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Default Homemade dill pickles question

My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?
How do I know if they aren't good anymore? I just opened a jar, and they
are of course, delicious, and I HATE pickles, except for Mom's. And once a
jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the fridge?

Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
should let my 2 year old son eat them.

Thanks!

~C


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Default Homemade dill pickles question

BeeBop wrote:
> My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
> summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?
> How do I know if they aren't good anymore? I just opened a jar, and they
> are of course, delicious, and I HATE pickles, except for Mom's. And once a
> jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the fridge?
>
> Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
> should let my 2 year old son eat them.
>
> Thanks!
>
> ~C
>

The salt in pickles makes them safe as long as properly sealed and then
refrigerated. They are good at least a year and not dangerous after
that, but lose texture and are not quite as yummy.

If he likes them, let him have them.

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Default Homemade dill pickles question

"BeeBop" wrote:
> My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
> summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?
> How do I know if they aren't good anymore? I just opened a jar, and they
> are of course, delicious, and I HATE pickles, except for Mom's. And once a
> jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the fridge?
>
> Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
> should let my 2 year old son eat them.


Any home canning is risky business. Canned pickles can definitely be
contaminated with botulism... and you cannot detect botulism by odor,
sight, taste, or texture. I wouldn't recommend consuming home canned
pickles older than two years (published food storage charts recommend
one year, but they tend to over engineer, use your own judgement).
Personally I don't consume any home canned foods other than jams/
jellies, and then only from people I know can be trusted to know what
they're doing.

http://extension.missouri.edu/xplor/...nut/gh1457.htm

[excerpt]
For safety's sake
The level of acid in a pickled product is as important to its safety
as it is to its taste and texture.

Do not change the amounts of vinegar, food or water in a recipe. Don't
use a vinegar with unknown acidity. Don't use homemade vinegar.
Only use recipes with tested amounts of ingredients.
There must be enough acid in the mixed product to prevent the growth
of botulinum bacteria. If botulinum bacteria grow inside jars, they
can produce the toxin that causes botulism, an often fatal form of
food poisoning.
---

Sheldon

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Default Homemade dill pickles question

In article <4wIfi.10719$tB5.8016@edtnps90>,
"BeeBop" > wrote:

> My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
> summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?


Longer than a year, though they'll lose some crunch.

> How do I know if they aren't good anymore?


Taste one. If they don't taste good, don't eat them. An off pickle
isn't going to kill you.

> I just opened a jar, and they are of course, delicious, and I HATE
> pickles, except for Mom's.


Better learn to make them yourself; Mom isn't going to be around
forever, donchaknow.

> And once a jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the
> fridge?


A long time.
>
> Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles?


Nope. You get botulism from *low-acid* foods. You don't get it from
pickles.

> am wondering if I should let my 2 year old son eat them.


Bad idea. He might like them a lot and then you'd have to be sharing
all the time! Unless you got sneaky about eating then when he wasn't
around. Then after a while you'd have a guilty conscience. You'd
probably wind up in a severe depression over the guilt, maybe even
suicidal. No, I thinkj it's best ‹ safest, even ‹ if you don't give
them to your little muffin. "-)

> Thanks!


You're welcome. Also, rec.food.preserving would be the better place for
this discussion. Lots of knowledgeable folks over there.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007
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Default Homemade dill pickles question

On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:37:04 GMT, "BeeBop" >
wrote:

>My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
>summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?
>How do I know if they aren't good anymore? I just opened a jar, and they
>are of course, delicious, and I HATE pickles, except for Mom's. And once a
>jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the fridge?
>
>Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
>should let my 2 year old son eat them.
>
>Thanks!
>
>~C
>


C. Botulinum spores can only produce toxin if the pH is higher than
4.6 (i.e - low acid) and there is no oxygen present. If the pickles
are made with vinegar, the pH is probably low enough. If they are
traditional dill pickles - that is to say fermented - then the
fermentation process produces enough acid.

There is no way of testing for botulin toxin at home other than
eatiing it and subsequently being hospitalized - it's really bad and
it doesn't take much. I strongly recommend following USDA guidelines
for pickling and canning. U of GA has a very good food preserving
site done under contract with USDA.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

That said, I enjoy fermenting and canning kraut and hope I have enough
cukes this year to ferment a batch of kosher dills.

I second the suggestion to learn how to do it yourself.

- Mark


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Default Homemade dill pickles question

> wrote:

>On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:37:04 GMT, "BeeBop" >


>>Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
>>should let my 2 year old son eat them.


>C. Botulinum spores can only produce toxin if the pH is higher than
>4.6 (i.e - low acid) and there is no oxygen present. If the pickles
>are made with vinegar, the pH is probably low enough. If they are
>traditional dill pickles - that is to say fermented - then the
>fermentation process produces enough acid.
>
>There is no way of testing for botulin toxin at home other than
>eatiing it and subsequently being hospitalized - it's really bad and
>it doesn't take much.


BeeBop was asking about whether an infant 2 or younger should eat
the pickles. There, you have the concern that even if there is no
botulin toxin, the botulism spores themselves can sicken the infant.
(This doesn't happen to older children or adults.) So it's not clear
to me the low acid environment makes it safe in this case.

Steve
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Default Homemade dill pickles question

Thanks everyone for your input!

DS loves the pickles, and Mom assured me they are fine. They are the same
ones she's made for the past 45 years, lol.

I *might* learn how to make them, but for the 1 or 2 jars of dills I eat in
a year (DH likes sweet pickles, and those disgust me) it would probably be a
waste of time. My sis makes them, so I can always steal a jar or two from
her.

~C


"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> > wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:37:04 GMT, "BeeBop" >

>
>>>Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if
>>>I
>>>should let my 2 year old son eat them.

