This is very essential for students

1. COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN ECOLOGY
Safe, Simple, Easy to Learn
Pickled and
Fermented Foods
Empowerment Through Education

2. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Today’s Topics
• Identify different processing
methods for pickled products
• Review what equipment is
needed
• Understand the ingredients
needed
• Learn why water bath
processing is still essential

3. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Basics for Handling Food Safely
3
• Prevent bacteria from spreading through your kitchen.
Wash hands!
• 20 seconds before and after handling food
Sanitize!
• Cutting boards, utensils,
and countertops
• Solution of 1 Tablespoon
of unscented, liquid chlorine
bleach in 1 gallon of water

4. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Before preserving any food
consider the types of foods your
family enjoys and the usefulness of
the preserved product in your
lifestyle.

5. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Methods of Food Preservation
• Canning
• Freezing
• Drying
• Fermentation

6. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Advantages of Food Preservation
• Year round availability
of foods
• Less spoilage
• Eliminate or reduce
microbial hazards
• Increased convenience

7. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Pickled and Fermented Products
• Pickles
Quick process
Fermented
• Sauerkraut
• Chutneys and Relishes
• Pickled Foods
Melon rind pickles
Dilly beans and
MORE!

8. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Foods for Pickling/Fermenting
• Cabbage
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Beets
• Onion
• Cauliflower
• Peppers
• And MORE!

9. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Cabbage
• Used most often in a
fermented product.
• Select mature large
heads with white
interior
• Red cabbage can be
used but may make an
unattractive end
product

10. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Cucumbers
• Select a variety for pickling
• Select unwaxed, firm and fresh cucumbers
• Use quickly, they deteriorate at room temperature
• Remove the blossom end (1/16th of an inch)

11. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Ingredients
• Vinegar
5-6% acidity
Use white or cider
NO HOMEMADE VINEGAR
• Sugars
Use white or brown sugar
Sugar substitutes should not
be used

12. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Ingredients
• Salt
Use non-iodized canning
or pickling salt.
Do not change amounts or
substitute low sodium.
• Spices
Use fresh, whole spices for best flavor.
Powdered spices may darken and cloud the
brine.
Use a spice bag for best results.

13. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Ingredients
• Firming Agents
Not needed for a quality product.
Alum is safe to use, no difference in quick
process.
Food grade lime. The calcium does improve
firmness. Rinse thoroughly.
Calcium Chloride is the ingredient in Pickle Crisp
(a Ball product).

14. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Containers
• Start with clean containers.
• A 1 gallon container is needed
for 5 lbs. of vegetables.
• Stone crocks, food grade plastic
or glass can be used.
Other plastic containers can
be used if lined with food
grade plastic.
No trash cans or garbage
bags.

15. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Cautions
• Equipment NOT to use:
Copper, brass, galvanized or
iron. These metals can react
with the brine.
Crocks with cracks.
• Use only tested recipes.
• Do not substitute or alter
ingredients that would change
the acidity.

16. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Quick Process Pickles
• Shorter process –hours or days
instead of weeks, dependent on
the recipe used.
• Uses acetic acid from vinegar
instead of the lactic acid from
fermentation.
• The boiling water bath canning
process is used to finish the
product.

17. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Fermented Products
• Includes food items like dill pickles and sauerkraut.
Curing the product produces lactic acid which
preserves the product.
• Quality ingredients in the correct proportions are
essential: vegetables, salt, vinegar and spices.
• The process may take as long as 5-6 weeks.

18. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Covers and Weights
• Vegetables must be kept 1 to 2 inches under the
brine to ferment properly.
• A dinner plate works well.
Weigh down with sealed jars of water or bags of
salted water or brine.
• Cover the container with a clean heavy towel.
• If recipe ingredients are by weight, scales will be
needed.

19. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Fermentation Process
• Weigh the vegetables and place in container.
• Make a brine solution, according to your recipe.
• Place in container and weigh down.
• For the remainder of the fermentation process, add
ingredients according to your recipe.

20. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Temperature for Fermentation
• 70-75 ºF
Ideal temperature for fermentation.
Takes about 3-4 weeks.
• 55-65 ºF
Fermentation takes about 5-6 weeks.
• 55 ºF
Product may not ferment.
• Above 80 ºF
The product may soften or spoil.

21. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Checking the Product
• Each day, check for mold or slime on top.
• Remove scum daily.
• Tap container and look for bubbles.
• Look for even coloring.

22. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Pickle Problems
• Soft or slippery pickles
Weak brine during fermentation, weak vinegar or
not immersed in the brine
Improper temperature, too warm
Not processed correctly
Moldy garlic or spices
Blossom ends not removed

23. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Pickle Problems
• Hollow Pickles
Cucumbers too large for brining
Improper fermentation
Long lapse between gathering and brining
Growth defect of the cucumber

24. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Pickle Problems
• Shriveled Pickles
Too strong brine or vinegar
Long lapse between gathering and brining
Over-cooking or processing
Dry weather

25. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Pickle Problems
• Strong bitter taste
Cooked too long in vinegar
Too many spices
Vinegar too strong
Using salt substitutes

26. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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Summary
• Essential to follow tested recipe.
• Don’t make substitutions or alter quantities.
• Choose fresh product.
• Choose the right equipment.
• Don’t cut corners, follow process to the end.
• Process in boiling water bath canner.

27. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Questions?
• Contact your local OSU Extension Office
extension.osu.edu
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information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This statement is in
accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.
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For Deaf and Hard of Hearing, please contact Ohio State University Extension using your preferred communication (e-mail, relay services, or
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28. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
This material has been peer-reviewed for
statewide distribution.
Developed by OSU Extension Food Preservation
Team:
• Lisa Barlage, Educator, Ross County
• Melinda Hill, Educator, Wayne County
• Shawna Hite, Healthy People Program Specialist
• Sanja Ilic, Food Safety State Specialist
• Christine Kendle, Educator, Tuscarawas County
• Katharine Shumaker, Educator, Holmes County
• Nancy Stehulak, Educator, Henry County
• Treva Williams, Educator, Scioto County

29. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
References
• United States Department of Agriculture (2015).
Complete Guide to Home Canning. Agriculture
Information Bulletin No. 539.
• National Center for Home Food Preservation
www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can6a_ferment.html
• Ohio State University Extension, Quick Process
Pickles, http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5345
• Ohio State University Extension, Making Fermented
Dill Pickles, http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-
5342
• Andress, E., & Harrison, J.(2014) So Easy to Preserve
(6th ed.). Athens, The University of Georgia
Cooperative Extension Service

30. FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Photo Credits
Slide 2: Pixabay
Slide 3: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Slide 9: Pixabay
All other photos were taken by the Food
Preservation Team.
Updated May 2016