# Not processing pickles.



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

I just bought a bunch of small cukes for whole dill pickles and was talking to the farmer's wife about canning them. She heats her jars and the vinegar mix she pours over top of them but does not water bath the pickles-to keep them crisp. 

I know this isn't FDA approved but does anyone else do this with success? She said that the heat of the jars and the vinegar would seal them-but my concern is keeping them crisp. 

Thoughts?


----------



## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

I dont water bath my peppers when I do them that way and it seems to work- dont know about pickles


----------



## SlaterCreek (Nov 28, 2009)

I do it this way as well. Usually all the jars seal up fine. I use a recipe that was past down from my Grandmother. I tried to water bath them one time and they turned out soggy. I would also like to know if it is truly safe or not, but that being said they are crisp pickels


----------



## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

You are trading off safety for crispness using this very old method so it is your choice. Ever since the studies proved that pH does not remain stable during storage and that both botulism and listeria can grow in even an acidic environment, skipping the processing hasn't been considered safe. Unfortunately some still do it using the "no one has died yet" justification for the outdated practices such as this.

The loss of the safety factor has never been acceptable to me when the crispness issue is so easily resolved by using Pickle Crisp (calcium chloride) or even ice water and lime pre-soak. Even with the hazards of using lime, when done correctly, it is still safer in the long run than skipping the processing.

And to be fair, the safety would also be affected by which recipe you use. If pickled in 100% vinegar skipping the processing would 'probably' be safe (though not recommended) but a recipe that is an old one and that calls for less than 75% vinegar or less wouldn't be.

Do yourself and those who will eat your pickles a favor and by some Pickle Crisp or a small container of calcium chloride readily available in bulk from several sources and process your pickles.


----------



## homeschool6 (Mar 2, 2005)

At my house we eat a LOT of pickles. My MIL and myself pickle them without processing for those that we will be eating in the next month or so and then process the rest.


----------

