Part 1

Transcriber Note

Text emphasis denoted as _Italic_.

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARMERS' BULLETIN No. 1438

MAKING FERMENTED PICKLES

INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS for pickling vegetables in brine have been prepared for the use of housewives and producers of pickles, and to meet the needs of extension workers.

Cucumber (salt, sour, sweet, dill, and mixed) pickles and sauerkraut are given most attention. String beans, green tomatoes, chayotes, mango melons, burr gherkins, cauliflower, corn on the cob, and some fruits, such as peaches and pears, are mentioned.

Although intended mainly for guidance in putting up pickles on a small scale in the home, this bulletin may be used also in preparing large quantities on a commercial or semicommercial scale.

This bulletin is a revision of, and supersedes, Farmers' Bulletin 1159.

Washington, D. C. Issued August, 1924

MAKING FERMENTED PICKLES

By Edwin LeFevre, _Scientific Assistant, Microbiological Laboratory, Bureau of Chemistry_

CONTENTS

Page

How brining preserves vegetables 1 Equipment for brining and pickling 2 Supplies for brining and pickling 4 Cucumber pickles 5 Salt pickles 5 Sour pickles 7 Sweet pickles 8 Dill pickles 8 Mixed pickles 10 Sauerkraut 10 Fermentation and salting of vegetables other than, cucumbers and cabbage 11 Causes of failure 12 Coloring and hardening agents 14 Tables and tests 14

ALTHOUGH excellent pickles can be bought on the market at all seasons of the year, many housewives prefer to make their own, particularly when their home gardens afford a plentiful supply of cucumbers.

Brining is a good way to save surplus cucumbers that can not be used or readily sold in the fresh state. Instead of letting them go to waste it is very easy to cure them, after which they may be held as long as desired or until they can be sold to advantage, either in local markets or to pickle manufacturers. Thus growers are protected against loss by overproduction or from inability to speedily market a perishable crop, and the pickle market receives the benefit of a steady supply.

HOW BRINING PRESERVES VEGETABLES

When vegetables are placed in brine the juices and soluble material contained in them are drawn out by the force known as osmosis.

The fermentable sugar present in all fruits and vegetables, which is one of the soluble substances extracted by osmotic action, serves as food for the lactic-acid bacteria which break it down into lactic acid and certain volatile acids. In some vegetables, like cucumbers and cabbage, where the supply of sugar is ample and other conditions are favorable to the growth of the lactic bacteria, a decided acid formation takes place, constituting a distinct fermentation. The acid brine thus formed acts upon the vegetable tissues, bringing about the changes in color, taste, and texture which mark the pickled state.

As a rule, a solution of salt is used, although some vegetables quickly give up enough moisture to convert dry salt into brine. Salt also hardens or makes firm the vegetables placed in brine and checks the action of organisms which might otherwise destroy the plant tissues.

Cabbage is well preserved in its own brine in the form of sauerkraut. Other vegetables and some fruits may, under certain conditions, be economically preserved by brining. As a rule, however, canning is preferable for these products, because food values and natural flavors are better preserved by that method. Lack of time, a shortage of cans, or an oversupply of raw material may justify the preservation of vegetables other than cucumbers and cabbage by curing in brine.

EQUIPMENT FOR BRINING AND PICKLING

Stone jars are the most convenient and desirable receptacles (fig. 1) for making small quantities of pickles. Stoneware is much more easily kept clean and absorbs objectionable odors and flavors to a smaller extent than wood. Straight-side, open-top jars, which come in practically all sizes, from 1 to 20 gallons, are best for this purpose. Those used for the directions given in this bulletin are 4-gallon jars which hold about 12 pounds (one-fourth bushel) of cucumbers. If only very small quantities of pickles are put up, wide-mouth bottles or glass jars will do.

