Pressure canning question

[shangri-lafarms]

Hello all,
Hopefully you long time canning folks can help me with a problem, I recently got a pressure canner and I canned pickles I used the quick process recipe and they were mushy, do you think this is fromt he pressure canning??? I think I overprocessed them, could I still use the pressure canning method but just cut down the cooking time??? I know you can pressurecan/boil water can fruits and the cooking time is different, (which I just realized today) Thanks for any advice....

 

[Daycare Mom]

I process mine in a boiling water canner, and only about half the process time. My first quarts of dill were mushy too, yuck! I did those for 10 minutes like it said. The bread and butter pickles I made I only did for 5 minutes and they were not mushy at all. Good Luck!

 

[shangri-lafarms]

Oh thanks for your advice, I will def try cutting down the cooking time, the only reason I didn't want to use the boiling method is because I wanted to use the larger jars and can't fill water over the top of them, canner not tall enough for that. Well I thought I was a retard, so I'm glad to hear i am not the only person who made mushy pickles before...I am new to the canning thing, i always wanted to do it before but thought it would be too difficult and that I might mess it up, but with my increase in years behind the pan LOL I have gained more confidence in the kitchen....

 

[brahma-momma]

you can use pressure canner as water bath canner too

 

[shangri-lafarms]

oh yeah i know that part it's just that I wanted to use bigger jars and can't fill the water over top of them

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Just don't put the pressure lid on. Use another lid.

Pickles in a pressure canner indeed makes mush. You are cooking the tar out of them. LOL

 

[shangri-lafarms]

Miss prissy,

so do you think I should just use the smaller jars

and boil them??

 

[MissPrissy]

For me pickles in quarts or smaller jars works best. Also water bath canning doesn't cook the cucumbers like a pressure canner does.

Also what recipe did you use and what type of cucumbers? Those can be big factors in mushy too.

 

[shangri-lafarms]

Oh yeah, ummm I used burpless cucumbers from our garden (I had way toooo many) andI used a mix since I am new to canning I did half bread/butter half dills and used the quick process, I'm pretty sure I just overdid the pressure part and time....LOL....I won't do that again...I will just use the smaller jars for the next batch, i'm just so upset that I ruined these, but I guess it was a good learning experience as well....Thanks fo your help

 

[MissPrissy]

Feed them to the chickens

Nothing wasted.