Old thread, I know, but I'm following it with great interest. linda_lou wrote: "The brine has been diluted with the cucumbers that were in there..." Just wanted to say that this is correct, and that the biggest dilution involved is the salt content. The whole process of brining is made possible by the fact that salt attracts water, effectively 'dehydrating' the fresh water out of the cukes, while simultaneously re-hydrating them, as the fresh water contained in the cukes is drawn out and exchanged with the salt solution from the outside. This process continues until equilibrium is achieved, which means your brine is most certainly diluted. I do reuse commercial pickle juice (I know, unsafe, bacteria, your head will fall off, yada yada - it's my choice, I don't care, and I will continue to do so as I have done for many years) - but I add a rounded teaspoon of kosher salt and a tablespoon or two of distilled white vinegar (per jar) back into the solution beforehand. Works like a charm.

My favorite recipe, is plain and simple, comes from a book called "Food that Really Schmecks" by Edna Staebler. Boil beets until tender, plunge them into cold water, slip off the skins. If different sized beets are used I cut them into equal sized chunks. Mix the following and bring to a boil. 1 1/2 cups vinegar 2 Cups Sugar 1/2 Cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt Add the beets to the boiled syrup, heat til warm through out, but don't boil them! Drop into sterlized jars, pour syrup over them, cover and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Although after reading this thread and the recipe on the NCHFP website I might change the processing time to 30 minutes. As an option I like to add one nice thick slice of onion to the bottom of the jar before I put the beets in. We always fight over the onion! Jenny P

I have no idea if the acidity is sufficient. There is quite a lot of sugar and that helps reduce risk. Speaking purely for myself, I've had beet jelly and really dislike it. (Actually, I loathe it.) But my main concern with this recipe is you're using the water the beets are cooked in to make the preserve. No matter how well-scrubbed beets are, there's bound to be some dirt remaining. That presents additional food-safety issues. If I were making such a preserve, I'd cook the beets just long enough to slip the skins. (I can't imagine beet skins in a preserve.) Then I'd cook the skinned beets in fresh water and continue from there to assure there's no soil or soil-borne organisms in the preserve. Nuts are often used in conserves. Toasting enhances their texture and reduces the possibility of rancidity. Carol

I've read pickle juice it is great for athletes who want to rehydrate, better than Gatorade because all of the salt/electrolytes and I guess veggie juice. I'm not trying to advertise or anything, but if you have a Cracker Barrel nearby pick up a bottle of Wickles sometime. This post was inspired by those darn things. I finished my jar off in 2 days, eating them right out of the jar, then figured why not and drank the juice lol. I may try to make some pickles this summer. I made some pear and plum pickles (Alton Brown's recipe) once and they were so good. The recipe called for white wine vinegar and lots of sugar.