Easy Refrigerator Pickles Recipes to Reduce Food Waste (2024)

FAQs

What is the basic pickling formula? ›

The basic ratio for quick pickles is 1:1 vinegar to water, and includes some combination of salt and sugar. Another ratio that is commonly followed is the 3:2:1 method, using three parts vinegar, two parts water, and 1 part sugar.

Refrigerator pickles are good for 4-6 weeks, when kept refrigerated and the lids are sealed after each use. I like to take a permanent marker and write down the date I made the pickles on the lid, so I'll know when it's been 4-6 weeks. Honestly, our pickles never last that long before we devour them!

They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, too) solution and stored in the refrigerator. Quick pickles don't develop the deep flavor that fermented pickles do, but they also only require a few days in the brine before they can be enjoyed.

To make pickles for longer-term storage, continue with boiling water bath method below. If you're going to process and preserve your pickles for longer storage, tap the two jars gently to remove any air bubbles and top off with brine, if the veggies settle, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.

There are three general methods for vinegar-brine pickling: quick-pickling, salt-brine pickling and the vinegar-brine soak and rinse method. Within those methods, there exist many variations, recipes and approaches to make things like relishes and chutneys.

You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together. This hot brine is then poured over what is to be pickled and then stored in the refrigerator.

A cloudy appearance or a white sediment may indicate the use of table salt rather than canning or pickling salt. Yeast develops and settles to the bottom of the jar. It may be a normal reaction during fermentation caused by bacteria. If the pickles are soft, they are spoiled from the yeast fermentation.

Since quick pickles are stored in the fridge there is no need to sterilize the jars or can and seal.

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of the light-colored vegetables or fruits.

Caution: Do not use reduced-sodium salt in brined pickles or sauerkraut—these products need a specific amount of sodium to control bacterial growth and give a firm texture. Vinegar is the most important ingredient in quick-pickle recipes. Without an adequate amount, the pickles will not be safe to eat.

What is the most common liquid for acid pickling? ›

Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) is the most common acid employed, but other acids can also be used. The pickling procedure starts with the addition of salt.

The pickling process is carried out in one of two ways. One method is through anaerobic fermentation done in a brine that creates lactic acid. The other method is through marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid).

Top the cucumbers with a few stacked lids or a resealable plastic bag filled with extra brine to keep them submerged. Place the airlock on top and secure it to the jar with the band. Store in a cool area (between 60 and 75F [15 and 24C]) for 3 to 5 days, or until the cucumbers taste like pickles.

Once you've opened a jar of pickles — homemade or store-bought — they'll last for up to two years in the refrigerator.

Pickles should be stored in glass and not plastic containers as they have high salt and acid content and thus will react with the plastic. Such eatables should be kept in glass containers to avoid any chemical reaction. Was this answer helpful?

There are four general methods for pickling: quick, salt-brined, vinegar-brined and fermented. Within those basic pickling techniques, there exist many variations to pickle different vegetables and fruits and to make relishes and chutneys.

The ingredients used in curing and pickling are sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sodium chloride, sugar, and citric acid or vinegar.

The first step in making pickled vegetables is to allow the clean, cut vegetables to soak in salt or a strong saltwater solution for at least 3 hours, or sometimes overnight. As the vegetables swim in salt, some moisture is drawn from the tissues, which helps to preserve crisp texture through the pickling process.

The temperature can bring out flavors, which leach into the brine. She recommends using hot brine to pickle opaque vegetables or spices such as root vegetables, kabocha squash and garlic. Cold brines are useful if you're looking to preserve the texture and crunch of a vegetable.

The key is knowing that first off, boiling your brine (vinegar mixture) will help all the flavors meld better, and that if you add in your pickling subject while the brine is hot, your pickle will be briefly cooked, and you risk losing some of the crunch.

What is the safe ratio for pickling? ›

A general rule is 2/3 vinegar to 1/3 water when making brine. This ratio will result in an acidic enough base for whatever vegetable you choose to pickle. Other recipes may have a lighter vinegar brine but you must follow the exact recipe when using those or risk spoilage.

Fermented vegetables brines can become sticky or slimy, but this phenomenon is safe. It is caused by harmless bacteria. Possible causes of slimy fermented vegetables: Fermentation temperature too low or too high.

From time to time pickled cucumber products can get a red coloration indicative of benign spoilage bacteria. Though this doesn't happen often, it can still be an unpleasant experience.

Visible mold: This is an obvious sign that your pickles have gone bad. Unusually sour taste and smell: If things smell and taste a bit more sour than usual, in an unpleasant way, this may not be a good sign. If you're not liking the taste anyway, it may be time to toss those pickles.

Ingredients Needed

Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or rice vinegar work well for refrigerator pickles. Don't use malt vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or homemade vinegar because they may be below the required 5% acidity level required to pickle safely. Water – Tap water works just fine.

The Best Jars for Storing Pickles

Any container with a tight-fitting lid will do. I like to use canning jars, but I replace the metal lids and bands with plastic lids.

Used lids are perfectly fine for making refrigerator pickles, since a seal isn't critical here. Fermented items can be closed up with used canning lids. Reusing lids as garden markers is another clever option.

Cooking uses: Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are both popular ingredient choices for salad dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, or seasonings for veggies like beets. White vinegar is clearer and more acidic, making it a better choice for pickling vegetables.

Cucumbers can be fermented in a crock to produce genuine dill pickles. Fermenting genuine dill pickles takes 3 to 4 weeks at 70°F. The fermentation process allows bacteria to produce lactic acid, which preserves the cucumbers and produces the characteristic color and texture of genuine dills.

A vinegar mother is a gelatinous disc that looks like a slice of wobbly raw liver. It's composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria (mycoderma aceti) that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, and turns alcohol into acetic acid with a little help from some oxygen in the air.

