Pickled Veggies

[sonny580]

Have any of you made pickled veggies? We do beets, cauliflower, cucumbers, baby green beans, and this year tried a couple quarts of sweet corn.
Would like to hear what you have done!
I have just joined this fine site and this being my first post,--I am a little nervous!!! LOL!!!---Thanks; sonny580

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Welcome aboard! I quit making canned pickles a couple years ago, I just got tired of sterilizing jars and working over the boiling water bath. Plus, I just never have spare time during the veggie season (I'm a produce grower for my primary income). We make sauerkraut and other brined pickles though. I love making them. Some salt, garlic, dill and peppercorns and you're ready to roll. I made a 10 gallon crock of cucumber pickles in about an hour this summer. Still eating them. They're super crunchy.

 

[Ash_403]

I've pickled red beets many years. They always turn out great.

Last year I pickled okra. The first batch was not the best though. We canned it with a pressure cooker instead of the water bath. What this did was cook the okra too long. Soggy, and a little slimy, but still edible.
The second batch (about 2 weeks later), we used the water bath. The final result is the crunchy okra, and no slime, as intended.

I've never thought of pickling green beans...

 

[sonny580]

For pickling green beans, we pick the smaller diameter ones, ( never tried the regular size). We make a few pints of them each year. We also do kraut and a few dills.
The pickled veggies are a change of pace kinda thing!---something different during the winter. thanks; sonny580

 

[Marine5068]

I'd like to do some pickled cucumbers. Baby ones.
My wife won't eat any other pickled veggies, She may eat canned though.
I love beets, beans, cauliflower, baby white onions and sweet peppers as well as cucumbers.

 

[sonny580]

If your wife tasted ours, I think she would like them.---Your home processed veggies are way different than the store stuff.--We tried a couple quarts of pickled sweet corn, and it is ok, (different!).--Just experiment different veggies and see what you think.--Thats what we do! thanks; sonny580

 

[cuinrearview]

Finally got to use the mandoline I got for Christmas.

Made a small(3 gallon) batch of sauerkraut. 15 lbs of cabbage. I'll probably smoke some garlic to add to it when we can it. Here's the crock resting in the basement.

The last time we did some I really liked it at about five weeks. It was tart and very bright tasting. However, we did it in a big group, so it went another month before we canned it. Still very tasty. How long does everyone like to let their cabbage rot?

 

[sonny580]

It can take up to 6 weeks, depending upon how strong you want/like ti. We go by taste. When it gets to the point we like, then we can it! thanks; sonny580

 

[Ryan'smilling]

It can take up to 6 weeks, depending upon how strong you want/like ti. We go by taste. When it gets to the point we like, then we can it! thanks; sonny580

Do you actually can it, like in a hot water bath, or just pack it in jars? We jar ours up and refrigerate it. It keeps getting better for at least a year. Seems like canning it would kill all the good bacteria and kinda make the fermentation pointless.

 

[cuinrearview]

Do you actually can it, like in a hot water bath, or just pack it in jars? We jar ours up and refrigerate it. It keeps getting better for at least a year. Seems like canning it would kill all the good bacteria and kinda make the fermentation pointless.

We canned the first round we did with the large group. This time I'm thinking of not, for the reasons you stated. I've read that you don't even need to refrigerate if everything is submerged in brine. I'm thinking I would be worried about pressure in a sealed jar from continued fermentation at cellar temps. Surely someone has some experience...

 

[Ryan'smilling]

We canned the first round we did with the large group. This time I'm thinking of not, for the reasons you stated. I've read that you don't even need to refrigerate if everything is submerged in brine. I'm thinking I would be worried about pressure in a sealed jar from continued fermentation at cellar temps. Surely someone has some experience...

I've done a lot of kraut in several ways. Canning (hot water bath) seems counterproductive to me. And a lot of effort.

My dad likes to pack his in jars right away, no crock involved. They usually do bubble over. I haven't seen a jar break, but I don't think he reefs down the lid until the first few weeks have past. That method works fine, but usually the brine evaporates from the top inch or so and it needs to be discarded before the rest is eaten. It does also makes a mess when they bubble over.

I do mine in crocks and then jar after 2-8 weeks depending on temps. After that, I've never had a jar break or bubble over, but I've always refrigerated at that point. Some friends of mine do the same, but just put the jars in the cellar. They told me this summer that they were eating some kraut made in autumn of 2016. So, almost two years at cellar temps. They said it was awesome. I didn't ask about texture. That'd be my main concern is the loss of crunch after that much time.

There are tons of variables though. For example, garlic and chili peppers are both anti bacterial, so they'll slow everything down. Also, a cooler temp during the initial fermentation obviously takes longer, but results in a crunchier kraut in my experience. Cooler fermentation is also said to improve the flavor. And I would think the size you cut everything would make a difference in shelf life too. Bigger chunks will retain texture longer.

 

[CentaurG2]

The bacteria that ferment the cabbage can only go so far until they either run out of food or kill themselves with their own acetic acid. You can keep the sauerkraut in the crock at cellar temp as long as it remains below the brine. This usually requires a china plate and some sort of clean weight. Crock storage is easier with a crock with a water sealed lid vs an open crock as the open crock can sometimes build up some harmless mold/yeast or attract insects. You can also store sauerkraut in the refrigerator, can it in a water bath or you can also freeze it. It is said that freezing preservers the vitamin c better than water bath canning. Both effect the texture of the cabbage. You can add many different things to improve the flavor of sauerkraut. I have a recipe for applekraut that uses shredded apples. I will see if I can locate it.

 

[sonny580]

Guess I should have said jar it! ---we pack in jars, then seal. It can be left in the crock, but will most definitely get stronger. We like it mild, so have to take it right then. You can bag it in storage bags and keep in fridg. for a while. thanks; sonny580

 

[cuinrearview]

Read a recipe for a daikon and carrot fermentation tonight for bohn mih. I think it would be awesome on pulled pork too so I'm gonna do a couple jars of it.

 

[cuinrearview]

Supposed to be ready in a week or two.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

pickled beets. I kinda like the pickeled onions in the canning jar better. lol. refrig type. for convenience, I do sometime buy canned at store. not bad, imo... bettern' none.

I have a veg slicer similar to the one for cabbage. metal. old. I don't use it much. I have a small food processor. don't use it much.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I've pickled, green beans, asparagus, and cucumbers. Green beans probably my favorite.

 

[Alyssa]

Marinated green pot and beans favorite