Cucumbers in pickling questions?

[nao57]

How do you prevent the cucumbers from getting soggy when pickling them? Or at least trying to keep them somewhat crunchy when pickled? I also wondered if certain varieties stay crunchier when pickled more than others?

Another thing I wanted to ask is that people used to think that the only way to keep cucumbers crunchy in pickling etc was to pick them when smaller and younger. I wanted to ask about a way to avoid that, to be able to use them bigger instead of smaller without them getting soft, soggy whatever, because it doesn't make sense. Why pick it when its 1/5th size, and lose all of that food volume, instead of trying to look for another way? Its a huge food volume loss to pick them purposely small.

The climate I'm in isn't really blessed that we can waste food volume either, which adds to wanting to find a way to not have to pick them younger.

Thank you for reading.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Two answers.

One) Refrigerator pickles. No, they don't last as long/can't be stored indefinitely, because theyare merely in a salty acid solution, not actually canned at partial pressure. But because they've not been subjected to heat, they tend to be crisper.

Two) "Pickle Crisp" Its calcium chloride (imparts a very sour flavor), but protects cell walls from damage during the canning process, resulting in a crisper pickle. Used WIDELY commercially, but available for home use as well.

(**) if you don't wan't to go the pickle crisp route because it seems to commercial/you are looking for at home options, pickling with a grape leaf or two in the jar is also supposed to work (its largely the grape tannins). Raspberry and blackberry are also supposed to work.

You can also remove the blossom end of the cucumber before pickling and dispose/use elsewhere - the enzymes which accelerate the pickle becoming limp are allegedly concentrated there. I've not noticed a difference, but it is widely claimed.

We make our own refrigerator pickles here, and I have my own grape vines, but I've not tried combining the two yet - this is the first year of decent grape production on one of my vines. The other vines are a few years behind.

 

[RebelFord81]

Adding bay leaves helps too the tannins in them help with the Crispyness

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Also I’ve come to learn size and time of when you pick them can determine crunch. My cucumber plant was the only thing that produced an abundance and I have been trying different pickling recipes.

Picking them in the morning when it’s cooler, then pickling right away, storing in the fridge after. This has given me the crunchiest ones. I haven’t tried canning them to have them shelf stable as I wanted to use things I keep on hand.