Stone jars are the most convenient and desirable receptacles (fig. 1) for
making small quantities of pickles. Stoneware is much more easily kept
clean and absorbs objectionable odors and flavors to a smaller extent
than wood. Straight-side, open-top jars, which come in practically all
sizes, from 1 to 20 gallons, are best for this purpose. Those used for
the directions given in this bulletin are 4-gallon jars which hold about
12 pounds (one-fourth bushel) of cucumbers. If only very small quantities
of pickles are put up, wide-mouth bottles or glass jars will do.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Some suitable containers for home-brined products]
Water-tight kegs or barrels are best for making larger quantities of
pickles. Those used for the directions given in this bulletin are barrels
holding from 40 to 45 gallons. They must first be washed, or possibly
charred, to remove all undesirable odors and flavors. Undesirable flavors
may be removed by using solutions of potash or soda lye. A strong
solution of lye should remain in the barrel for several clays, after
which the barrel should be thoroughly soaked and washed with hot water
until the lye is removed.
Boards about an inch thick make the best covers. These may be of any kind
of wood, except yellow or pitch pine, which would give the pickles an
undesirable flavor. They should be from 1 to 2 inches less in diameter
than the inside of the jar or barrel, so that they may be easily removed.
Dipping the covers in paraffin and then burning them over with a flame
fills the pores of the wood, thus making it comparatively easy to keep
them clean. Heavy plates of suitable size may be used instead of boards
as covers for small containers.
A clean white cloth is often needed to cover the material in the jar
or barrel. Two or three thicknesses of cheesecloth or muslin, cut in
circular form, and about 6 inches larger in diameter than the inside
of the receptacle, makes a suitable covering. Sometimes grape, beet,
or cabbage leaves are used for this purpose. Grape leaves are a good
covering for dill pickles, and cabbage leaves for sauerkraut.
In addition to the jars, crocks, or kegs in which the pickles are made,
2-quart glass jars are needed for packing the finished product. If corks
are used for sealing such containers, they should first be dipped in hot
paraffin.
When vegetables which have been fermented in a weak brine are to be kept
for any length of time, air must be excluded from them. This may be done
by sealing the containers with paraffin, beeswax, or oil. Paraffin, the
cheapest and probably the best of these three substances, is easily
handled and readily separated from the pickles when they are removed from
the containers. To remove any dirt, the paraffin should be heated and
strained through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Thus the paraffin
may be used over and over again. The clean paraffin is melted and poured
over the surface of the pickles in quantities sufficient to make, when
hardened, a solid coating about half an inch thick. Where there are
vermin, lids should be placed over the paraffin in jars and other covers
should be placed over the paraffin in kegs. If applied before active
fermentation has stopped, the seal may be broken by the formation of gas
below the layer, making it necessary to remove the paraffin, heat it
again, and once more pour it over the surface.
In many cases a safer and better plan for preserving vegetables fermented
in a weak brine is to transfer the pickled product to glass jars as soon
as fermentation is completed and seal tightly.
Almost anything which furnishes the required pressure will serve as
a weight to hold the mass down in a jar or keg. Clean stones (except
limestone) and bricks are recommended.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Salinometer]
A pair of kitchen scales and suitable vessels for determining liquid
measure are, of course, essential.
The salinometer, an instrument for measuring the salt strength of a
brine, is very useful, although not absolutely necessary, in brining
(fig. 2). By following the directions given here it will be possible to
make brines of the required strength without the use of this instrument.
Results may be readily checked, however, and any changes in brine
strength which occur from time to time may be detected by the use of the
salinometer.
The salinometer scale is graduated into 100 degrees, which indicate the
range of salt concentration between 0°, the reading for pure water at 60°
F,; and 100°, which indicates a saturated salt solution (26½ per cent).
Table 1 (page 14) shows the relation between salinometer readings and
salt percentages.
Salinometers are sold for about $1 each by firms dealing in chemical
apparatus and supplies.
A sugar hydrometer is very useful in all canning and pickling work.
Either the Brix or Balling scale may be used. Both read directly in
percentages of sugar in a pure sugar solution. A Balling hydrometer,
graduated from 0° to 70°, is a convenient instrument for the tests
indicated in this bulletin.