Pickled Treasures In A Pickle About Pickling? Martha Stweart Takes Away Some Of The Mystery Surrounding This Time-Honored Process

In my family, pickling has been elevated to an art form. When I was growing up, my mother, father and both grandmothers were excellent pickle makers, and there was more than a little competition each fall when we all would discuss various methods and recipes.

Shelves in our basement were filled with the results of my parents’ experiments: wonderful crocks of pickled okra, watermelon rind, sour cherries and plums.

Don’t be intimidated by the process of making pickles. Sterilizing and sealing jars may seem like technical procedures, but they’re not difficult.

Here are some guidelines I hope will help demystify the process:

Always start with the freshest, best produce available. Pickling is a great way to use most of what is abundant in your garden. Avoid produce with a wax coating; it will keep the skin from absorbing the brine.

Dirt, blemishes or bad spots on a vegetable could eventually cause bacteria growth when sealed in a canning jar, so you must always wash the produce well and trim away any bruised or blemished bits.

Use vinegar with a high acid level for pickling. White and cider vinegars are the best. Don’t reduce the amount of vinegar if the pickles are too sour; instead, add a bit more sugar.

Just about all pickle recipes call for salt. Always use kosher or pickling salts, which don’t contain additives.

Inexpensive canning jars are sold in supermarkets and discount stores, and jars in many different shapes and sizes are available from cooking-supply stores and catalogs.

Vintage canning jars should be used only if they are in pristine condition and can be fitted with new, two-piece lids. Never use jars that were not made specifically for canning. They may not be able to withstand the process.

Canning jars can be used again and again, but they must be free of any cracks or chips. The flat lids should be used only once; the screw-on bands can be reused as long as they’re not rusty or bent.

Read the recipe through before you start. With some pickles, the process is spread out over a few days. And make sure you follow the recipe and sterilizing procedure carefully. Syrup that’s been boiled for too long may lose its ability to discourage the growth of bacteria.

After you’ve made the pickles, leave the jars out for a day to cool. Then check the seals. On a well-sealed jar, the lid will have a slight indentation. If the seal didn’t take, the pickles don’t have to be discarded, but they should be refrigerated and eaten within a week.

Moisture can affect a jar’s seal, and light may change the color of pickles, so the jars should always be stored in a dry, cool, dark place. They should keep for at least a year, but make sure the seal is intact before opening a jar. If the lid gives when you press it, the seal has been released. Discard these pickles.

As soon as you open a jar, check for mold, leakage, gas or bubbling, an unpleasant odor or slimy pickles. If you find any of these, the pickles are bad. Discard the entire jar.

Sterilizing, filling and sealing the jars

1. Prepare the vegetables or fruits according to the recipe’s instructions. Make the syrup.

2. Wash the jars, lids and screw bands thoroughly in hot, soapy water, and rinse well.

3. Place the jars on a rack in a large stock pot and add hot water to cover. Bring to a boil, then boil for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the jars in the water. Sterilize the lids according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Lay clean dish towels out on your work surface. Use stainless-steel tongs to transfer the jars to the towel.

Add hot pickles and syrup to the hot jar, to about a half-inch below the rim. Slide a clean plastic chopstick or wooden skewer along the inside of each jar to release any air bubbles. Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe the rim of each jar. If it’s not clean, you won’t get a perfect seal.

5. Place a hot lid on the jar, and screw on the band firmly, without forcing it.

6. Fill the stock pot with the rack with hot water. Use a jar lifter to transfer the jars to the rack. Add hot water to cover jars by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.

Remove jars from the hot water and place them on clean dish towels. Let the pickles stand for 24 hours, then check the seals and store as described above.

MEMO: Questions should be addressed to Martha Stewart, care of The New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10168. Questions may also be sent to Stewart by electronic mail. Her address is: mstewart@msl.timeinc.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Martha Stweart New York Times Syndicate