Reviewed June 2003

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Contents

• Sauerkraut
• Pickled dilled beans
• Pickled beets
• Pickled cauliflower or Brussels sprouts
• Pickled corn relish
• Pickled dilled okra
• Pickled bell peppers
• Pickled hot peppers (Hungarian, banana, chile, jalapeno)
• Reduced-sodium, sliced dill pickles
• Pickled green tomato relish
• Refrigerator pickles
• Pickled bread-and-butter zucchini
• Piccalilli
• Pickled horseradish sauce

Related pages

• GH1451, Food Preservation: Before you Start to Can, Learn the Basics
• GH1452, Steps to Success in Home Canning
• GH1454, Preserve Your Garden Delights: How to Can Fresh Vegetables
• GH1455, Food Preservation: Fruitful Canning
• GH1456, Tantalizing Tomatoes: How to Can Fresh Tomato Products
• GH1457, In a Pickle
• GH1459, Pack a Pickled Product

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Quality for Keeps: Pack a Pickled Product

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Refer to GH1457, In A Pickle for more information on pickling ingredients, proper containers and processing in a boiling-water canner.

Sauerkraut

• 25 pounds cabbage
• 3/4 cup canning or pickling salt

Yield
About 9 quarts

Quality
Firm heads of fresh cabbage make the best sauerkraut. Shred cabbage and start kraut between 24 and 48 hours after harvest.

Procedure
Work with about five pounds of cabbage at a time. Discard outer leaves. Rinse heads under cold running water and drain. Cut heads in quarters and remove cores. Shred or slice to the thickness of a quarter.

Put cabbage in a suitable fermentation container and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Mix thoroughly with clean hands. Pack cabbage down firmly until salt draws out juices. Repeat shredding, salting and packing until all cabbage is in the container.

Be sure the container is deep enough so the packed, shredded cabbage is at least 4 inches or 5 inches below the rim. If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine (1-1/2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water).

Add plate and weight, cover container with a clean bath towel. Store sauerkraut at 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit while it is fermenting. Kraut will be fully fermented in three weeks to four weeks at temperatures between 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

At 60 degrees Fahrenheit to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, fermentation may take five weeks to six weeks. Kraut may not ferment at temperatures lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, kraut may become soft.

If you weight the cabbage down with a brine-filled bag, don't disturb the crock until normal fermentation is completed (when bubbling stops). If you use a jar as a weight, check the kraut two to three times each week and skim off scum if it forms.

Fully fermented kraut will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months. Or, can it as follows:

Hot pack
Bring kraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle; stir frequently. Remove from heat and fill jars rather firmly with kraut and juices. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Raw pack
Fill jars firmly with kraut and cover with juices. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for sauerkraut in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process pint jars
  • 10 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 15¹ minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude
• Process quart jars
  • 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 20¹ minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Raw pack

• Process pint jars
  • 20 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 25¹ minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude
• Process quart jars
  • 25 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 30¹ minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled dilled beans

• 4 pounds fresh tender green or yellow beans (5- to 6-inches long)
• 8 to 16 heads fresh dill
• 8 cloves garlic (optional)
• 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• 4 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Yield
About 8 pints

Procedure
Wash and trim ends from beans and cut into 4-inch lengths. Put 1 to 2 dill heads and 1 clove of garlic in each sterilized jar. Stand beans upright in jars. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. Trim beans to fit the jar if necessary.

Mix salt, vinegar, water and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and pour over beans. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for dilled beans in a boiling-water canner
Raw pack

• Process pint jars
  • 5 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 10 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled beets

• 7 pounds beets, 2 to 2-1/2 inches around
• 4 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons canning or pickling salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 12 whole cloves
• 4 to 6 onions, 2 to 2-1/2 inches around (optional)

Yield
About 8 pints

Procedure
Trim off beet tops. Leave 1 inch of stem and roots to prevent color from bleeding. Wash beets thoroughly and sort them for size. Cook similar sizes together by covering them with boiling water and cooking until tender (about 25 to 30 minutes).

Caution
Drain and discard liquid. Cool beets. Trim off roots and stems and slip off skins. Slice in 1/4-inch slices. Peel and thinly slice onions.

Mix vinegar, salt, sugar and fresh water. Put spices in cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil and add beets and onions. Simmer five minutes. Remove spice bag. Fill jars with beets and onions. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. Add hot vinegar mixture, and leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for beets in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process pint or quart jars
  • 30 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 35 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Variation
Pickle whole baby beets that are 1 to 1-1/2 inches around using the above directions. Pack whole. Onions can be left out.

