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Author Topic: Pickles and other fermented foods  (Read 25389 times)

Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #45 on: August 14, 2013, 07:46:08 pm »
So my first few spontaneously fermented pickles turned out OK, not great.  But they were pretty big cucumbers so I ended up cutting them to get them into a jar and that was a mistake. They went pretty mushy.  Plus, I was afraid of them going bad, even though they were going in the freezer so I added about 50% by volume of vinegar to the brine and holy cow are they sour now.  My 6 year old is still eating them but then he's also the one to eat the lemon out of the ice tea too so his tastes are suspect.

Kitchen is all torn out so nothing happening now despite all the green beans going bad in the garden.  All my cucumber plants got some sort of wilt (likely verticillium) and died so I have big plans for next year.  I'm thinking of just buying a box of jalapenos and scotch bonnets and doing Euge's hot sauce anyway.  No idea when my peppers will be ready.


Try a couple tsp of calcium chloride per batch. Will keep your pickles crisp.

Offline gmac

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #46 on: August 14, 2013, 09:55:08 pm »
So my first few spontaneously fermented pickles turned out OK, not great.  But they were pretty big cucumbers so I ended up cutting them to get them into a jar and that was a mistake. They went pretty mushy.  Plus, I was afraid of them going bad, even though they were going in the freezer so I added about 50% by volume of vinegar to the brine and holy cow are they sour now.  My 6 year old is still eating them but then he's also the one to eat the lemon out of the ice tea too so his tastes are suspect.

Kitchen is all torn out so nothing happening now despite all the green beans going bad in the garden.  All my cucumber plants got some sort of wilt (likely verticillium) and died so I have big plans for next year.  I'm thinking of just buying a box of jalapenos and scotch bonnets and doing Euge's hot sauce anyway.  No idea when my peppers will be ready.


Try a couple tsp of calcium chloride per batch. Will keep your pickles crisp.

Wish you'd said Calcium sulfate because I just bought some gypsum.  I'll have to find some Calcium chloride.

Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #47 on: August 15, 2013, 03:53:28 am »
You can also get it at the local grocer under the brand name "pickle crisp".

Offline brewmichigan

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #48 on: August 21, 2013, 12:56:11 pm »
You can also get it at the local grocer under the brand name "pickle crisp".

I'd buy it at the LHBS though. Much less expensive and you can pick up some yeast while you're there so it's not a uni-tasking trip.
Mike --- Flint, Michigan

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #49 on: August 21, 2013, 01:16:15 pm »
I need a tried and true picked eggs recipe. Our chickens are cranking out more that we can eat and I'm not a big breast guy.


Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #50 on: August 21, 2013, 06:47:49 pm »
Hey Jim, this is one I really enjoy. I kick it up some with some jalapeƱos and other peppers. There's a comment below from a guy who mixes different peppers into his and that's pretty much what I do loosely and they turn out great.

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/13733/sweet-pickled-eggs?prop24=Mobile_RelatedRecipes

I also do a traditional red pickled egg with beets. Similar enough to this one

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/17735/pickled-eggs

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #51 on: August 21, 2013, 06:52:37 pm »
Thanks I'll give it a shot

Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #52 on: August 21, 2013, 07:02:11 pm »
Also, just wanna say that calcium chloride really does the trick for pickled cucumbers (aka pickles ;). ). Not sure about the exact amount I am using but something like tsp per quart. My pickles are perfectly crisp. I'm using bluesman's recipe and, man, they are perfect.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #53 on: August 22, 2013, 04:26:55 pm »
Just made the fermented hot sauce recipe (Euge's) using habaneros (including a couple Red Savinas), and serranos for added flavor.  Can't wait ! Gonna be hard to wait a month.
Jon H.

Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #54 on: August 22, 2013, 06:06:42 pm »
2 weeks was plenty. Don't think you need a month.

Offline pinnah

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #55 on: August 22, 2013, 07:25:28 pm »
Hey Jim, this is one I really enjoy. I kick it up some with some jalapeƱos and other peppers. There's a comment below from a guy who mixes different peppers into his and that's pretty much what I do loosely and they turn out great.

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/13733/sweet-pickled-eggs?prop24=Mobile_RelatedRecipes

I also do a traditional red pickled egg with beets. Similar enough to this one

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/17735/pickled-eggs

Super cool on the pickled eggs...I guess we covered the best way to hard boil an egg. ;)

How long do these last Keith?

Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #56 on: August 22, 2013, 07:30:00 pm »
So far my 15 year old hasn't let em even age properly yet! I can tell you the "sweet ones" are great @ about 2 weeks and the red ones ready after 7 days. The red ones start to get "silty" after a couple weeks (still taste great) but the clear ones are good to go with the same brine for at least two batches. Always mixed up fresh brine after 2nd batch.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2013, 07:32:41 pm by majorvices »

Offline pinnah

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #57 on: August 22, 2013, 07:35:24 pm »
Cool, I might try the sweet ones, as I get a little freaked out by red beet juice staining stuff.   :-X

 ;D, Things could be worst than your 15 year old raiding the pickled egg stash.

Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #58 on: August 22, 2013, 07:48:59 pm »
boy, you got that right! lol!

Offline majorvices

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Re: Pickles and other fermented foods
« Reply #59 on: September 30, 2013, 09:02:17 pm »

Any chile pepper ought to work. I found jalapeno based sauce to be fairly mild and a combo of serranos and habaneros not as hot as hoped for. I eat a lot of hot spicy food so YMMV.

I figured the technique out after researching Tabasco sauce. They are very open about what they do so I condensed their method to a practical time frame. The sauce is green and awesome!

Just made this again tonight with smoked habeneros and smoked cayenne  from my garden. Smells friggin fantastic in jar!