How long do pickles need to set before eating?

13 years ago

I just made dill pickles for the first time. I've heard all different amounts of time that they need to set before eating them. I've heard anywhere from 1 week to 3 months. What do you all usually do?

Thanks,

Karissa

Featured Answer

digdirt2

13 years ago

Which kind? Brine or fermented or quick-pack all have different aging times, usually the longer the better as flavor develops slowly.

As the general pickling guidelines say: Regular dill pickles and sauerkraut are fermented and cured for about 3 weeks. Refrigerator dills are fermented for about 1 week. During curing, colors and flavors change and acidity increases. Fresh-pack or quick-process pickles are not fermented; some are brined several hours or overnight, then drained and covered with vinegar and seasonings. Fruit pickles usually are prepared by heating fruit in a seasoned syrup acidified with either lemon juice or vinegar. Relishes are made from chopped fruits and vegetables that are cooked with seasonings and vinegar.

But those are just general guidelines. Fermenting can take 6 weeks or longer depending on the air temperatures used. Some brined pickle recipes call for 1 week and many call for 3 weeks to month.

Many recipes stipulate the waiting time. Like the Bread & Butter pickle recipe says should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor. The same for Quick Sweet Pickles - 4-5 weeks.

But for many it just boils down to taste. You taste them and if they taste good to you, they are done. If they don't then they likely need more time.

But in some ways it makes little sense to go to all the work and trouble to make and preserve them if you don't give them the time to develop fully. Otherwise they are just marinated cucumbers. ;)

Dave

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Comments (13)

karissa_lynn
Original Author
13 years ago
Since I am new to canning and very new to pickling, I'm not sure which type they are. I don't really know the differences. I used the dill pickle recipe on page 50 of the BBB. They are canned in brine, so does that make them brine pickles? The BBB doesn't say.

Karissa
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Hello! This is my first time canning cucumbers to make pickles. I followed one recipe which told me to soak the cuces in salt water for up to seven days in the fridge before canning. I soaked them for maybe about 15 hours and then canned some. However, when I took them out of the cold salt water they were bloated and softer than when I put them in there! I am using field cucumbers from my garden (not dill pickle cucumbers) and I had also cut off both ends of the cucumber before soaking them (as the recipe suggested). I know I only need to cut off the blossom end but wasn't sure which was which so just cut off both ends. I would think that cutting off the end(s) would leave the cucumber open for more salt water to get inside (and hence the waterlogged result I got). But reading online a bit I see that the idea is to get the salt into the cucumber so as to draw out the liquid - moisture. I think that my result was just the opposite. I washed them off and cut them into spears and canned them. They sure seemed mushy though. I still have 6 medium/ big cucumbers salt soaked but now washed sitting in a collander in my fridge. Might can them or may just compost them....or ??? A shame really bcs straight out of the ground they are really yummy. I watered regularilly and we had a sunny summer. I just cant eat so many of them raw! I am thinking next time just to skip the salt water brine and pickle them straight from the garden. Thoughts and ideas welcome please and thanks :) Jade in Vancouver Island,BC, Canada. Pacific Northwest.
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digdirt2
13 years ago
Karissa - if you will flip back to page 49 you'll see the category title for that recipe - "Fresh Pack Pickled Foods". That's the type aka "quick pack".

See right under the category title it where it says Allow 4-6 weeks for fresh pack pickled foods to cure and develop a satisfactory flavor.

That applies to all the recipes in that section of the book. ok?

In the BBB you will find general guidelines for each category laid out at the beginning of the category and if you go to pg.46-47 you'll find all the general pickling info called "Getting Started", the definitions of each type, general ingredients to have on hand, how to select cucumbers, etc.

Dave
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karissa_lynn
Original Author
13 years ago
Oops. Well I feel silly. I haven't had the chance to go through the book yet. And you all are so knowledgable.

Thanks Dave,
Karissa
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digdirt2
13 years ago
No problem. ;) We all started out at one time too.

