I really like Claussen pickles.
So, after I eat all the pickles in the jar, I’ve got a jar with brine in it. If I cut up some cucumbers, put them in the jar, put the lid on, and put it in the back of the fridge for some period of time, would I end up with a jar of edible pickles?
Yes, but only if the brine isn’t cloudy and only if you are making refrigerator pickles. The acidity level of used brine cannot be guaranteed to not have significantly changed after being heated, absorbed by the previous vegetables, etc.
Don’t re-use the brine more than twice. You will lose too much volume after that many uses. After the second batch, make pickle-backs with it.
You could “punch it up” a little with some vinegar and salt, like 1 Tbsp each, to compensate for what’s been lost.
Moved to Cafe Society.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
If you can keep the balance of flavors, that’s a good idea. But the whole purpose of this is to “clone” the flavor, and renewing the salt/acid would have to be carefully experimented with.
Easier to just buy a new jar of pickles, really. :smack:
Edible yes, good, not necessarily. And too much time could be dangerous in theory, but I don’t know in the case of pickles in commercial packing brine.
I already responded to this thread, but my reply got eaten. Like your pickles. I will attempt to reconstruct it.
Have you tried making your own pickles? Cursory Googling suggests Claussen’s technique and recipe is easily achievable at home, and, what’s more, customizable.
I grew pickling cukes last year, and it was piss-easy. If you have a bit of soil and a sunny spot, you can grow them too. Probably. You should grow the dill, too. We had lots and lots of different kinds of pickles. I can’t wait for my plants to get going again this year! The variety does make a difference, ‘Boston Pickling’ or ‘Homemade Pickles’ varieties worked well for me last year. Pick them while they’re small for best texture - even REALLY small, if you want to make cornichons. And you should! Mmm!
I have put cucumbers in pickle juice and mine change color rather quickly. I think most recipes call for pouring boiling solution over the cucumbers.
It depends what you’re looking for. Hot brine might be useful if you’re putting up your pickles for a long time, but it changes the texture. The recipe I posted heats the brine just to dissolve the salt, then the cukes are added once cooled. Colour doesn’t really affect the flavour, texture, or longevity of the pickle, so it’s not a characteristic I judge by.
Thanks all.