Hideous Pickles!

C_perugiae · #1 (**permalink**) 08-10-2006, 12:35 PM

Hi all, new to the site, but stumbled across it while searching for a pickle recipe. Now I'm back because I'm pretty sure I just ate worst-tasting thing I've ever made... and I could only swallow one bite...

Yes, I made dill pickles the other night. I'm pretty good at cooking, but have never canned anything and I'm not quite sure what made these go so wrong (well, except one little part...)

Anyway, the recipe called for cider vinegar, dill seed, canning salt, mustard seed, and we also added garlic, red peppers, and peppercorns to some of the jars. I did short the jars a bit on dill seed (that's the part I know I made a mistake), which I'm sure had some to do with the taste, but I was amazed at how horribly these things stunk of cider vinegar! I really hate cider vinegar, but the recipes I found called for it, so I figured the dill was supposed to cover the taste.

Can't I just use white vinegar, or are dill pickles really made with the cider all the time? As long as the acidity is correct, seems like it would be safe...

The other problem I had with these is they came out all rubbery and soft. Eew. I've been trying to do a web search for the last few minutes just to find out if there's a way to remedy this, but I'm not making much headway. I figured it'd probably be easier if I just posted here and started whining... then someone could dig me out of this pit.

I still have more cukes coming from the backyard, so I'll have enough to be able to try again next week sometime, but I'm definitely not going to go through all that work just to find out they're disgusting again... if any of you have good recipes or tips for a boiling canner, please let me know.

Thanks!
Sarah

ajrsmom · #2 (**permalink**) 08-10-2006, 12:55 PM

Hi Sara, I can't offer any help to your pickle problem but I wanted to say Welcome Back to FC!!

My Mom used to make pickles and right off the top of my head, your ingredients sound right.

I hope that someone here can help you with a solution!!

Tami

AnnaInOhio · #3 (**permalink**) 08-13-2006, 04:22 PM

Sarah

Welcome to FC.

I made pickles many years ago and wasn't pleased with mine either, I had followed a pkg. mix recipe but it my pickles were soft. If I can find my Ball Blue book with the recipe I'll post it here. I would suggest if you plan to do alot of canning to either buy the book or check one out at the library. While canning can be fun and frugal it can also be deadly if not done right "botulism".

Anna

ellenmelon · #4 (**permalink**) 08-13-2006, 04:39 PM

My pickles weren't crisp either until I used alum but then I used too much and they were crisp but tasted like aluminum! So I think refrigerator pickles are a good choice. Put your sliced cucumbers into some pickle juice you have saved from store bought kinds and refrigerate. Use within 3 weeks.

infcont · #5 (**permalink**) 08-14-2006, 09:23 AM

I have a couple of little cookbooks from Heinz about pickle making. Everything I made came out great. I especially love the bread and butter pickles. Try their website and see if they still have the books or recipes on-line. If not, I can send some off.
Great year for cukes!

hummingbird_0331 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-14-2006, 09:46 PM

infcont!! PLEASE Do list them [email protected] Id LOVE To have some canned pickles!!

I cant find any around here and Ive been wanting some sooooo bad!!

I used to eat them as a kid, a family freidn made them for me and now we dont know where they are! so I dont get any!!

Id like any recipes I can get thats good and turns out!!