A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Question on Canning

guys, i opened my first jar of pickles today, and went to have some and found that the flavor is all there, but its WAY to damn vinegary!

heres the RECIPE for them, and i found that the recipe is way too vinegary! The taste despite the overabundance of vinegar is quite on! Very much kosher dill pickles, but could use half as much vinegar as the recipe calls for!

My question to you is, this is a fermenting recipe, and these pickles CAN and will sit fresh (when propperly canned) for a year or more! But i've read of making sure you have the right acidity level in your brine, and i'm wondering if i cut the vinegar by 1/2 if it will affect the process/potential of it staying on the shelf for so long?

help! These are way too vinegary!

What percentage vinegar did you use?Most call for 4- 5 perecent acidity- usally white vinegar. Have to be carefull with lowering the acidty because it is needed to boil can. Too low, and you will have to steam can them!

sorry for the VERY DELAYED response deepcreek. It is a 5% dilution cider vinegar. I actually emptied about 3/4 of the solution from the pickles and let them sit overnight in 1/4 of the solution & 3/4 rest water. They were good for about a week. Then the pickles started getting weird tasting like they were going bad in the water (wich i can see plainly) I'm wondering if i cut the ratio by half the vinegar amount if they will can properly? so 6 parts water 1 part vinegar?

I find the longer they sit, the better they taste, my pickles taste better after several months.I would not cut the vin either...

Vinegar is needed in pickling to prevent bacterial growth (specifically botulinum bacteria--I think that is botulism). And, from what I've read, you're supposed to have an equal amounts of vinegar and water. But, all the pickle recipes I've made with equal amounts could about knock you over with vinegar flavor!! Also, I agree with Chenno, the longer homemade pickles sit the better they taste.

Most of the times pickles need 4-6 weeks to sit before opening and eating. I did Zuchini Pickles last weekend- there was no water called for, other than to soak the zuchini with canning salt, and to rinse them out.

I use a pickling brine that is 5 cups Vinegar, 1 cups water, and 4 teaspoons salt.

I use this solution for everything i pickle, and then maybe add spices to finish it out.