Pickled cauliflower or Brussels sprouts

• 12 cups of 1-inch to 2-inch cauliflower flowerets or small Brussels sprouts
• 4 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1 cup diced sweet red peppers
• 2 tablespoons mustard seed
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Yield
About 9 half-pints

Procedure
Wash cauliflower and cut into flowerets. Wash Brussels sprouts and remove stems and damaged outer leaves. Boil in salt water (4 teaspoons canning salt per gallon of water). Boil cauliflower three minutes, and boil Brussels sprouts four minutes. Drain and cool.

Mix vinegar, sugar, onion, diced red pepper and spices in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer five minutes.

Divide onion and diced pepper among jars. Fill jars with drained cauliflower or brussels sprouts and hot pickling mixture. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for cauliflower or Brussels sprouts in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process 1/2 pint or pint jars
  • 10 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 15 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled corn relish

• 10 cups fresh whole kernel corn (16 to 20 medium-size ears), or six 10-ounce packages of frozen corn
• 2-1/2 cups diced sweet red peppers
• 2-1/2 cups diced sweet green peppers
• 2-1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1-1/4 cups diced onions
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 5 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 2-1/2 tablespoons canning or pickling salt
• 2-1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 2-1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 1-1/4 teaspoons turmeric

Yield
About 9 pints

Procedure
Boil ears of corn five minutes. Dip in cold water and cut whole kernels from cob or use six 10-ounce packages of frozen corn. Mix peppers, celery, onions, sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seed in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer five minutes. Stir occasionally.

Mix mustard and turmeric with 1/2 cup of the simmered mixture, and add back to the hot mixture along with the com. Simmer another five minutes. If desired, thicken mixture with flour paste (1/4 cup flour blended in 1/4 cup water) and stir frequently. Fill jars with hot mixture. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for corn relish in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process 1/2 pint or pint jars
  • 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 20 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled dilled okra

• 7 pounds small okra pods
• 6 small hot peppers
• 4 teaspoons dill seed
• 8 to 9 garlic cloves
• 2/3 cup canning or pickling salt
• 6 cups water
• 6 cups vinegar (5 percent)

Yield
8 to 9 pints

Procedure
Wash and trim okra. Pack jars firmly with whole okra. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. Put 1 garlic clove in each jar.

Mix salt, hot peppers, dill seed, water and vinegar in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot pickling mixture over okra. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for dilled okra in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process pint jars
  • 10 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 15 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled bell peppers

• 7 pounds firm bell peppers, free of blemishes
• 3-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 3 cups water
• 9 cloves garlic
• 4-1/2 teaspoons canning or pickling salt

Yield
About 9 pints

Procedure
Wash peppers, cut into quarters and remove cores and seeds. Slice peppers in strips. Boil sugar, vinegar and water for 1 minute. Add peppers and bring to a boil. Put 1/2 clove of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in each sterilized half-pint jar. Double the amounts for pint jars. Add pepper strips and cover with hot pickling mixture. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for bell peppers in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process 1/2 pint or pint jars
  • 5 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 10 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled hot peppers (Hungarian, banana, chile, jalapeno)

• 4 pounds hot, long peppers (red, green or yellow)
• 3 pounds sweet peppers (red and green mixed)
• 5 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons canning or pickling salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cloves garlic

Yield
About 9 pints

Caution
To avoid severe burns, wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers. After handling peppers, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face.

Procedure
Wash peppers. If small peppers are left whole, slash 2 to 4 slits in each. Quarter large peppers. To peel peppers, blanch in boiling water or blister as follows:

Oven or broiler method: Put peppers in a hot oven (400 degrees Fahrenheit) or place under the broiler for six minutes to eight minutes or until skins blister.

Range-top method
Cover hot burner, either gas or electric, with heavy wire mesh. Put peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

Cool peppers in a pan covered with a damp cloth. This makes it easier to peel the peppers.

Peel skin off cooled peppers. Flatten small peppers.

Fill jars. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. Mix and heat other ingredients to boiling, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove garlic, and pour hot pickling mixture over peppers. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for hot peppers in a boiling-water canner
Raw pack

• Process 1/2 pint or pint jars
  • 10 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 15 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Reduced-sodium, sliced dill pickles

• 4 pounds (3-inches to 5-inches long) pickling cucumbers
• 6 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 6 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons canning or pickling salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1-1/2 teaspoons mustard seed
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 8 heads fresh dill

Yield
About 8 pints

Procedure
Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard. Cut cucumbers into 1/4-inch slices. Mix vinegar, sugar, salt, celery and mustard seeds in large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Put 2 slices of onion and 1/2 dill head on bottom of each pint jar.

