Pickle question from someone else

[babysteps]

Someone on another board posted this question this morning and hasn't gotten any response so far, so I told her I'd ask the experts here

 

Morning all

Got up to find a post on a friend's FB page about pickling. The friend is new to canning and I am not that experienced myself. What this person posted though has me worried and I wanted o run it by all you that have way more experience then I do before saying something. Here is the recipe as posted

 

here goes..

Pickles can be whole or cut in 1/2 length wise

in each jar put a large sprig of dill, 1 tbsp canning salt, 1 tbsp sugar (omit if you want), 1 small... piece of garlic, 1/4 tsp mustard seed.

 

Brine: 6 qt water, 1 qt vinegar, bring to boil and pour over pickles in jar and immediately seal.

 

Process in hot water - ONLY until water starts come to a rolling boil - lift out without touching seal ** this is the key part - if you process for the time you need to "kill potential issues" your pickles will not be crisp ***

 

Right off the bat, I was concerned about this person suggesting NOT to process for the correct time-how do you even say that in the same breath as saying it's what is needed to "kill potential issues"?? So, crisp pickles are more important than possibly getting sick or dying?? Seemed like a "duh" moment to me...

Then I started to think, will botulism even grow in a vinegar solution? My first thought was maybe, if it's a "strong" enough solution. That made me look more closely at the recipe which is when I realized it seems to me that 6 qts water to 1 qt vinegar may not even be a high enough Ph to kill spores, making the processing time even more important.

 

I am going to say something to my friend anyway (just because of the processing time comment) but really would like some info to back me up here....you know how people come up with this "We've done it this way for years and had no problems" and I want o be able to combat that if these are dangerous practices her friend is suggesting.

 

I wasn't sure what to tell her, pickles aren't my forte... So what do y'all think about this recipe? Safe or not?

[WormGuy]

Not safe at all.

 

 

 

John

[Cat]

Tell her that she's taking her family's health and well-being into her own hands, and it is NOT safe.

 

Here's a better way:

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39406

 

6 to 1 ratio isn't enough. Boiling water bath isn't long enough. The potential canner is a danger to herself and to anyone else following her "advice".

 

 

If enough people kill their loved ones by poor practices, the government will outlaw home canning...

 

 

 

[babysteps]

Thanks! That's pretty much what I had concluded, too, but I didn't know what the vinegar:water ratio was supposed to be so I wasn't positive. Passing the info on!

[Violet]

Not safe at all. That is an old recipe where vinegar was as much as 40 % acidity, not our 5 % acidity today. Well, even some cheap ones are only 4 % and so are rice vinegar, etc. Be sure she checks to see that it is at least 5 % acidity. Then, the brine must be at least half vinegar to water ratio for cucumbers. Otherwise there is a risk of botulism.

Also ALL foods stored on the shelf must be properly processed. Bring the water to a boil once the jars are in canner and start the time when the water comes to a full boil.

The water temp. for a raw packed pickle should be 140 degrees in the canner when the jars are put in so they do not break.