Pickles And Relishes: Points On Pickling

1. Use firm, good quality vegetables and fruits for making pickles.
2. Some vegetables, such as cucumbers require soaking in brine before covering with vinegar. This soaking helps maintain the firmness and color of the vegetables during the pickling process. It also reduces bitterness. Cucumbers for gherkins should be placed in brine as soon after picking as possible. Cucumbers for dills should be placed in cold water. Hollow centers may result if cucumbers are held at room temperature for even a few hours.
3. The proportion of 1 cup fine salt or 1 1/2 cups coarse salt to 2 quarts (10 cups) water makes a good brine. Too weak a brine will cause pickles to become soft or too strong a brine will cause them to shrivel and become tough.
4. Be sure to use a pickling salt. Free-running salt has had a chemical added to keep it from caking and is not recommended for pickling and brining.
5. Use good quality vinegar. Both cider and blended vinegar have good flavor, but white vinegar gives better color where light colored foods such as onions and cauliflower are used. Never dilute vinegar unless the recipe calls for it.
6. Use spices with caution. A dark color or bitter flavor may result from using too much spice or from boiling the spice too long with vinegar. Whole spices give better color and flavor than ground spices. Whole spices should be tied loosely in a cheesecloth bag, cooked with vinegar or pickle, then removed.
7. Pickles should be stored in clean glass jars, sealers, or crocks. If kept in crocks, pickles should be well covered with vinegar solution to prevent spoilage. A plate or wooden board cut to fit inside the crock should be placed on top of the pickles and weighted down.
8. Relishes and sauces should be packed in hot, sterilized jars and completely sealed.

Source: Cooking The Co-op Way Cookbook (1960)

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