SQWIB
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Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 9:21 am
Location: Zone 7A - Philadelphia, PA

Lacto Fermentation and Pickling then canning

I am at a quandary and was hoping you guys could help.

I am growing Pepperoncini and Hungarian wax peppers for pickling and may try some Okra.

My dilemma is that, my produce is coming off slowly, not enough to pickle and can, so I was looking for an alternative method. I wont freeze the peppers so that option is out.

My plan is to start the peppers off Lacto Fermenting and add to the jar as I harvest more peppers.I would start the Lacto Peppers in quart jars then after I get 2 or three going, transfer to half pint mason jars and can.
I was hoping to get a few jars ready this way then water bath can for stable shelf storage, that is if I accumulate enough.

I have already been harvesting then doing a quick blanch and dropping in some pickle brine leftover from some store bought dills.



Would I need citric acid when canning?

any tips or advice?

Foodgardenguy
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Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2019 3:38 pm

I was hoping to get a few jars ready this way then water bath can for stable shelf storage, that is if I accumulate enough.
When you mention water bath, do you mean heat canning? If you do, the natural bacterial in the can will be destroyed and they will not naturally ferment.

The key to successful fermented pickling is to use the right amount of salt for your brine liquid. We use the following formula to make our own brine.

- 5 tablespoons sea salt per 2 quarts of chlorine-free water.

I would not use the brine from store bought pickles because the ferment in them is likely dead. Secondly, the cucumber juices that mix with the brine would reduce the brine strength. It is better to start with freshly made brine having the correct salinity.

As far as your peppers not being ready to pickle yet, you can wait until you have enough peppers before you can a pint at a time. Another idea would be to fill the jar with other food garden produce. We've added beans and cucumbers to the mix.

Make sure all the contents of the jar are fully submerged under the brine, and release the pressure daily for the first week or so. The liquid should turn cloudy. Once this happens, you can tighten the lid and store for months.



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