Water-tight kegs or barrels are best for making larger quantities of pickles. Those used for the directions given in this bulletin are barrels holding from 40 to 45 gallons. They must first be washed, or possibly charred, to remove all undesirable odors and flavors. Undesirable flavors may be removed by using solutions of potash or soda lye. A strong solution of lye should remain in the barrel for several clays, after which the barrel should be thoroughly soaked and washed with hot water until the lye is removed.

Boards about an inch thick make the best covers. These may be of any kind of wood, except yellow or pitch pine, which would give the pickles an undesirable flavor. They should be from 1 to 2 inches less in diameter than the inside of the jar or barrel, so that they may be easily removed. Dipping the covers in paraffin and then burning them over with a flame fills the pores of the wood, thus making it comparatively easy to keep them clean. Heavy plates of suitable size may be used instead of boards as covers for small containers.

A clean white cloth is often needed to cover the material in the jar or barrel. Two or three thicknesses of cheesecloth or muslin, cut in circular form, and about 6 inches larger in diameter than the inside of the receptacle, makes a suitable covering. Sometimes grape, beet, or cabbage leaves are used for this purpose. Grape leaves are a good covering for dill pickles, and cabbage leaves for sauerkraut.

In addition to the jars, crocks, or kegs in which the pickles are made, 2-quart glass jars are needed for packing the finished product. If corks are used for sealing such containers, they should first be dipped in hot paraffin.

When vegetables which have been fermented in a weak brine are to be kept for any length of time, air must be excluded from them. This may be done by sealing the containers with paraffin, beeswax, or oil. Paraffin, the cheapest and probably the best of these three substances, is easily handled and readily separated from the pickles when they are removed from the containers. To remove any dirt, the paraffin should be heated and strained through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Thus the paraffin may be used over and over again. The clean paraffin is melted and poured over the surface of the pickles in quantities sufficient to make, when hardened, a solid coating about half an inch thick. Where there are vermin, lids should be placed over the paraffin in jars and other covers should be placed over the paraffin in kegs. If applied before active fermentation has stopped, the seal may be broken by the formation of gas below the layer, making it necessary to remove the paraffin, heat it again, and once more pour it over the surface.

In many cases a safer and better plan for preserving vegetables fermented in a weak brine is to transfer the pickled product to glass jars as soon as fermentation is completed and seal tightly.

Almost anything which furnishes the required pressure will serve as a weight to hold the mass down in a jar or keg. Clean stones (except limestone) and bricks are recommended.

A pair of kitchen scales and suitable vessels for determining liquid measure are, of course, essential.

The salinometer, an instrument for measuring the salt strength of a brine, is very useful, although not absolutely necessary, in brining (fig. 2). By following the directions given here it will be possible to make brines of the required strength without the use of this instrument. Results may be readily checked, however, and any changes in brine strength which occur from time to time may be detected by the use of the salinometer.

The salinometer scale is graduated into 100 degrees, which indicate the range of salt concentration between 0°, the reading for pure water at 60° F,; and 100°, which indicates a saturated salt solution (26½ per cent). Table 1 (page 14) shows the relation between salinometer readings and salt percentages.

Salinometers are sold for about $1 each by firms dealing in chemical apparatus and supplies.

A sugar hydrometer is very useful in all canning and pickling work. Either the Brix or Balling scale may be used. Both read directly in percentages of sugar in a pure sugar solution. A Balling hydrometer, graduated from 0° to 70°, is a convenient instrument for the tests indicated in this bulletin.

SUPPLIES FOR BRINING AND PICKLING

SALT

Fine table salt is not necessary. What is known as common fine salt, or even coarser grades, may be used. Caked or lumpy salt can not be equally distributed. Salt to which anything has been added to prevent caking is not recommended for pickling and brining. Alkaline impurities in the salt are especially objectionable. Any noncaking salt which contains less than 1 per cent of the carbonates or bicarbonates of sodium, calcium, or magnesium may be used for this purpose.

