Learn how to make the best crisp pickles with these tips and tricks for making pickles. We’ve tried dozens of ways to make pickles over the years and compiled our best advice to help you make your own pickles.
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The Secrets To Making Crisp Pickles
Soft mushy pickles are a plague to the homemade pickle maker, just how do you make those perfect crisp pickles? For years we’ve tried to make pickles but they always came out so mushy- until we learned the secrets to making a perfect pickle.
Secret #1 For Crisp Pickles
The first and most important step when it comes to crisp pickles is to start with small firm cucumbers. If you start off with giant mushy cucumbers you are setting yourself up for failure. Always pick the smaller firm cucumbers to go in your pickle jar over the big overgrown ones.
We actually grow special pickling cucumbers
for our pickles, because they make for a more crisp pickle. We’ve tried making pickles out of regular cucumbers and they always come out mushy.
Secret #2 For Crisp Pickles
Make your cucumbers as soon after harvesting as possible. The longer they sit the more likely you’ll get mushy pickles instead of the delectable crisp pickles we all love. Try to pick your cucumbers early in the morning before 9 AM, veggies picked early in the day tend to be sweeter and crisper.
Crisp Pickles Secret #3
Cutting off the blossom end of your cucumbers before making them into pickles can help you get a nice crisp pickle. The blossom end contains an enzyme that can make your pickles mushy. Cut off at least 1 1/6th inches of the end of your cucumbers.
How To Make Crisp Pickles Secret #4
Soaking cucumbers in ice water for 30 minutes before processing them can help you get crunchy pickles. If you can’t process your cucumbers right away store them in the fridge in a bowl of water that can help them stay fresh and firm.
Crunchy Pickles Secret #5
Adding tannin in the form of oak leaves, grape leaves, or even black tea to your jars can help you get that crispy pickle. If you have these on hand it can’t hurt to add them to your jars.
Making Crunch Pickles Secret #6
Another way to make crisp pickles is by adding pickle crisp
to your batches of pickles. You can usually pick these up in your local grocery store on the canning supply aisle.
Making Crisp Pickles
So now you know how to make deliciously crispy pickles, so how do you actually make the pickles? We knew you’d ask! Here are our favorite pickle recipes for you:
Have a tip for making a crisp pickle? Drop it in the comments!
Before you go check out these other preserving and canning recipes:
- The Best Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
- Best Copycat Rotel Tomatoes and Chilies Recipe
- How To Can Beef Stew For Beginners
- 11 Must-Have Canning Supplies
- The Best Homemade Ketchup Recipe
- Reusable Canning Lids: Tattler Lids Review
- Canning Green Beans
- Canning Beef With A Pressure Canner
- Canning Peaches
- Canning Crushed Tomatoes
- 7 Of The Best Preserving Pears Recipes
- Pear Butter Recipe
- Blueberry Preserves
- Delicious Blackberry Preserves
- Apple Orange Preserves
- Cherry Pie Filling
- Caramel Pear Pie Recipe
- Food Preservation | 10 Best Ways Of Preserving Food At Home
- Pickled Eggs Recipe
- Zucchini Relish
- Delicious Three Bean Salad
- How To Make Sauerkraut
- Homemade Dill Pickle Chips Recipe
- The #1 Best Homemade Claussen Pickles Recipe
- How To Grow A Kombucha Scoby
- How To Make Kombucha Tea
- How To Make Apple Cider Vinegar In 6 Easy Steps
Canning And Preserving Videos:
- Pickled Okra
- Canning Carrots
- Canning Beef Stew
- How To Can Raw Packed Beef
- Preserving Cabbage
- Homemade Apple Pie Filling
- Homemade Canned Cranberry Sauce
- Claussen Style Refrigerator Pickles
- Canning Chicken Broth
- How To Make Sourdough Starter
Apⲣreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.
We hope you like it!