How to Make Pickles Without Canning

Tap to Read ➤ Kulbhushaan Raghuvanshi

Canned foods are usually considered unhealthy due to the high content of sodium in them. Know more about making homemade pickles without canning them.

A liking and fondness towards pickles have always been a famous characteristic of Americans, Polish, and the Polish Americans. Not many people know that the founder of the US Amerigo Vespucci was a pickle merchant, so it's safe to say that the connection between the Americans and pickles is from the beginning.

Step out in the departmental store and you will find many brands of pickles just lying there. Their popularity is increasing day by day. So, if your family loves pickles, there's no need to buy them from the market, when you can make them at home.

Making Pickles from Scratch

Most delicious pickles are made from cucumbers and the recipe has been the same since people started eating them. The ingredients of the recipe might have changed but the basic method still remains the same. It's just that instead of earthen crockery, pressure cookers are used.

To make pickles from scratch, you have to start by making a picking solution which is made from vinegar, water, pickling salt, herbs, and pickling spices. For a much sweeter variety of pickles, sugar is used instead of salt.

Make sure you select a good variety of cucumbers. Remember that not all cucumbers can be used for pickles, take help from someone while selecting cucumbers for pickles. Remember to pick cucumbers that are small. Once you have picked the cucumbers wash them individually and check for cucumbers that are hollow from inside.

If you're still not sure, place all the cucumbers in a bowl of water and the hollow ones will float. For a better taste take a hollow crock which is dried and cleaned from inside. To make pickles from scratch make sure you use the normal home water as soft water makes better pickles while hard water discolors them.

If your pickle needs to be boiled, make sure there's enough space in the container for it to boil. Now place the mixture in a tight jar and allow it to cool for a few hours and then you can have these delicious pickles for lunch or snack. Canning pickles is considered as an unhealthy option by many as it involves including lots of artificial preservatives.

How to Make Pickles Crisp

As popular as cucumbers have become among people, making a homemade pickle is a better option than buying it from a supermarket. So here's a recipe to make delicious homemade pickle.

Ingredients Cucumbers, 2 lb. Jalapeño, 5 sliced Onions finely sliced Thyme or any herb 2 sprigs Bay leaves Mustard seeds, 2 tsp. Coriander seeds, 1½ tsp. Whole peppercorns, 1 tsp. Cider vinegar, 1 tsp. Sugar, 1 cup Kosher salt, 2 tbsp.

Preparations Slice the cucumbers and place into two quart size jars along with onions, jalapeños, and garlic. Add sugar, salt, water, herbs, and spices in a saucepan and heat it till it boils. Now, pour the heated mixture on the cucumber and let it cool. Close the crock and let it cool for at least 2 hours. Serve cold.

Making Pickles in a Crock

Now most people prefer their pickles old style and if you are one of them, here's a special recipe just for you.

Ingredients Cucumbers, 3 long Boiling water, 3 gallons equally divided in 3 containers Sugar, 14 cups Alum, 1 tbsp. Granulated salt, 2 cups Vinegar, 2 qt. Pickling spice, ½ cup

Preparation Wash all the cucumbers well and put them in a large crock. add salt and pour the first gallon of boiling water. Cover the crock and store it in a cool place for a week. Now drain off the brine and add the second gallon of boiling water and let it stay overnight. Drain the second gallon also.

Now add the third gallon and also dissolve the alum in it, let it stay for overnight and drain it. In a saucepan heat the sugar, vinegar, and spice together and pour them over the pickles. Let them stay for few hours and keep the pickle to cool and serve it with your favorite food.