How long after pickling can you eat?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “how long after pickling can you eat” with an in-depth analysis of the time it takes for the pickle to get ready. Moreover, we are going to discuss the proper way to pickle cucumbers and the shelf life of pickles.
So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.
How long after pickling can you eat?
It takes about 4-5 weeks for the pickling process and afterward, the pickle will be ready to eat. If you are in a hurry and can’t wait for 4-5 weeks, you should at least let the pickles sit for about 2 weeks before eating them.
It is recommended to let the pickle sit for the said time so that the pickling process takes place optimally and all the flavors from the brine and seasonings get induced in the cucumbers well.
How to pickle cucumbers?
So what you gotta do is take a glass jar that has a lid. Open the lid and add cucumbers to it. Afterward, add dill and garlic. Make brine out of vinegar, water, and seasonings of your choice. Now pour boiling pickling solution in the jar, fill it just below the rim. Now close the jar and keep it upside down for some time.
Last but not least, once you have sealed the pickle jars (glass jars with glass lids on them), you can put them in hot water at about 90 degrees Celsius for some time and afterward let them cool. This way vacuum will be created inside the pickle jar and such pickles can be stored for a long time.
What types of cucumbers can be used to make pickles?
Cucumbers are pickled with brine, sugar, vinegar, and seasonings to produce a variety of flavorful foods. Although any cucumber can be pickled, commercial pickles are made with cucumbers that have been specially cultivated to have a uniform length-to-diameter ratio and no cavities in the flesh.
Pickler cucumbers grow to be about 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) long and 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide when ready to pickle. Picklers are often shorter, thicker, and have uneven skin with little white or dark-spotted spines. The color ranges from a creamy yellow to a pale or dull green.
How long does pickle last?
When it comes to the pasteurized pickles they have a longer shelf life than their unpasteurized counterparts. Pasteurized pickles are often sold unrefrigerated.
Unopened pasteurized pickles can last for about 1-2 years past the “best by” date printed on them but for best flavor and quality we are recommending that you use your unopened bottle of pickles within 3 months past the “best by” date.
Moreover, you can store the unopened pasteurized pickles in a cool, dry, and dark corner of your pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
On the other hand, once you open the jar of your pasteurized pickles then the clock starts ticking. Thus, the opened pickles last for about a year if they are stored in the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But again to enjoy the best quality of pickles we recommend you to use them within 3 months after you open them.
While talking about the unpasteurized pickles, unopened unpasteurized pickles last for about 3 months past the “best by” date in the fridge but sometimes it may even last longer than this.
On the other hand, opened unpasteurized pickles last for 3 months or even more when they are stored in the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Last but not least, homemade pickles last for about 2 months if they are stored properly in an air-tight container or jar in the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. They can even last longer than this but with time the vegetables used in the pickles start to lose their crunch.
It is worth mentioning that these figures are just the estimated shelf life of the pickles and it is the time during which you can enjoy its peak quality.
Are store-bought pickles safe to use after the best-before date?
The “best by” or “best before” date that is written on the bottle of store-bought pickles refers to the quality rather than safety so pickles don’t necessarily go bad immediately after the best before date.
This date refers to the time during which you can enjoy the peak quality and flavor of pickles but you can still use pickles that are past this date as long as they were stored properly.
You can read how to make pickled cucumbers here.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “how long after pickling can you eat” with an in-depth analysis of the time it takes for the pickle to get ready. Moreover, we discussed the proper way to pickle cucumbers and the shelf life of pickles.
