt mine at all. NOTES: You drain off the water each day, boil fresh water, and pour over the cucumbers. Let sit a while to cool down before you cover them up. On the 5th day, drain off all the water. Cut cucumbers into chunks. Make the syrup; pour over the cut up cucumbers. Then, each day for 3 more days, pour off the syrup, bring syrup with the spice bag to a boil and pour back over the chunks of cucumbers. On the 4th day of the syrup, drain off, boil, pack pickles into jars, pour over the hot syrup, seal jars, and process in the boiling water bath canner.
...See More
Refrigerator pickle question
Q
Comments (2)
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.
...See More
refrigerator pickle question
Q
Comments (8)
She also worked for our local extension office for years and she is a bug about proper and I mean proper)canning methods. Well as any one here can tell you I just LOVE people who are "bugs about proper canning methods". But I got to tell you that this isn't one of them - proper method I mean. She may have worked for the extension for years but she hasn't kept current with the changes since retiring so I'm guessing this wasn't a certified canning class? Ask her about listeria - it's the main problem with refrigerator pickle recipes - and the current extension position on them is do not make them. Botulism is only a problem with pickles if too little vinegar (less than 50:50) is used. I'd strongly recommend you dump these but it is your choice. Without seeing the recipe we have no way to tell if it is safe to use or not. Dave
...See More
Annie's refrigerator dill pickles question
Q
Comments (6)
This is the one I was thinking of using. It is from Minnesota Food Association. It mentions about not heating the brine, but also mentions that you can. So if heated is this one okay to use? Thanks Dave for answering my many questions just want my canning to be safe.c Refrigerator Dill Pickles (1 quart) Ingredients: 5 medium cucumbers 1 Tablespoon pickling salt, sea salt, or kosher salt (but not iodized table salt) 1 cup cider vinegar 1 cup water 1 head dill or small bunch dill leaves 1 clove garlic (optional) 3 black peppercorns (optional) Directions: For the crunchiest pickles, select firm, dark-green pickling cucumbers that have not started to ripen to white or yellow. Cut them into spears or slices, as desired (left whole, they will take a long time to pickle in the fridge). To increase the crunchiness, you can sprinkle the cut cucumbers with a couple of tablespoons of salt, let them sit for 2 hours, and then rinse and drain before proceeding, but this step isn't absolutely necessary. I rarely bother with it. Prepare a quart jar with a lid by running it through the dishwasher or washing it in very hot soapy water and letting it air-dry. Any jar with a lid will do; the wider the opening, the easier. Place the dill in the bottom of your jar, peel and crush the garlic clove (if using), and drop that in along with the peppercorns (if using), then put in the cut cucumber. Mix the salt, vinegar, and water in a separate container, stirring until the salt is dissolved, then pour it over the cucumbers, filling the jar right to the top. If you're in a hurry to enjoy your dillies, heat the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil before pouring it over the cucumbers (just know that heating unpasteurized vinegar kills off the healthy probiotic bacteria that make pickles good for you). Pop on the lid and put the jar in the fridge.
...See More
digdirt2
11 years ago
Why does it say in Ted Allen's book that they can be eaten within a day or 2 and the Zeidrich recipe says 1 month to age?

No way to know since it is just the author's opinion that they are ready to eat by then. But it is an unusually short time so they may very well be quite bland in such a short time. Most approved recipes call for much longer time and short tasting time is not a goal for most of us. Rather safety and high quality is the goal.

This is another example of why unapproved, untested recipe sources should be avoided and only approved recipes used. While the vinegar to water ratio meets the minimum requirement, it is the bare minimum. And the dense packing is definitely to be avoided. Not to mention that the 3 month storage time is far too long. Listeria growth in these will be an issue if stored that long.

Dave

Question on Refrigerator Pickle Recipe

Comments (3)

readinglady

dse1
Original Author

Related Discussions

digdirt2

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Question on Refrigerator Pickle Recipe

Comments (3)

readinglady

dse1Original Author

Related Discussions

digdirt2

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dse1
Original Author