wondering if my home canned pickles are safe to eat - Ask Extension
Hello! I used a boiling brine of 1 gallon water, 1 quart vinegar and 1 c. salt. All the jars sealed but I did push down some of the lids while the jar...
Knowledgebase
wondering if my home canned pickles are safe to eat #735447
Asked December 17, 2020, 6:04 PM EST
Hello! I used a boiling brine of 1 gallon water, 1 quart vinegar and 1 c. salt. All the jars sealed but I did push down some of the lids while the jars were still hot. Also, since the brine was at a rolling boil, there shouldn't be any sediment at the bottom, but there is. Is this a bad sign? Also, do I just cut off the part of the pickle that is floating above the brine? I appreciate your time and expertise. Sara Cohen
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
If there is "fizzing" is an indication of enzymatic or bacterial activity. If there is a scum on the top layer of the brine that needs to be removed daily.
The measurements that you used for making the brine are off I am afraid to tell you. It is best to use a tested recipe from a State University Extension, the National Food Preservation Center, or the USDA Complete Guide to Canning. All are available to you online.Please discard the pickles and make sure to follow USDA or UGA home food preservation processing guidelines in the future. You did not need to cut of the top of the pickles, but taking off 1/16 inch of the blossom end is a great trick to get those crisp pickles. Did you process you brine pickles in a boiling water bath? By pressing down on the lid while they were still hot does affect the sealing compound that is still very soft and not set up until 24 hours have passed from the canning time. Go to your Search Engine and type in the words: state university extension and brine pickles and high altitude. You can call my cell phone at<personal data hidden> or email me directly at <personal data hidden> and we can chat on the phone. Let's chat for sure.
The measurements that you used for making the brine are off I am afraid to tell you. It is best to use a tested recipe from a State University Extension, the National Food Preservation Center, or the USDA Complete Guide to Canning. All are available to you online.Please discard the pickles and make sure to follow USDA or UGA home food preservation processing guidelines in the future. You did not need to cut of the top of the pickles, but taking off 1/16 inch of the blossom end is a great trick to get those crisp pickles. Did you process you brine pickles in a boiling water bath? By pressing down on the lid while they were still hot does affect the sealing compound that is still very soft and not set up until 24 hours have passed from the canning time. Go to your Search Engine and type in the words: state university extension and brine pickles and high altitude. You can call my cell phone at<personal data hidden> or email me directly at <personal data hidden> and we can chat on the phone. Let's chat for sure.
