About the Recipe
Follow these instructions for any vegetable based pickles. It is very important that all equipment used in the pickling process is sterilized in boiling water. Use one of the brine recipes in this book or any other brine recipe you choose.
Ingredients
Not Applicable - This is an instructive process only.
Preparation
Wash the jars, lids and bands and rinse them very well.
Sterilize the jars by completely immersing them in cold water and then bringing the water to a boil.Â
If you plan on making several jars of pickles at a time, you may want to invest in a Water Bath Canning Pot with a rack and lid as well as jar funnels and jar tongs.
If you are just making a small number of jars, you can use a big pot and separate your jars with whatever you have on hand, like I have done in the image below. Example: Metal pot lids, big metal spoons etc.
Once the water has come to a boil, let the jars boil for 10-15 minutes.Â
The rubberized lids have to be sterilized as well but they should only be in the boiling water for 5 minutes, or the rubber will become too soft and the seal might break.
Bring your brine to a boil.Â
Try to time it so the brine comes to a boil very shortly after the jars have been sterilized and filled with whatever you are pickling and the rubberized lids have been sterilized. To facilitate this step, warm up the brine a bit and then bring it to a boil during the 5 minutes it takes to sterilize the rubberized lids.
Do not boil the lids longer than five minutes or the rubber might become too soft and the jar will not seal properly.
Pack the jars with whatever vegetable you want. You can do this with mini cucumbers, sliced cucumbers, carrots, celery, cauliflower etc.
Some hard vegetables, like carrots and cauliflower should be cooked a la dente before jarring.
Fill the jars with hot brine to just below the threads. You have to leave about ½ to ¾ inch of space.
Immediately put on the rubberized lid and band.Â
The band should just be tightened just snugly. Do not put the lid on too tight as it may prevent it from sealing properly.
Let the jars cool to room temperature.Â
If the seal is good, the lids will pop as the jars cools. Do not touch the lid before it has popped. Any jars that do not pop (could happen with a faulty seal) should be refrigerated and consumed first.
Once the jars lids have popped and the contents have cooled to room temperature, you can tighten the lids a bit more.Â
Store in a cool dry place or in the refrigerator.
Some preserves, like tomatoes, involve boiling jars after they are filled. When this is required, it will be indicated in the recipe.
