If you have to go through a tedious process pickling to make sure there's no botulism, how can you reuse brine?
I’ve heard that if you really like the flavor of some pickles you get at the store, you can just stuff some fresh cucumber slices into the jar and wait a bit and then you’ll have more pickles. If this is true, how is this not risking botulism? You have to do this whole big process the first time around to make sure there’s no botulism, so how come the second time around the risk is gone – or is it? Do you have to keep the brine refrigerated the entire time between the original cucumber slices and the new cucumber slices?
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If I remember correctly, the acidity and salt of brining solutions is what kills harmful bacteria. That’s still intact after pickling.
@incendiary_dan Makes sense to me, but then why do you have to make sure everything is sterilized and sealed properly in the first place?
I was given a jar of home-made pickles which was very good. I saved the brine; bought some small cucumbers, which I sliced; put the cucumbers in a pan and added the brine brought it to a boil. Then I simmered it about ½ hour; cooled it, then refrigerated it and finally, ate it. It was just as good as the first time. The boiling would sterilize the brine. I didn’t make a second batch because the amount of brine was getting smaller from the boiling. (It wasn’t a large amount to begin with). I figured I got twice the pleasure from the pickles, at least.
@Sunny2 Sounds yummy! But I know Martha Stewart advised me that I can just put them straight in the jar, no boiling needed.
Botulism can grow in an anaerobic environment at room temperature when botulism spores are present. Even if your brine is sterile, the cucumbers probably aren’t – and if they came recently from somewhere dirt may have gotten on them (like a garden), they could be carrying spores. One way to get around this is to put your jar of goodies in the ‘fridge.
This is not medical advice.
@laureth Doesn’t the brine sterilize the cucumbers? If I always put them in the fridge, do I not need to go through the sterilizing process? Omg, why is this so damn confusing! ;)
The advice I always read in canning books is that the canning process preserves them in an airtight environment at room temperature. If they do not seal properly (or are left unsealed, as in your case), they should be refrigerated and eaten promptly.
However, further research has produced this and this, so it’s not the brine so much as the acidity.
@laureth So, as long as I’m using vinegar to put the veggies in, I’m good to go?
Vinegar is a common way to preserve such things, but I wouldn’t want to state an authoritative “yes” only to have you get sick.
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