Dave
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girlgroupgirl
13 years ago
I made sweet pickles which are fermented for a short period of time (3 days) and then brined. I opened the jar yesterday after sitting for a week - too early! Should wait about 2 months or so for it to "taste" like the ones I'm used to!
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Morgaine1795
10 years ago
I know this thread is old, but I was having the same question. And I am new to canning as well. And I also used a recipe on page 50 and did not see the
Allow 4-6 weeks for fresh pack pickled foods to cure and develop a satisfactory flavor.
So thank you to you posters for this!!!
Suzann Cheney
8 years ago
First time to make pickles (dill) and found so many various recipes. You all mention a book - page 50 of the bbb - can I ask what that book or what bbb stands for? Perhaps I should get this book so I am not guessing about stuff.
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PRO
Tom Jones Construction
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
"Brine" pickles are lactic-acid fermented and super simple to make. Just trim the flower off each cucumber, put your cucumbers in a large crock (I use five gallon plastic buckets), and cover with a 2.5 percent salt brine. For best results and crisper pickles, add picking spices, dill seed, and the secret ingredient - oak, cherry, or grape leaves off your tree! Use a clean plate on top of the pickles and weight down to keep them under the brine with a plastic bag also filled with brine. Leave for a week, you now have half-sour pickles. Leave another week and you have full sour pickles! Skim off any mold that develop. Just like your own old-fashioned pickle barrel! To can, pack pickles in jars and pour over heated brine, hot water process.

"Vinegar pickles" skip the lactic acid fermentation. Instead, you prepare your cucumbers, put in jar with spices, and pour a hot vinegar brine over them. Hot water process. These usually need several days to several weeks to develop flavor.
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digdirt2
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
<First time to make pickles (dill) and found so many various recipes. You all mention a book - page 50 of the bbb - can I ask what that book or what bbb stands for? Perhaps I should get this book so I am not guessing about stuff.>

BBB stands for Ball Blue Book, sort of the bible for home canning and available for about $8 anywhere canning supplies are sold and also available online. The page numbers won't match with the latest edition but all the pickling recipes are in the book.

You can also find all the basic pickling info online at NCHFP which is the primary authority on safe home canning and the basis for all the other publications.

NCHFP - Pickling

Fermented Dill Pickles

Quick Pack Dill Pickles

What is confusing about all the recipes out there is that there are several different types of "pickles" - brined, fermented, and quick-pack. As explained in the link above.

The many varieties of pickled and fermented foods are classified by ingredients and method of preparation.

Regular dill pickles and sauerkraut are fermented and cured for about 3 weeks. Refrigerator dills are fermented for about 1 week. During curing, colors and flavors change and acidity increases. Fresh-pack or quick-process pickles are not fermented; some are brined several hours or overnight, then drained and covered with vinegar and seasonings.

Hope this helps.

Dave

PS: please do keep in mind that while there are lots of recipes out there not all of them are safe to use. This is especially true for some of the so-called old family recipes. So until you learn to tell which are safe and which are not stick with approved sources only or feel free to post the recipe here for review.
mikeveneziano
8 years ago
Hi, Do you store fresh canned dill pickles or bread and butter pickles done the boil method in the refrigerator or do you keep them out of refrigeration until opening?

Thanks, Mike
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ekgrows
8 years ago
Mike - any approved canning recipe that has been properly processed is meant to not be in the refrigerator until opening. That's the beauty of canning. It doesn't take up refrigerator space.
Francis Bessette
8 months ago
I have made a few batches over years with pickles from my garden (with perhaps a different recipe) and I know for a fact that certain batch I did keep great and crunchy for as long as 3 years !! ( I know right! )

Recently I did a batch with store bought "fresh" pickles. They weren't as freshly picked as those of my garden used to produce, but I tried it anyways.

They have been pickled 2 weeks ago (with boiled brine, garlic and dill) and the taste is exactly on point though the crunchyness is not what it should be.

Now, is that because they weren't as fresh as the one I used to produce, or is it because they might get crunchyer with time (I doubt the latter) but I will give it a couple of weeks more before I lay my final judgement.
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How long do pickles need to set before eating?

digdirt2

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How long do pickles need to set before eating?

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