Canning pickles

[Lori French]

I used to make pickles, eons ago, but never had a lot of luck with keeping them crisp. Used fresh cukes, tried with lime without, with cream of tarter, without......... Not sure what the issue is and now DD wants to try her hand at it and is looking for advice.
The only thing that comes to mind is that maybe my timing isn't right, using the hot water bath method. If your water is boiling when you start putting your jars in, is that when you start the timing process, or do you wait until it reboils? Or do you use some entirely different canning method? We are open to anything that creates a crisp dill pickle!

[gillmings]

Well, I know that you measure from the time it comes back to a boil.

I don't know if you CAN keep them crisp if they're cooked enough to water-bath can them. All the "crisp" varieties that you buy in the store are the refrigerated kind. If you're really motivated, you could try using a steam canner, as that doesn't take as long to get up to temp, so you wouldn't end up "cooking" them as long (but it still might be too long). I borrowed one from a friend one time, and made my DH buy me one right away, as I refused to ever water-bath again. It's the same principle, but you're only heating 8 cups of water in the bottom, rather than a whole pot full. Back to Basics makes the one I own and I LOVE it (well, as much as anyone can love a piece of CANNING equipment! LOL). Way less mess, too, and doesn't take up as much space on your stove.

[Lori French]

Thanks, Moyne!
I *thought* I researched hot water bath times and discovered the same thing, just wasn't sure.... I was hoping someone would tell me you should start timing as soon as you dropped the jars into the water, LOL!

The steam canner looks very interesting. What are you canning with it? Do you use the same times as a hot water bath or do they provide recommended times? Have you tried pickles? Does it concern you that it is just another version of inversion canning, one of the many varieties that the USDA does not approve? It doesn't me, particularly, but curious about others' thoughts....

[gillmings]

No, it is NOT inversion canning. The water underneath is boiling the entire time, and the steam is circulating AT THAT SAME TEMPERATURE the entire time, enclosed in the "lid". (Actually, steam can get hotter than boiling water.)

Anyway, the booklet that came with mine includes info on research done at the University of Utah, proving the efficacy of the canner. Here's a link with some info on Amazon:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-400A-Steam-Canner/dp/B0000DDUCJ"]Amazon.com: Back to Basics Steam Canner: Kitchen & Dining[/ame]

I have canned tomatoes (all incarnations), apple sauce, and apple butter with it. You can use it for anything you could water bath can, times are equivalent. You can't use it for anything that would have to be pressure-canned, of course. When the water comes to a boil, you put the jars on the rack, put the top on, and watch for the steam to start pouring out of the hole at the bottom of the lid. When it forms a steady stream, you start measuring the same amount of time given for water bath ,and keep the burner adjusted to keep the steam stream at the right amount. Easy-peasy! In my experience, they seal much faster than with water bath. Often, while I'm transferring the jar from the rack to the towel, it "pops" right away. Never had one single problem, and less incidence of jars not sealing and having to be re-processed.

[jhn3mom]

I just about hit "click" on Amazon to buy, but then read the reviews. Some said absolutely do not trust this method for food safety! What have been your results? Sounds like you love it, so are you worried about the warnings? We moved to 5 acres 2 years ago and have fruit trees and muscadine grapes and water bath canning is so much work and takes forever! Have you ever used the pressure canning method? Is it easy too? I have a gallon of figs I need to do something with ASAP, so would appreciate your thoughts!

[Mamasaphire6]

I have used a pressure canner in the past -- I appreciate that it tends to be "safer" with the high temps & pressure. Easy to use and relatively safe as long as you follow the directions. I'll admit I am confused why water bath/steam canning is still so popular when pressure canning is fast and effective

[jhn3mom]

So, pressure canning is pretty safe? I know nothing! Is the price for a pressure canner comparable to the steam canner? I seem to remember dangers of pressure cookers exploding. Any truth to that, or with the pressure canner? I just know water bath canning is not the way to go as we did it this week-end and it was so slow and really heated up the kitchen, and we don't have the proper equipment so my hubby was burning his fingers, almost dropped the jars getting them out of the pot, etc...

[gillmings]

The thing about pressure canning is that it basically cooks the daylights out of the food! You HAVE to use it for many things, but I would never use it for anything that doesn't require it.

I have had nothing but perfect results and safety through over 10 years of using mine, as have my friends who use them. I don't have time to read review on Amazon, but I trust the Utah State's study on it more than someone's opinion (which I would interpret as speculation not facts).

This canner has been on the market for WELL over 10 years (probably closer to 20), with a pretty good-sized, loyal market. I don't believe it still would be, much less sold on Amazon, if people were having problems with unsafe food. Plus, Back to Basics is a long-time, trusted manufacturer of food preparation and processing equipment.

Here's the statement by U.S.U., including differing opinions:

http://extension.usu.edu/files/publi...er/No__002.pdf

But the upshot is if you use it correctly, as recommended by the manufacturer for the appropriate types of foods, it will be safe. When the the two methods were checked, side-by-side for 4 different foods, the temperature inside was equivalent between water-bath and steam.

[Lori French]

Well, Moyne, I trusted you over Amazon's reviewers! Whatever........... It will be shipped to DD in no time, I'm sure, LOL! I do know that just because the government agencies say it's not safe, it just isn't necessarily so.............
And Amazon reviews is where I read it was compared to old time inversion canning............ Though I understand the difference, they were referring to it *possibly* not heating dense vegetable throughout, such as the tomatoes, onnions and peppers in salsa............

Heidi, pressure canners haven't been expoding since your ggrandmothers day, all just old wives tales/rumors not to say that I'd buy one at a yard sale, or anything, I'm just saying............... Very safe nowadays, but like Moyne said, they cook the dickens out of everything!

[Butterflymama]

Wish I had some advice to give for pickles, but I can't get the darn things to even grow! Cucumber beetles took 'em out this year. We are having terrible bug problems this year.

Thanks for the great info Moyne! I dread water bath canning every summer - it just takes so long to get the thing boiling after adding the jars, and since I stick with tomato products which are acidic and hot packed anyway, I think I'll give this a try.