Extension Explores Pickles

Pickling Contest Information

Sweet and sour? Are you canning pickles this year? Send us your best picture of at least one sweet and one sour jar of home-canned pickles. Photos will be judged on product and creativity of display.  


Email a picture of your 2022 home canned pickles along with your name & county. Send to Paula May by August 26, 2022


The winning photo and participant will be featured in the September Extension Explores newsletter with the winner receiving pickling spices and supplies. 

Email Paula May Your Entry Here

It's Almost Fair Time in Tennessee!


It’s almost summer which means fair season is right around the corner! Save the date for your county fair and get ready to bring your best home preserved items! Click the images below to see them in a PDF document. We have also listed the upcoming fairs in Middle Tennessee along with their dates and websites. 

Trousdale County Fair

July 28-31 & August 4-6

Website

Putnam County Fair

August 4-13

Website

Williamson County Fair

August 5-13

Website


Cheatham County Fair

August 16-20

Website


Wilson County Fair Tennessee State Fair

August 18-27

Website


Van Buren County Fair

August 27-September 3

Website


Maury County Fair

September 1-5

Website

White County Fair

September 2-10

Website


Coffee County Fair

September 3-10

Website


Warren County Fair

September 9-17

Website

Gardening Tips


Heath D. Nokes, Warren County Extension Agricultural Agent shares information on growing cucumbers this month.


Cucumbers are a vine crop such as watermelon and cantaloupe and belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. Interestingly enough, while cucumbers are referred to as vegetables, we actually eat the fruit of the crop. Like all other crops, a blue-ribbon jar of pickles always starts with a soil test. This provide you with the correct amount of fertilizer and lime to use to produce a bumper crop. To begin, optimum pH is around 6.5 and the soil temperature should be 60 F for best germination. They should be ready to harvest in 45 – 65 days.


When planting, we must remember that these are vining crops. Recommended spacing when planting is 12-18 inches in rows with 3-6 ft separating each row. Although uncommon in most home gardens, commercially grown cucumbers are planted on a black plastic mulch. If you have the means and capability, this is an excellent practice that greatly helps with weed control, cuts down on the amount of soilborne diseases and provides a clean area for the fruit to mature.


Cucumbers are susceptible to many bacterial and viral diseases. Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, and Anthracnose are some of the more common diseases. The cucumber beetle and squash bugs are some of the more common insects that attack cucumbers. The cucumber beetle can spread another disease, bacterial wilt when they feed. Widely available fungicides and insecticides can help control or slow the development of disease or insect damage. Cultural methods such as using drip or soaker hoses, keeping weeds under control using disease resistant varieties, cleaning plant debris off in the fall will also help reduce disease. 


Harvest cucumbers when the seeds are still small and flesh is firm. The fruit should still be green as yellowing is an indication of being overripe. The are best stored at 50-55 F with high humidity with about one week of storage life. 


Finally, be sure and contact your local Extension office if you have other questions about cucumbers or growing plants. Click here to find your Extension office information. 


Happy gardening!


To learn more about horticulture check out the UT Hort Website.


Photo Source

Safety Tips for

Pickling


The best reason for pickling at this time of year is the abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit. The fresher the produce, the better the final product. 


Pickling is one of the oldest means of food preservation. Many pickled foods go through fermentation. Refrigerator dills are fermented for about one week. Regular dill pickles and sauerkraut are fermented and cured for about three weeks. During curing, colors and flavors change and acidity increases. 


Vinegar 

White distilled and cider vinegars of 5 percent acidity are recommended. Vinegar gives a tart taste and acts as a preservative. Do not dilute vinegar unless the recipe so specifies. CAUTION: The level of acidity in a pickled product is as important to its safety as it is to taste and texture. If a less sour pickle is preferred, add sugar rather than decrease vinegar. 


Spices 

Use fresh, whole spices for the best flavor in pickles. Powdered spices may cause the product to darken or become cloudy. 

Alum and/or food-grade lime may be safely used to add crispness or firmness to pickles; however, it is unnecessary. A safer method to make crisp pickles is soaking the cucumbers in ice water for 4 to 5 hours before pickling. 


Water Type 

Soft water is recommended for making pickles. Hard water may have an undesirable effect on the color and flavor of pickled products. 


Boiling-Water Can 

Pickle products are subject to spoilage from microorganisms, particularly yeasts and molds, as well as enzymes that may affect flavor, color, and texture. Processing the pickles in a boiling-water canner will prevent these problems. Many older recipes call for pickles to be packed into jars and sealed without processing. This method is no longer recommended. 


Equipment 

When heating pickling liquids, use unchipped enamelware, stainless steel, aluminum or glass pots. Do not use copper, brass, iron or galvanized utensils because they may react with acids or salts and cause undesirable color and flavors, or even form toxic compounds in the pickle mixture. 


For brining or fermenting, use glass, crocks, or food-grade plastic. These containers may be lined inside with a clean food-grade plastic bag. Do not use garbage bags or trash liners. 


Key Points: 

  • Use clean, unchipped canning jars. 
  • Use only pickling variety of cucumbers. 
  • Remove and discard a 1/16-inch slice from the blossom end of fresh cucumbers. Blossoms may contain an enzyme which causes excessive softening of pickles. 
  • Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients. 
  • Do not alter vinegar, food, or water proportions in a recipe or use vinegar with unknown acidity. 
  • There must be a minimum, uniform level of acid throughout the mixed product to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. 


Source

Cucumber Selection


A great pickle starts with a great cucumber. When preparing to make some delicious pickles, perfect for the summer, make sure to pick the best selection of cucumbers. Whether selecting from the garden or the store, here are a few tips on how to do just that! 