What keeps cucumbers crisp when pickling? ›

Use Calcium Chloride

Calcium chloride (CaCl2), sometimes known as «pickle crisp», is a type of salt that helps keep food crunchy. It is used in the food industry to help maintain the texture of canned fruit and vegetables. Sea salt is sodium chloride. We are talking about calcium chloride!

Pickles are Cucumbers

They like hot temperatures and a lot of water! Kirby or Persian cucumbers are often used for pickling. After they are picked they are washed and then soaked in a pickling solution often made with water, salt, spices and vinegar. Learn about all types of cucumbers.

As its name implies, pickling salt is used for pickling and canning. Salt is essential for pickling when you will be storing your pickles at room temperature for an extended period. The salt brings flavor but more importantly it prevents bacteria from growing in the brine.

Instructions. Prepare a brine using the ratio of two tablespoons of salt to one quart of water. If it is over 85 degrees in your kitchen, use one extra tablespoon of salt.

The main principle of pickling is to add an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice to reduce the pH to low acid foods. The pH range is usually below 4.6. Acid foods include such as tomatoes – green ones work better, all hard vegetables – such as zucchini, onions, cucumbers, cauliflowers, eggplant and so on.

Sugar in pickling is used to balance the tartness of the vinegar. Although the sugar can be eliminated from pickle recipes, the pickles are likely to be too sour. Note: Under no circ*mstances should the amount of vinegar be decreased or diluted to compensate for less sugar.

Toss the cucumber coins with salt, then let them sit in a colander — we set ours in the sink — for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rinse the cucumbers with cold water. Rinsing removes any excess salt so the salad won't be too salty.

When I'm ready to pickle, I drain the sliced cukes and rinse them well to remove excess salt. The reason to follow a recipe is that the right balance of vinegar, sugar and salt have been worked out for you, so you know the brine (the pickling liquid) will achieve the right level of acidity and flavor.

Refrigerator pickles are good for 4-6 weeks, when kept refrigerated and the lids are sealed after each use. I like to take a permanent marker and write down the date I made the pickles on the lid, so I'll know when it's been 4-6 weeks. Honestly, our pickles never last that long before we devour them!

In general, pickles are not toxic to dogs. They contain some nutritional health benefits, which in theory would make giving them to your pup perfectly fine. However, they are extremely high in sodium and contain ingredients that could be potentially harmful to a dog.

What is the best container for pickles? ›

The safest option for pickles is glass jars. At Container & Packaging Supply, we have many glass jars that will work perfectly for all of your pickling endeavors.

If you want maximum shelf-life for your pickles, make sure to use air-tight glass jars to ensure it doesn't rot. Glass keeps pickles fresher for a longer time as compared to other products, and since it is a non-porous substance, it doesn't stain, and cleaning becomes very simple.

When curd and other sour substances are kept in metallic containers like copper vessel, copper reacts with the acid in it to form hydrogen gas and toxic substances which are unhealthy and unfit for human consumption. It may cause food poisoning also.

In modern home canning, the accepted rule of thumb for safe vinegar / water pickling solutions is that the vinegar should be of at least 5% acidity, and that the vinegar ratio in that mix should be a minimum of 50%. So that is, 50 % of 5% acid vinegar / 50% water.

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of the light-colored vegetables or fruits.

There are many types of vinegar but only vinegar with an acetic acid content of at least 5% is appropriate for pickling and canning. Vinegars with less than 5%, such as Rice Wine Vinegar, can be used but must be in combination with other vinegars to increase the acid percentage.

To make a vinegar pickling solution, mix together water, vinegar, and salt; the ideal ratio is 3 quarts of 5% vinegar per 1 gallon of water and 1 cup of salt.

Commonly used acids in home canning are vinegar and lemon juice. Lemon juice is more acidic than vinegar, but has less effect on flavor. Use only vinegar that is at least 5% acid and use only commercially bottled lemon juice.

You will need a recipe, most of which will tell you to salt your sliced cucumbers and let them sit for about 3 hours (more is better). This salt treatment draws water out of the cucumbers and flavors them, so it's critically important.

One of the best types of salt to ferment with is sea salt. Sea salt contains several nutrients, including trace amounts of magnesium, potassium and calcium. Picking salt and Kosher salt are also good to use. The type of salt you should avoid in fermentation is Iodized salt.

What happens if you use table salt for pickling? ›

Using table salt in your pickle brine will result in cloudy, murky liquid because the anticaking additives are not water soluble. Table salt won't affect the taste of the pickles, but the opaque liquid it produces isn't visually appealing.

Vinegar is what pickles your produce. Most recipes call for white vinegar, but other vinegars—apple cider, wine vinegar—work, too. (Balsamic is not recommended.) Vinegars should have 5 percent acetic acid for pickling.

∙ We should never use water in pickling as water can aid growth of microbes, which can result in the spoilage of the food item.

Now, don't confuse distilled with basic white vinegar, which is stronger and has up to 25% acetic acid. That vinegar is sold exclusively for cleaning purposes and is not a good idea to ingest. However, beyond cooking, distilled white vinegar can be used for many of the same household chores.

Because apple cider vinegar is made from apples rather than barley, corn rice or wine, it gives pickles a mellower taste. Using a white distilled vinegar, for example, will create a harsher flavour. But as well as being gentler on your palate, using apple cider vinegar also adds health benefits to pickles.

The base for pickling vinegars is often white vinegar but it can also be cider vinegar, malt vinegar, or wine vinegar. These vinegars vary in flavour and acidity to allow you to subtly alter the taste of your pickles. Vinegar, or acetic acid, is the base of most pickle recipes.