# hot water bath pickles or just cap and let seal



## preparing (Aug 4, 2011)

I want to just can hot and put lid and ring on to allow to seal as it cools (just like I do beets)

Can I do that safely?


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## imthedude (Jun 7, 2011)

i water bath.


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## Feisty Farm (Apr 10, 2012)

I water bath for 10 minutes. My grandpa always just lets them seal. I do not think that this is a short cut that is worth it. I have never had it change the crispness of my pickles either. Mine are still crunchy at over a year old.


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## preparing (Aug 4, 2011)

thank you I have them in a bath


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## staceyfb (Jan 13, 2005)

How do you keep them crunchy? Mine are always soft.


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## Saffron (May 24, 2006)

I do not water bath or process - it always softens my pickles.

I just hot pack, put the lid on, turn upside down, and let cool.
Never had an issue.


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## my3boys (Jan 18, 2011)

Well, if you want to go by the current recommendations from the USDA, they say it is no longer considered safe to not process. Your jars may seal without it, but the processing kills any bad guys that got in there during the process of filling the jars until you put on the lids. This also goes for canning without processing something that has been cooked, aka the "open kettle" method, like with jams, relishes, etc.

They also no longer recommend turning the jars upside down, which is how we did it for years, I know. Of course, many have done things the old way for years and never had a problem.

I do fresh-pack pickles and add Pickle Crisp to the jars and they turn out fine as far as crispiness goes. I only seem to have a problem with softness when I brine them beforehand.

ETA: I hope I haven't come across as criticizing here. In fact, I eat my BFF's canned applesauce and jams and she turns all her jars upside down and doesn't bother to process her jams.


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## Feisty Farm (Apr 10, 2012)

The water bath has nothing to do with whether the pickles are crunchy or not. They key is to use cold cukes. I always put my cucumbers in the fridge for at least 24 hours before using. I can take a room temp cuke and a cold cuke and make two jars of pickles. Process them the same (in the same batch). The jar using the cold cukes will remain crunchy, the jar with the room temp cukes will not. Also, make sure you are chilling your pickles before you eat them. That will help as well. My pickles are very crunchy, and I do not do anything but cool them, cut them and cover them with the brine. Then I waterbath.


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