How to Make Vinegar Pickles

Many people are more familiar with vinegar pickles, which are commonly found in supermarkets.

Science

Vinegar pickling is the opposite of fermented pickling - its goal is to eradicate all bacteria inside the jar, and to preserve the vegetables in an acid.

After the vegetables are packed inside their jars, the jars are boiled, which pasteurizes their content and seals the jars as the heat expands the air inside the jar and forces it out through the lid. This creates a vacuum that causes the pop-top lid of the jar to get sucked down.

The jars keep indefinitely.

Basic Process

Cut the vegetables into chunks and assemble all ingredients. Immerse your glass jars and lids in boiling water for at least 20 minutes to sterilize them. Mix together the brine, which will include vinegar, salt, water, and sometimes sugar, according to your recipe. Boil the brine.

Put the vegetables and spices, if any, into the sterilized jars. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables. Seal up the jars and put them back into the boiling water for at least five minutes. Remove from the water and flip upside down to heat up the sticky stuff on the underside of the lid, and after a few minutes flip right side up, checking periodically to make sure that the all the vacuum tops pop down as the jars cool.

Age the jars for 10 days to a month to allow the flavors of the vinegar and spices to penetrate the vegetables. Refrigerate the jars after opening.