Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Canning Pasteurizing Temperatures for pickles

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that last year I made a lot of lacto-fermented pickled vegetables. I did so because lacto-fermentation increases the nutritional content, and the veggies remain fairly crisp compared to vinegar-brined and water-bath-canned pickles.

Recently I came across this note on pasteurizing pickles from the Extension Service at the Univ. of Maine, which may interest some of you as a means of crisper pickles.

Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment

The following treatment results in a better product texture but must be carefully managed to avoid possible spoilage. CAUTION: Use this treatment only when recipe indicates. Place jars in a canner filled halfway with warm (120 to 140°F) water, Add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars. Heat the water to 180 to 185°F. Maintain this temperature for 30 minutes. Use a candy or jelly thermometer to check the water temperature, It must be at least 180°F during the entire 30 minutes. Temperatures higher than 185°F may cause unnecessary softening of pickles.

There are a few recipes on that page suitable for this method.

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