Tips For Making Crunchy, Crispy, Cucumber Pickles
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
Posts: 5,012
Tips For Making Crunchy, Crispy, Cucumber Pickles
These tips were all taken from culturesforhealth.com:
- Add a few leaves of something with tannin in it, s/a oak, grape, bay, horseradish, even a teaspoon of loose, black tea.
- Remove the Blossom End. The end of the cucumber contains enzymes that soften pickles. Use a knife to remove a thin slice from the end, to preserve the firm texture.
- Ferment your pickles in a cool location. Don't let them get too warm during the summer months. (The fridge is probably too cold though.)
- Puncture the skin of your cucumbers before you start to ferment them. This allows the brine to penetrate the whole cuke.
- Use smaller cucumbers...more skin...more crunch.
~ C
- Add a few leaves of something with tannin in it, s/a oak, grape, bay, horseradish, even a teaspoon of loose, black tea.
- Remove the Blossom End. The end of the cucumber contains enzymes that soften pickles. Use a knife to remove a thin slice from the end, to preserve the firm texture.
- Ferment your pickles in a cool location. Don't let them get too warm during the summer months. (The fridge is probably too cold though.)
- Puncture the skin of your cucumbers before you start to ferment them. This allows the brine to penetrate the whole cuke.
- Use smaller cucumbers...more skin...more crunch.
~ C
#2
ooOooo, add a bit of loose tea. I'll try that. Fresh summer cucumbers are a favorite here. We don't grow them and they are always so waxy from the store. I scrub them, but still 'peel them carelessly' so there is some green for color.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 490
These tips were all taken from culturesforhealth.com:
- Add a few leaves of something with tannin in it, s/a oak, grape, bay, horseradish, even a teaspoon of loose, black tea.
- Remove the Blossom End. The end of the cucumber contains enzymes that soften pickles. Use a knife to remove a thin slice from the end, to preserve the firm texture.
- Ferment your pickles in a cool location. Don't let them get too warm during the summer months. (The fridge is probably too cold though.)
- Puncture the skin of your cucumbers before you start to ferment them. This allows the brine to penetrate the whole cuke.
- Use smaller cucumbers...more skin...more crunch.
~ C
- Add a few leaves of something with tannin in it, s/a oak, grape, bay, horseradish, even a teaspoon of loose, black tea.
- Remove the Blossom End. The end of the cucumber contains enzymes that soften pickles. Use a knife to remove a thin slice from the end, to preserve the firm texture.
- Ferment your pickles in a cool location. Don't let them get too warm during the summer months. (The fridge is probably too cold though.)
- Puncture the skin of your cucumbers before you start to ferment them. This allows the brine to penetrate the whole cuke.
- Use smaller cucumbers...more skin...more crunch.
~ C
Add alum to your liquid.
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: The Deep South near Cajun Country, USA
Posts: 5,435
I find this interesting that no one mentions whether these are sweet pickles, bread & butter pickles or dill pickles. Do these suggestions work for all the types of pickles? When I saw ferment, I thought probably dill? Am I wrong?
#9
Power Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 17,861
Agree ...... I was always told that alum gave dill pickles their crunch.
Can't answer your questions specifically, BarbInLouisianna ....However, the only recipe where I have seen or use alum is for dill pickles.
Can't answer your questions specifically, BarbInLouisianna ....However, the only recipe where I have seen or use alum is for dill pickles.
Last edited by QuiltE; 07-05-2020 at 10:38 AM.
#10
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Midwest
Posts: 22
Tips For Making Crunchy, Crispy, Cucumber Pickles
I have an easy recipe for a crisp sweet pickle. It would take a while to type. I will gladly share (copy & paste) if you are interested and allow me to pm you.
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