On The Safe Side of Pickling

          For most people, preserving foods at home is no longer a matter of survival but an opportunity to show off their creativity.   Pickling a variety of foods can be an excellent showcase for creativity.  Sometimes though in creating a new, one-of-a-kind pickled product, basic safety guidelines can be stretched abit too far. 

          There are two basic methods of making pickles. In the first method, the vegetables go through a curing process in a salt and water brine solution for one or more weeks. Lactic acid produced during this fermentation process helps preserve the product. The product that results are called brined or fermented pickles. Sauerkraut is made by this method. Once fermentation is complete, these foods must be refrigerated or canned for safekeeping.

          It is rare that brined or fermented products are unsafe. You should not however eat products that appear spoiled. Toss out all products with mold growth, off colors, abnormal odors, slipper surfaces or a mushy texture.

          The second method of making pickles is called fresh-pack or quick-process pickles. Here, raw vegetables or fruits are covered with a boiling hot vinegar-water solution, spices and seasonings. In fresh-pack or quick pickles, the big concern is that sufficient acid be present to prevent growth of harmful pathogens. Cider or white vinegar of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) is recommended for pickling. Bottled lemon juice can also be used. Do not use homemade vinegar or vinegar of unknown acidity in pickling.  Also, do not dilute the vinegar unless the recipe specifies this. If a less sour product is preferred, add sugar rather than decrease the vinegar.

          Often old pickle recipes will call for less vinegar than water.  This is a potential safety problem as enough acid must be present to prevent growth of dangerous pathogens.  In the past, vinegar often had a seven percent acetic acid level.  Commercial vinegar is now five percent acetic acid.  Older recipes developed for use with the stronger percentage vinegar might not contain a sufficient amount of acid to be used with today’s 5 percent vinegar.

          Another change from past recipes is the current recommendation of using a boiling water bath to process jars of pickled products.  Pasteurization in a boiling-water process destroys yeasts, molds and bacteria that may cause the product to spoil.  The water bath process also inactivates enzymes that could affect the color, flavor and texture of the pickle or relish.  Finally, a strong vacuum seal is formed so that the pickles will not mold.

          For more information on your favorite pickle, call the Ramsey County Office of the NDSU Extension Service at #662-7027 for the publication, “Making Pickled Products” or stop in and see us on the second floor of the Ramsey County Courthouse, downtown Devils Lake.