When your garden yields a surplus of fresh produce, or when the farm stand has prices too low to resist, then it’s time to make pickles. Follow the research- tested recipes in this bulletin for safe and easy preparation and preservation of your garden bounty.
Pickling is one of the oldest known methods of preserving foods, and a long-time favorite among home canners. While cucumbers are the most popular pickled product, many other vegetables and fruits can be successfully pickled at home.
To the inexperienced person, pickling may seem to be a complex procedure, laden with mysterious steps and unknown outcomes. In fact, you can make safe, high quality pickles if you remember two basic rules:
1. Use high quality ingredients.
2. Follow tested recipes precisely.
This detailed 27-page guide will walk you through how to make homemade pickles and relishes and will thoroughly explain an abundance of information, including:
- What are the best types of acid to make homemade pickles?
- What are fermented pickles?
- Should I fresh pack or quick process pickles?
- What are refrigerator pickles?
- What are freezer pickles?
- What type of water should I use when pickling?
- What type of vinegar is best to use?
- What are the best types of salt to use when making homemade pickles?
- What type of sweeteners are added to pickles?
- Should I use whole spices or ground spices?
- What are firming agents?
- What type of equipment is required to make pickles?
- What are alternative low-temperature pasteurization methods?
Highlighted with a variety of pickle and relish recipes, this excellent guide will help you make the most of an inexpensive box of farmer-style pickling cucumbers.