VINEGAR

A good, clear vinegar of 40 to 60 grain strength (4 to 6 per cent acetic acid) is required in making sour, sweet, and mixed pickles, and is sometimes used for dill pickles. Many pickle manufacturers prefer distilled vinegar, as it is colorless and free from sediment. If fruit vinegars are used they should first be filtered to remove all sediment.

SUGAR

Granulated sugar should be used in making sweet pickles. The quantity of sugar required for each gallon of vinegar in making sweet liquors is shown in Table 3 (p. 15).

SPICES

Spices are used to some extent in making nearly all kinds of pickles, but chiefly for sweet, mixed, and dill pickles. Various combinations are used, depending on the kind of pickles to be made and the flavor desired.

Peppers (black and cayenne), cloves, cinnamon, celery seed, caraway, dill herb, mustard (yellow), allspice, cardamom, bay leaves, coriander, turmeric, and mace, are the principal whole spices for this purpose. Ginger and horse-radish root are used sometimes. All of these spices may be purchased in bulk and mixed as desired. Mixed whole spices, specially prepared for pickling purposes, sold in the stores, are, as a rule, satisfactory. Care should be taken to see that they are of proper strength.

Oil spices may be desirable under some circumstances, but their effect is not so lasting as that of the whole spices.

Turmeric has been much used in both the commercial and household preparation of pickles. While some of its qualities entitle it to be classed among the spices, it does not rank in importance as such with the others named. It is employed largely because of its supposed effect on the color of pickles, which is probably overestimated.

Dill herb is practically always used with cucumbers when they are fermented in a weak brine and often with other vegetables fermented in this way. It gives the pickle a distinct flavor which is very popular. The dill herb, a native of southern Europe, can be grown in nearly all parts of the United States and usually is obtainable in the markets of the larger cities. While the entire stalk of the dill herb is of value for flavoring, the seeds are best suited for imparting the desired flavor. For this reason the crop should be harvested only after the seeds have become fully mature but are not so ripe that they fall off. The herb may be used green, dried, or brined. When green or brined dill is used, twice as much by weight as would be required if the dried herb were used is taken. Dill retains its flavor for a long time when brined. To preserve it in this way it should be packed in a 60° brine, or in an 80° brine if it is to be kept for a long time. Dill brine is as good as the herb for flavoring.

CUCUMBER PICKLES

Because of their shape, firmness, or keeping quality some varieties of cucumbers are better adapted for making pickles than others. Among the best of the pickling varieties are the Chicago Pickling, Boston Pickling, and Snow's Perfection. Cucumbers of practically all varieties, sizes, and shapes, however, make good pickles.[1]

[1] Information on the cultivation of cucumbers, and the diseases and enemies which attack them, may be obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Cucumbers to be pickled should retain from one-eighth to one-fourth inch of their stems, and they should not be bruised. If dirty they should be washed before brining. They should be placed in brine not later than 24 hours after they have been gathered.

Cucumbers contain approximately 90 per cent of water. As this large water content reduces materially the salt concentration of any brine in which they are fermented, it is necessary to add an excess of salt at the beginning of a fermentation in the proportion of 1 pound for every 10 pounds of cucumbers.

The active stage of cucumber fermentation continues for 10 to 30 days, depending largely on the temperature at which it is conducted. The most favorable temperature is 86° F.

Practically all the sugar withdrawn from the cucumbers is utilized during the stage of active fermentation, at the end of which the brine reaches its highest degree of acidity. During this period the salt concentration should not be materially increased: for, although the lactic bacteria are fairly tolerant of salt, there is a limit to their tolerance. The addition of a large quantity of salt at this time would reduce their acid-forming power just when this is essential to a successful fermentation. Salt, therefore, should be added gradually over a period of weeks.

SALT PICKLES

Salt pickles, or salt stock, are made by curing cucumbers in a brine which should contain not less than 9.5 per cent of salt (approximately 36° on the salinometer scale) at the start. Not only must the brine be kept at this strength, but salt should be added until it has a concentration of about 15 per cent (60° on the salinometer scale). If well covered with a brine of this strength, the surface of which is kept clean, pickles will keep indefinitely.

