I have heard a lot of good things about Bubbie's Pickles. There was a recent post about good bacteria in their sauerkraut. Does this mean they are raw?

[www.bubbies.com]

Yeah, I think they actually are!

They are raw but you can easily make your own with a fermenting jar like the Perfect Pickler (or a homemade version).

I can't ever seem to get my pickles to taste as good as store bought - plus, they don't get as crispy either!

What are you using to make pickles? I get crispy ones with the jar I mentioned. It keeps out all bacteria though, and I never take anything out of the jar with my fingers because that bacteria will cause things to soften up.

If they are commercial pickles in a jar, they have been heat treated in a water bath for safety. You can make your own with a good old timey recipe and modest skill, or with a Perfect Pickler or some such device. Good luck!

Tam, Bubbies are kept refrigerated in the store, I'm pretty sure they are just fermented.

I found this in regards to Tamukha's post... it would seem that some companies do hi- heat their product.

"The other two methods of preservation do not require a fermentation step. One method is by direct pasteurization. In this method, the cucumbers are bottled and then exposed to very high temperatures for a set amount of time.

This has the effect of killing all of the natural bacteria that may is present. These sterilized cucumbers can then be further processed into pickles. This method of production results in pickles that have a shelf life of only a few months."


I suppose one would have to determine which method the "pickler" implemented...how to know? I guess they would tell you if you contacted them.

Coco - does your recipe call for a Quick Process Pickling mix or do you use a 4 - 6 week method?

We have plenty of jars to use, so we don't need to buy the perfect pickler. If you would have a recipe or website that explains the process I would be most appreciative.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2011 08:06PM by veganjuice.

I did some digging around on Bubbie's and most of their products are, indeed, raw:

[herbangardener.com]

Oh nuts!

“Bubbies Bread & Butter Chips are vinegar brined and are a pasteurized food product, so there are no live cultures in that particular item."

I love that particular item!

Tamukha Wrote:
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> I did some digging around on Bubbie's and most of
> their products are, indeed, raw:
>
> [herbangardener.com]
> roducts-raw/

Very interesting, Tam! Thanks for that. I don't remember getting as clear a picture of their products from their actual site. I am thrilled that their relish is 100% raw! I have never seen it at my local WF's, though. Maybe put in a request or something...I wonder why the kraut gets all gassy, though. Perhaps it's a cabbage thing. They make a horseradish that I am pretty sure isn't raw because if I am not mistaken, distilled vinegar is an ingredient but maybe I should doublecheck my info

Pickles with the Perfect Pickler take 4 days because they are fermented, not brined or pickled with acid. The thing that is special about that set up is not the jar, it's the pressure valve which keeps all bacteria etc out and allows for clean fermentation. You could set up your own system for sure, I just don't know how to myself (plus I have the jar so why bother?).
The recipe is just sea salt and pure water, nothing special that you have to buy aside from the salt. Perfect pickles, so nummy num num...

coco,

Have you ever attempted a particular pickle recipe, such as bread & butter pickles? We actually enjoy those more than the dill pickles.

The recipe that we followed gave us - good smelling pickles with little taste and a squishy texture, lol. It had several ingredients...I can't remember what they were now.

I loathe bread and butter pickles so ... no ...

coco Wrote:
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> I loathe bread and butter pickles so ... no ...

Um..."loathe?!" Really? Them's strong words, missy...I love them. I get them from Trader Joe's but of course they are pasteurized.

There are only a couple of foods I find truly disgusting. Bananas top the list but those pickles are close. Yuck.

Bananas? Are you a hybrid from Arcturus or what?

I hate Hate HATE bananas, oh ugh. Even the smell makes me gag a little. When I make a smoothie in the morning for us I take mine out before adding banana for the kids. If I make theirs first and don't wash the blender out completely before making mine I can't drink it at all. I mean it, I really hate banana.