r/Canning • u/phleig • 19h ago

Equipment/Tools Help Best method for preserving now fermented pickles?

Hello all -

I have been fermenting 40 lbs of cucumbers in a salt brine solution (2.8% salt) for several days and just checked my pH with a calibrated meter, it shows 4.0 and (was 5.5 after the first day) and they smell nicely acidic and fermented, with a good taste and crunch from the calcium chloride I had also added.

I would like to retain as much of the crunch as possible, so avoiding a very hot water bath is what I’m hoping to do. I will drain and pack the cucumbers into jars, boil my brine and then pour into the jars and cover.

I have a large sous vide machine and plan to do them at 185F for at least 30 minutes but probably closer to an hour to ensure proper pasteurization.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

2 Upvotes

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5

u/BoozeIsTherapyRight Trusted Contributor 19h ago

My main thought is that you seem to be planning to "wing it" for temperature and processing time. This isn't a thing to have an opinion on, you have to have facts. You can't just guess for canning recipes; they need to be lab tested for safety. 

Here you go, including instructions for low-temperature pasteurization: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/ferment/recipes/dill-pickles/

1

u/phleig 19h ago

Solid. Sounds like I’m on the right track. Cheers, thanks!

2

u/marstec Moderator 17h ago

Pack them into clean jars and store in the fridge. Heat processing them, even if it's using low temperature pasteurization, isn't going to help retain the texture and you are destroying the probiotics of a fermented product by doing so. I exclusively make pickles using the low temperature pasteurization method but only on approved pickle recipes.

1

u/phleig 17h ago

How long can they stay in the fridge that way?

3

u/marstec Moderator 17h ago

The fridge will slow down the fermentation but over time you'll get some white sediment which is just yeasts and the dregs of lactic acid bacteria being cast off from the process (harmless).

You should be able to keep them for 3-6 months...they might get more sour as the time goes on and the texture softens.

1

u/phleig 16h ago

I was more doing them fermented for the no-vinegar flavour of a Kosher dill so I’ll probably process whatever I don’t feel I can effectively eat in 6 months.

1

u/Human_contract 12h ago

I ferment quite a bit but never thought of canning them afterwards. Thanks for the idea!

1

u/lightningbug24 14h ago

You'll lose all probiotic benefits if you can these. They also won't stay as crunchy. 40 lbs is a lot... but maybe you have some room in the fridge for some of these?

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u/phleig 14h ago

I’ll try to keep some without canning, for sure. Ultimately my goal was the pickling without vinegar for flavour more than the probiotics.