Proper curing of cucumbers requires from six weeks to two months, or possibly longer, according to the temperature at which the process is carried out and the size and variety of the cucumbers. Attempts to use short cuts or to make pickles overnight, as is sometimes advised, are based on a mistaken idea of what really constitutes a pickle.

Curing of cucumbers is marked by an increased firmness, a greater degree of translucency, and a change in color from pale green to dark or olive green. These changes are uniform throughout the perfectly cured specimen. So long as any portion of a pickle is whitish or opaque it is not perfectly cured.

After proper processing in water, salt pickles may be eaten as such or they may be converted into sour pickles (p. 7), sweet pickles (p. 8), or mixed pickles (p. 10).

SMALL QUANTITIES

Pack the cucumbers in a 4-gallon jar and cover with 6 quarts of a 10 per cent brine (40° on salinometer scale). At the time of making up the brine, or not later than the following day, add more salt at the rate of 1 pound for every 10 pounds of cucumbers used--in this case 1 pound and 3 ounces. This is necessary to maintain the strength of the brine.

Cover with a round board or plate that will go inside the jar, and on top of this place a weight heavy enough to keep the cucumbers well below the surface of the brine.

At the end of the first week, and at the end of each succeeding week for five weeks, add one-fourth pound of salt. In adding salt always place it on the cover. If it is added directly to the brine, it may sink, as a result of which the salt solution at the bottom will be very strong, while that near the surface may be so weak that the pickles will spoil.

A scum, made up usually of wild yeasts and molds, forms on the surface. As this may prove injurious by destroying the acidity of the brine, remove it by skimming.

LARGE QUANTITIES

Put into a barrel 5 to 6 inches of a 40° brine (Table 1, p. 14) and add 1 quart of good vinegar. In this brine place the cucumbers as they are gathered. Weigh the cucumbers each time before they are added. Put a loose-fitting wooden cover over the cucumbers and weight it down with a stone heavy enough to bring the brine over the cover. After the cover and stone have been replaced add to the brine over the cover 1 pound of salt for every 10 pounds of cucumbers.

Unless the cucumbers are added too rapidly, it will be unnecessary to add more brine, for when a sufficient weight is maintained on the cover the cucumbers make their own brine. If, however, the cucumbers are added rapidly, or if the barrel is filled at once, more brine may be required. In such a case, add enough of the 40° brine to cover the cucumbers.

When the barrel is full, add 3 pounds of salt each week for five weeks (15 pounds to a 45-gallon barrel). In adding the salt, place it on the cover. Added in this way it goes into solution slowly, insuring a brine of uniform strength throughout and a gradually increasing salt concentration. Thus, shriveling of the pickles is prevented to a great extent and the growth and activity of the lactic bacteria are not seriously checked.

Stirring or agitation of the brine may be harmful for the reason that the introduction of air bubbles is conducive to the growth of spoilage bacteria.

From time to time remove the scum which forms on the surface.

Where cucumbers are grown extensively for the production of pickles, curing is done in large tanks at salting stations. While it involves certain details of procedure not required in barrel quantities, this method of curing is essentially the same.

PROCESSING

After being cured in brine, pickles must receive a processing in water to remove the excess of salt. If they are to be used as salt pickles, only a partial processing is required. If, however, they are to be made into sour, sweet, or mixed pickles, the salt should be largely, but not completely, removed. Pickles keep better when the salt is not entirely soaked out.

Under factory conditions, processing is accomplished by placing the pickles in tanks, which are then filled with water and subjected to a current of steam, the pickles being agitated meanwhile. In most homes, however, the equipment for such treatment is not available.

