My pickles didn't seal- can I just put them in the fridge?

[sparklett]

I just made my first batch of pickles! My neighbor had tons of pickling cukes so I gave it a try. I made three jars and as I was lifting one out of the pot, it tipped and fell back into the pot. It is definitely not sealed, though it probably was before I dropped it. Can I just put them in the fridge and eat them over the upcoming week???

[greenmulberry]

Yes!

[sparklett]

Thank you! I am new to this and am so worried that I'm going to give my family botulism.

[beanma]

sure. I'm not much of a canning person, but I've made refrigerator pickles a time or two. I think they'll keep 2-3 weeks, or even for months depending on your recipe. Google "refrigerator pickles" and see how your recipe compares.

[jessemoon]

Honestly, they would be fine even out of the fridge for a while. You can't get botulism from high acid foods. Stick them in the fridge and eat them right up! The sealing is just to make them shelf-stable for a long time...not to make them safe to eat in the first place.

[MissMommyNiceNice]

Either put them in the fridge or wait for them to completely cool & put on a new lid, process them again tomorrow.

[sparklett]

Originally Posted by MissMommyNiceNice

Either put them in the fridge or wait for them to completely cool & put on a new lid, process them again tomorrow.

I thought about doing that, but then they'll get even more mushy than they are now. I think I processed them too long in the first place and they are pretty soft. I diced a few up today for an egg salad sandwich for lunch. YUM!

My neighbor has pickling cucumbers coming out her ears, so I'm going to give it another shot this weekend. Smaller jars, methinks.

[elanorh]

Cut off the blossom end bit to keep your pickles crunchy. If you're not sure which is the blossom end, then cut the tips off on both sides. Also, for things like icicle pickles or bread and butter pickles, the soak in ice/salt really helps with crunchiness.

If you can find Ashley English's book Canning and Preserving Food at your library or local book store, it has some very good-looking pickle recipes in it. My cukes are long gone, but I can't wait for pickling season next year to try the recipes! There's a refrigerator Persian Pickle recipe which looks amazing, too.

(And yes, pps are correct, the pickles will keep in your fridge for 3-4 weeks probably).