>
>>C. Botulinum spores can only produce toxin if the pH is higher than
>>4.6 (i.e - low acid) and there is no oxygen present. If the pickles
>>are made with vinegar, the pH is probably low enough. If they are
>>traditional dill pickles - that is to say fermented - then the
>>fermentation process produces enough acid.
>>
>>There is no way of testing for botulin toxin at home other than
>>eatiing it and subsequently being hospitalized - it's really bad and
>>it doesn't take much.

>
> BeeBop was asking about whether an infant 2 or younger should eat
> the pickles. There, you have the concern that even if there is no
> botulin toxin, the botulism spores themselves can sicken the infant.
> (This doesn't happen to older children or adults.) So it's not clear
> to me the low acid environment makes it safe in this case.
>
> Steve



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Default Homemade dill pickles question

On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:02:07 -0700, Sheldon >
magnanimously proffered:

>"BeeBop" wrote:
>> My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
>> summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?
>> How do I know if they aren't good anymore? I just opened a jar, and they
>> are of course, delicious, and I HATE pickles, except for Mom's. And once a
>> jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the fridge?
>>
>> Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
>> should let my 2 year old son eat them.

>
>Any home canning is risky business.


I've been wondering if poor reading comprehension might be one of your
problems ... and here you go and prove it.

The OP was clearly talking about pickles in jars. Pickles in jars that
have been bottled, not canned. Whether you know it or not, there IS a
difference, Sheldon.


--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
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Default Homemade dill pickles question

In article <Kn1gi.11260$tB5.6270@edtnps90>,
"BeeBop" > wrote:

> Thanks everyone for your input!
>
> DS loves the pickles, and Mom assured me they are fine. They are the same
> ones she's made for the past 45 years, lol.
>
> I *might* learn how to make them, but for the 1 or 2 jars of dills I eat in
> a year (DH likes sweet pickles, and those disgust me) it would probably be a
> waste of time. My sis makes them, so I can always steal a jar or two from
> her.


> ~C


A couple things, C. That she's been doing them the same way for 45
years doesn't necessarily make it okay. The other thing: Don't steal
them from your sister -- ask her nicely or bribe her. '-) And even if
you don't make the pickles yourself, get the recipe while you can!!

The U of GA hosts the National Center for Home Food Preservation and
there's a plethora of information about safe processing there about the
topic www.uga.edu/nchfp.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007
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Default Homemade dill pickles question

On Jun 26, 1:59?am, bob > wrote:
> On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:02:07 -0700, Sheldon >
> magnanimously proffered:
>
> >"BeeBop" wrote:
> >> My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
> >> summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?
> >> How do I know if they aren't good anymore? I just opened a jar, and they
> >> are of course, delicious, and I HATE pickles, except for Mom's. And once a
> >> jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the fridge?

>
> >> Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
> >> should let my 2 year old son eat them.

>
> >Any home canning is risky business.

>
> I've been wondering if poor reading comprehension might be one of your
> problems ... and here you go and prove it.
>
> The OP was clearly talking about pickles in jars. Pickles in jars that
> have been bottled, not canned. Whether you know it or not, there IS a
> difference, Sheldon.


"putting up" foods at home is called *canning*... imbecile never heard
of canning jars. But then you're just a another low IQ bob. It's
good they don't outlaw that name, it identifies the dumb douchebags.
Not only have I never met a bob with a brain I've never met one man
enough to use his real name... Robert, what a ****ed up name...
friggin' Rodent!



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Default Homemade dill pickles question

On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:06:03 -0700, Sheldon >
magnanimously proffered:

>On Jun 26, 1:59?am, bob > wrote:
>> On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:02:07 -0700, Sheldon >
>> magnanimously proffered:
>>
>> >"BeeBop" wrote:
>> >> My mom makes them every summer. I have a couple jars in the pantry, made in
>> >> summer 06. They are sealed, of course. Now, how long are they good for?
>> >> How do I know if they aren't good anymore? I just opened a jar, and they
>> >> are of course, delicious, and I HATE pickles, except for Mom's. And once a
>> >> jar is opened, how long does it usually keep in the fridge?

>>
>> >> Also, can you get botulism from homemade dill pickles? I am wondering if I
>> >> should let my 2 year old son eat them.

>>
>> >Any home canning is risky business.

>>
>> I've been wondering if poor reading comprehension might be one of your
>> problems ... and here you go and prove it.
>>
>> The OP was clearly talking about pickles in jars. Pickles in jars that
>> have been bottled, not canned. Whether you know it or not, there IS a
>> difference, Sheldon.

>
>"putting up" foods at home is called *canning*... imbecile never heard
>of canning jars. But then you're just a another low IQ bob. It's
>good they don't outlaw that name, it identifies the dumb douchebags.
>Not only have I never met a bob with a brain I've never met one man
>enough to use his real name... Robert, what a ****ed up name...
>friggin' Rodent!


Undignified and childish outburst aside, you're right, I've never
heard of canning jars - even when I sat in various kitchens watching
my grandmothers, aunts and cousins make jams, jellies, pickles and
sauces. The term for anything that went into glass was called
"bottling" and anything that went into tins was called "canning" -
which makes sense when you consider that the differences in methods,
mediums and other factors.

Glass jars were usually called Mason jars, even if they weren't that
specific brand. And cans where, not surprising, called cans.

Since terminologies can differ, even in the USA, and this is an
international newsgroup, I'd be interested hearing if other posters
use the term "bottling" or "canning" when referring to storing
processed food in glass containers.

In the meantime, I apologise unreservedly for attacking your use of
the term "canning" when referring to dill pickles in glass jars.


--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
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