  • Cucumbers should be an evenly colored dark green. 
  • Cucumbers should feel firm to the touch. 
  • Cucumbers should not have any soft spots (it’s a sign of spoilage!) 
  • Cucumbers should be wrinkle free! 

Photo source

Troubleshooting


I accidentally limed my pickles in an aluminum pan. Will they be safe to eat? 

Aluminum is not recommended for use with lime because the lime can "pit" the container, increasing the aluminum content of the finished product. This is not a procedure that you would want to do each time you made pickles and then use the product. However, one batch of pickles should not cause health problems. If the container, however, is badly pitted, the best option would be to discard the product. 

 

Why did the garlic cloves in my pickles turn green or bluish green? 

This reaction may be due to iron, tin or aluminum in your cooking pot, water or water pipes reacting with the pigments in the garlic. Or, the garlic may naturally have more bluish pigment and it is more evident after pickling. Immature bulbs should be cured 2-4 weeks at 70°F. The pickles are safe to eat. 


Can I use burpless cucumbers for pickling? 

Burpless cucumbers are not recommended for use in fermented pickles. This is because at their normal mature size, they produce a softening enzyme that causes the pickles to soften during fermentation. However, if smaller burpless cucumbers (those with small seeds) are used, they may be suitable for making fresh pack pickles. The skins on burpless cucumbers may be tough. 

 

Why did the liquid in my dill pickles turn pink? 

Using over mature dill may cause this. If so, the product is still safe. However, yeast growth could also cause this. If yeast growth is evident, discard the pickles. Yeast growth may also make pickles cloudy or slimy. 

 

Why are my pickles hollow inside? 

  • The most common cause is too much time between gathering and pickling. Start processing as soon as possible after picking - preferably within 24 hours. If you cannot begin pickling immediately, refrigerate or spread out the cucumbers in a cool place with good air circulation. 
  • Another cause is using poorly developed cucumbers. Check cucumbers during washing. Hollow cucumbers usually float on top. Use hollow cucumbers for relish or chunk-type pickles. 
  • In fermented or crock pickles, the most common reason for hollow pickles is improper curing. Use proper brine strength and keep the product well-covered. 
  • If the cucumber is too large, over 2 inches across, the pickling solution is not able to penetrate the core properly. Use smaller cucumbers for pickling. 


What caused my pickles to shrivel? 

  • Shriveling happens most often in very sweet or sour pickles. Using too strong a salt, sugar or vinegar solution at the beginning of the pickling process causes shriveling. Measure ingredients carefully when preparing a cucumber pickle that requires the addition of sugar, vinegar or salt over a 3-day to 2-week time. 
  • Whole and large pickles are more likely to shrivel than sliced or chunk pickles. 
  • Overcooking, over processing or not using fresh cucumbers also causes shriveling. 
  • Very dry weather can also contribute to shriveled cucumbers. 
  • Cucumbers lose moisture quickly; even one day at room temperature may lead to hollow-centered or shriveled pickles. 

 

My pickles turned out too soft? 

 

  • Use pickling cucumbers which have a thinner skin, making it easier for the vinegar and salt to enter the flesh to preserve the cucumber. University of Minnesota Winners from the Master Gardener Seed Trials over the last several decades include Chicago Pickling, Cool Breeze, and Little Leaf. Other common pickling varieties include Pickle bush, Straight 8 or Gherkins.  
  • Crispness can also be lost if cucumbers are stored longer than 24 hours in the refrigerator from harvest to pickling.  
  • Pick cucumbers in the cooler parts of the day, before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Avoid harvesting cucumbers during the hot hours because the heat of the day will turn them limp and they become  
  • Thoroughly wash each cucumber, especially around the stem area, where soil can be trapped. Any remaining soil may be a source of bacteria and can cause a soft pickle.  
  • Remove 1/16th” from the blossom end to eliminate enzymes which cause the pickles to become soft.  
  • One of the simplest methods of firming pickles is to use ice. Soak cucumbers or other vegetables in ice water or layer with crushed ice for 4 to 5 hours before pickling. Sometimes this step is combined with a salt solution indicated by the recipe. 


Remember that your local FCS Extension Agent is available to help guide you through any other canning questions. We are happy to help. Click here to find your Extension office information. 

Recipe Using Home Canned Pickled Okra

Pickled Okra Appetizer Rollups 


Ingredients


  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1/4 teaspoon Greek seasoning
  • 1 package slice luncheon ham

Directions 


  1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and Greek seasoning. 
  2. Spread some of the mixture onto a slice of ham. 
  3. Place an okra pod at one end and roll up around the okra. 
  4. Chill for several hours. 
  5. Slice into rounds. 


Recipe developed by Jennifer Banks, Grundy County Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agent

Registration is still open


Do you have family or friends interested in receiving our newsletters? Share this link email with them and remind them to register through the "Register Here" button below. 

Register Here

Extension Explores Resources

Extension Explores Website

Extension Explores YouTube Channel

Extension Explores Content Team

Team Leader

UT-TSU Extension, Cheatham County615-792-4420Aneta Dodd


Team Members

UT-TSU Extension, Bedford County | 931-684-5971Whitney Danhof

UT Extension, Cannon County615-563-2554 | Kristen Jones 

UT-TSU Extension, DeKalb County615-597-4945April Martin

UT Extension, Pickett County931-864-3310 | Amanda Woody 

UT Extension, Robertson County615-384-7936 | Lauren Patterson

UT Extension, Smith County615-735-2900 | Mary Draper

UT Extension, Van Buren County931-946-2435 | Paula May 

UT-TSU Extension, Warren County931-473-8484 | Hilda Lytle 

UT-TSU Extension, Williamson County615-790-5721 | Patsy Watkins 

UT-TSU Extension, Wilson County 615-444-9584 | Shelly Barnes