Pickling basics

Vinegar is the preservative and flavoring agent in most pickles. What kind you use depends on the color and flavor you want to have in the pickled product.

Some points to remember: 

• Do not change vinegar, cucumber or water proportions. 
• Never use a vinegar with unknown acidity. Check the vinegar label and look for vinegar that contains 5% acetic acid.
• Do not dilute vinegar unless the recipe specifies. The vinegar prevents botulism. Older recipes were based on a pickling vinegar of 10% strength. Using today's 5% vinegar in an old recipe may not produce a pickle as crisp as your grandmother's. If the flavor seems too tart, add a little sugar.
• The ratio of vinegar to water varies by the vegetable; again select a recipe for the vegetable you are pickling.
• Some vegetables such as onions, mushrooms and artichokes are pickled in straight 5% vinegar with no additional water.

Distilled white vinegar

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.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar, made from fermented apple juice is a good choice for many pickles. It has a mellow, fruity flavor that blends well with spices. However, it will darken most vegetables and fruits. Cider vinegar may be substituted for white vinegar of the same acidity.

Apple cider-flavor distilled vinegar

Apple cider-flavor distilled vinegar has the flavor and brown color of apple cider vinegar, but it is a mixture of apple cider flavoring and distilled vinegar. Use it in the same way as apple cider vinegar.

Don't other vinegars unless you're sure of acid content

The three vinegars listed above contain 5 percent acetic acid. Occasionally you will find 4 percent acetic acid vinegar. This is salad vinegar and not strong enough to make a good quality pickles that will be heat processed. 

• Don't use salad vinegar.
• Don't use wine vinegars or other flavored vinegars unless you are sure of their acetic acid content (should be 5 percent).
• Don't use homemade vinegar when you make pickles because the acetic acid content is unknown and variable.

Canning salt

Use pickling or canning salt without iodine or anti-caking agents. Other salts contain anti-caking materials that may make the brine dark and cloudy.

Sugar

Use white sugar unless the recipe calls for brown sugar. If you plan to use a sugar substitute, follow recipes developed for these products.

Spices

Use fresh whole spices for the best quality and flavor in pickles. Powdered spices may cause the product to darken and become cloudy.

Dill

Use clean, fresh, insect-free dill. Avoid over-mature, dry, brown dill. Frozen dill may be used if stored in airtight containers, but flavor loss or change may occur.

Extremely hard water can cause discoloration of pickles, especially if it has a high iron content. Soften water by boiling it for 15 minutes, skimming off the scum and letting the water rest for 24 hours. When the sediment has settled to the bottom, pour off the water from the top and use the softened water for pickling.

Alum

Alum does not improve the firmness of fresh-pack pickles.

Lime

The calcium in lime improves pickle firmness, but food-grade lime must be used when making a limewater solution for soaking fresh cucumbers. This is done 12-24 hours before pickling.

But, excess lime neutralizes or removes acidity and so must be completely washed out to make safe pickles. To do this, drain the limewater solution, rinse and then re-soak the cucumbers in fresh water for 1 hour. Repeat the rinsing and soaking steps two more times. The lime treatment is recommended only for specific USDA tested recipes.