Fill jars with cucumber slices. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. Add 1 slice of onion and 1/2 dill head on top. Pour hot pickling mixture over cucumbers. Leave 1/4-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for reduced-sodium, sliced dill pickles in a boiling-water canner
Raw pack

• Process pint jars
  • 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 20 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled green tomato relish

• 10 pounds small, hard green tomatoes
• 1-1/2 pounds red bell peppers
• 1-1/2 pounds green bell peppers
• 2 pounds onions
• 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• 1 quart water
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 quart vinegar (5 percent)
• 1/3 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Yield
7 to 9 pints

Procedure
Wash and coarsely grate or finely chop tomatoes, peppers and onions. Dissolve salt in water and pour over vegetables in large kettle. Heat to boiling and simmer five minutes. Drain vegetables in a colander.

Return vegetables to kettle and add sugar, vinegar, mustard and cornstarch. Stir to mix. Heat to a boil and simmer five minutes. Fill sterilized pint jars with hot relish. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for green tomato relish in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process pint jars
  • 5 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 10 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Refrigerator pickles

Safe for up to one month in refrigerator

• 6 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1-1/2 cups sugar or honey
• 1-1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Yield
1 quart

Procedure
In a glass or crockery bowl, layer the cucumbers and onions. In a medium-size saucepan, mix the sugar, vinegar, salt and spices. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour over vegetables. Cool. Cover. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

Pickled bread-and-butter zucchini

• 16 cups fresh zucchini, sliced
• 4 cups onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• 4 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons mustard seed
• 2 tablespoons celery seed
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Yield
About 8 to 9 pints

Procedure
Cover zucchini and onion slices with 1 inch water and salt. Let stand 2 hours and drain thoroughly. Combine vinegar, sugar and spices. Bring to a boil and add zucchini and onions. Simmer five minutes. Fill jars with zucchini mixture and pickling mixture. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for bread-and-butter zucchini in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process pint or quart jars
  • 10 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 15 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Or, use the low-temperature pasteurization treatment described in GH1457, In a Pickle.

Piccalilli

• 6 cups chopped green tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cups chopped sweet red peppers
• 1-1/2 cups chopped green peppers
• 2-1/4 cups chopped onions
• 7-1/2 cups chopped cabbage
• 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• 3 tablespoons whole mixed pickling spice
• 4-1/2 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 3 cups brown sugar

Yield
9 half-pints

Procedure
Wash, chop and combine vegetables with the 1/2 cup salt. Cover with hot water and let stand 12 hours. Drain and place in a clean white cloth. Squeeze gently to remove all liquid.

Mix vinegar and brown sugar in a saucepan. Tie spices loosely in a spice bag; add to vinegar and brown sugar mixture. Heat to boil. Add vegetables and continue boiling gently 30 minutes or until the volume of the mixture is reduced by one-half. Remove spice bag.

Fill hot, sterilized jars with hot mixture. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids

Recommended processing times for piccalilli in a boiling-water canner
Hot pack

• Process 1/2 pint or pint jars
  • 5 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet in altitude
  • 10 minutes at 1001 to 6,000 feet in altitude

Pickled horseradish sauce

• 2 cups (3/4 pound) freshly grated horseradish
• 1 cup white vinegar (5 percent)
• 1/2 teaspoon canning or pickling salt
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ascorbic acid

Yield
About 2 half-pints.

Note
Make only small quantities of horseradish at a time -- its biting taste fades within one to two months, even when refrigerated.

Seal jars tightly and store in a refrigerator.

For safety's sake
The amount of acid in pickles is as important to their safety as it is to their taste and texture. For this reason, do not change the amounts of vinegar, vegetables or water in any recipe. Don't use vinegar of unknown acidity. It is not safe to use homemade vinegar in pickling. Use only recipes with tested amounts of ingredients because there must be a minimum, uniform level of acid throughout all products to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. If botulinum bacteria are not destroyed, they can grow inside jars and produce the deadly toxin that causes botulism -- a type of food poisoning that can be fatal.

¹Safe processing time for altitudes only up to 3,000 feet.

GH1459, reviewed June 2003