5 Tips for Making Crunchy Pickles
If you have made pickles in the past that didn’t pass the crunch test, or are worried about making your first batch because you have heard stories of soft pickles, read on for 5 tips on how to keep your pickles crunchy for canning or the refrigerator.
Are you needing some tips for making crunchy pickles? Read on to make the best.
Quite a few years ago my husband and I were at our favorite local u-pick farm. We saw pickling cucumbers growing and decided to try our hand at making pickles. We hadn’t done this before since he doesn’t like cucumbers and I wasn’t fond of the pickles I had from the store as a kid.
I wish we had known a little bit more about how to be successful with making them before we dove in because that first batch was pretty awful and did not fly off the shelves and out of the jar like they do these days.
Since then we have learned a few tips for how to make our pickles turn out crispy, crunchy, and just right no matter what recipe we use.
Tip 1 – Fresh is best
Make sure that you are using super fresh cucumbers to make crispy pickles. The best is to pick them the day you are going to pickle or be able to process them within a day or two. If you can’t pick, find a farmers market where you know the farmer is growing them locally to ensure freshness.
If you have the control to pick your own, it is even best to pick them in the morning before the sun has been beating down on them.
If you can’t pickle your cucs the same day, make sure to wash off the cucumbers and place them in the fridge in an airtight bag or container.
Unfortunately, grocery store cucumbers are not going to make the best pickle because they have been sitting for too long since being picked. They will look good going in the jars, but you will be disappointed with how soggy they come out.
Tip 2 – Use the right type of cucumber for making pickles
Most of the cucumbers you buy at the stores are salad cucumbers or American slicing cucs. Specific pickling cucumbers are the type you want to make sure to get. They have thinner skins and smaller seeds, which makes them ideal for pickling. They are also naturally more crunchy.
Pickling cucumbers can grow very large on vine, but you want to try and catch them before they do. The smaller the better as they will not make crispy pickles if they get too large. This was our mistake the first year. We had the right type, but they were way too large.
I have also used Persian cucumbers and Painted Serpent Cucumbers that were both at a local u-pick farm. They both turned out great as I picked them while they were still thin even though they were longer.
Tip 3 – Cut off the blossom end of the cucumber
The blossom end (the side that is opposite of the stem) of the cucumbers creates an enzyme that will make the pickles soggy. Cutting it off will stop that process.
You don’t need to cut off too much, just 1/16th of an inch will do.
Also, it is best to do this before you soak the cucumbers.
Tip 4 – Soak the cucumbers in an ice bath to keep the crisp
Before processing your cucumbers into pickles, it is a good idea to soak them in an ice bath in the refrigerator or an ice chest while waiting to make your pickles for a few hours at least.
Place the cucumbers in a bowl and cover with a layer of ice. Cover with a plate or towel to keep the ice touching the cucumbers.
Some people add canning or kosher salt in this step. I have not yet tried that.
Tip 5 – Ferment or make refrigerator pickles instead of canning
Canning will make your fresh pickles less crisp naturally with the cooking time in the water bath canner.
So, if you want to make sure you have the most crispy pickles possible, you can skip the water bath canning method and make some fermented pickles (like these fermented garlic and dill pickles) or make refrigerator pickles. There are so many recipes for refrigerator pickles. One of our favorites is this recipe for these bread and butter pickles.
Both ferments and refrigerator pickles won’t last as long as canned pickles, but they will last several months.
I like to make a variety of types of pickles so that we have some for short term use and longer storage. This way we will always have some of the crispiest and crunchiest pickles around.
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