The best that can be done in the home is to place the pickles in a suitable vessel, cover them with water, and heat them slowly to about 120° F., at which temperature they should be held for from 10 to 12 hours, being stirred frequently. The water is then poured off, and the process is repeated, if necessary, until the pickles have only a slightly salty taste.

SORTING

After processing, the pickles should be sorted. To secure the most attractive product, pickles should be as nearly as possible of uniform size. At least three sizes are recognized--small (2 to 3 inches long) , medium (3 to 4 inches long), and large (4 inches or longer). Only the small sizes are selected for bottling. Fairly small and medium-large cucumbers are well adapted to the making of sweet pickles. The larger sizes may be used for sour and dill pickles. Imperfectly formed pickles, the so-called crooks and nubs, can be cut up and added to mixed pickles or other combinations of which cucumbers form a part. The number of pickles of various sizes required to make a gallon is shown in Table 4, page 16.

SOUR PICKLES

After pickles have been processed sufficiently, drain them well and cover them at once with vinegar. A 45 or 50 grain vinegar usually gives all the sourness that is desirable. If, however, very sour pickles are preferred, it would be well to use at first a 45-grain vinegar, and after a week or 10 days transfer the pickles to a vinegar of the strength desired. As the first vinegar used will in all cases be greatly reduced in strength by dilution with the brine contained in the pickles, it will be necessary to renew the vinegar after a few weeks. If this is not done and the pickles are held for any length of time they may spoil.

The best containers for sour pickles are stone jars, or, for large quantities, kegs or barrels. Covered with a vinegar of the proper strength, pickles should keep indefinitely.

SWEET PICKLES

Cover the cured and processed cucumbers with a sweet liquor made by dissolving sugar in vinegar, usually with the addition of spices. Depending upon the degree of sweetness desired, the quantity of sugar may vary from 4 to 10 pounds to the gallon of vinegar, 6 pounds to the gallon usually giving satisfactory results. The chief difficulty in making sweet pickles is their tendency to become shriveled and tough, which increases with the sugar concentration of the liquor. This danger can usually be avoided by covering the pickles first with a plain 45 to 50 grain vinegar. After one week discard this vinegar, which in all probability has become greatly reduced in strength, and cover with a liquor made by adding 4 pounds of sugar to the gallon of vinegar. It is very important that the acidity of the liquor used on pickles be kept as high as possible. A decrease in acidity much below a 30-grain strength may permit the growth of yeasts, with resulting fermentation and spoilage.

If a liquor containing more than 4 pounds of sugar to the gallon is desired, it would be best not to .exceed that quantity at first, but gradually add sugar until the desired concentration is obtained. A sugar hydrometer readily and accurately indicates the sugar concentration (p. 4). A reading of 42° (Brix or Balling) would indicate a concentration of approximately 6 pounds of sugar to the gallon of vinegar. (Table 3, p. 15.)

Spices are practically always added in making sweet pickles. The effect of too much spice, especially the stronger kinds, like peppers and cloves, however, is injurious. One ounce of whole mixed spices to 4 gallons of pickles is enough. As spices may cause cloudiness of the vinegar, they should be removed after the desired flavor has been obtained. Heating is an aid to a better utilization of the spice. Add the required quantity of spice, in a cheesecloth bag, to the vinegar and hold at the boiling point for not longer than half an hour. Heating too long causes the vinegar to darken. If considered desirable, add sugar at this time, and pour at once over the pickles.

If the pickles are to be packed in bottles or jars, after such preliminary treatment as may be required, transfer them to these containers and cover them with a liquor made as desired.

DILL PICKLES

The method for making dill pickles differs from that for making salt pickles in two important particulars. A much weaker brine is used, and spices, chiefly dill, are added.

Because of the weaker salt concentration, a much more rapid curing takes place. As a result they can be made ready for use in about half the time required for ordinary brined pickles. This shortening of the period of preparation, however, is gained at the expense of the keeping quality of the product. For this reason it is necessary to resort to measures which will prevent spoilage.

SMALL QUANTITIES