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Farm Kitchen:  alum for pickles??!  |
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mom2my2boyz
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Sarah
MN
USA
56 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 07 2009 : 09:59:21 AM
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Ok, so I was making dill pickles and the recipe calls for alum. I went to the store, intending to buy some, but I looked at the ingredients (it's just a habit) and saw that it's aluminum-somthing (aluminum sulfate? aluminum phosphate?). What in the world?! I don't want to put aluminum in my food!!! Is this a different kind of alulminum that isn't bad for you?? Is it absolutely necessary to make good pickles? Does anyone know about this? I'd appreciate any insight!
Thanks, Girls!
"So I threw my hands in the air. I was done with Wal-Mart and Wonderbread. I wanted something real."
-Excerpted from Jenna Woginrich's book, "Made from Scratch" a must-read! |
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Tapestry
True Blue Farmgirl
1223 Posts
Cheryl
Wisconsin
USA
1223 Posts |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2009 : 11:33:32 AM
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I'm wondering what "modern day of canning" means. I have used the same recipe and method for canning dill pickles for 50 years. My recipe calls for 1/8 tsp of alum in each qt jar. Now, you have got me wondering. If I can round up enough cucks for another batch of pickles, I'll try a few jars without alum. We'll do a comparison thing..
Belle |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 03:38:25 AM
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Have you even gotten this stuff in your mouth?
you'll be searching for a glass of water immediately!
it's super drying |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 03:42:46 AM
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And I have gone way overboard in using this for my pickles. Luckily I haven't mad ein for a few years now
Looks like i'll be searching foe a better recipe
and forgive my ignaornace, but didn't realize that cukes for pickling are picked at a smaller size and are usually bitter...as opposed to the larger ones we eat on salads
oops! last batches made, I used salad cukes
so maybe if you use the smaller cukes, an additive for crispness may not be needed after all
you learn something new every day! |
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mellaisbella
True Blue Farmgirl
1862 Posts
melanie
living on Anne of Green
Gables land
Canada
1862 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 11:49:18 AM
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good info gals....would be interesting to see a comparision...let us know Belle:)
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
farmgal #150 |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
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mom2my2boyz
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Sarah
MN
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 7:56:38 PM
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Thanks for the different ideas, Girls! I think I'll take my chances and hope for the best - not using alum. Just doesn't seem right to be putting something I avoid like the plague (aluminum) into my food! Belle, I'll be very interested in hearing your results! Please be sure to let us all know! :o)
Thanks so much!!
"So I threw my hands in the air. I was done with Wal-Mart and Wonderbread. I wanted something real."
-Excerpted from Jenna Woginrich's book, "Made from Scratch" a must-read! |
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Rivergirl_2007
True Blue Farmgirl
332 Posts
Shirley
Karnak
IL
USA
332 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 9:16:13 PM
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| I just purchased a great book that recommends using grape,sour cherry, or oak leaves to make crisp and really green pickles. I also talkes about using alum. The only time I did, I obviously did not rinse enough times. I am going to make a trip to a local vineyard to see if I can get some grape leaves. I've been wanting to do that anyway because I finally learned how to preserve them for stuffed grape leaves. Anyway, the book is called "The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich. It has 250 recipes for vegetables and more and I can hardly wait to try some of them. |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
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Farm Kitchen: alum for pickles??! |
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alum for pickles??!
