Food saver mason jar attachement worth it?

[clifish]

Is this attachment worth it? Does it make pickling cucumbers faster than just pouring in the hot mixture and letting the jar "self seal"? Does it make items shelf stable instead of clogging up the fridge? I can't find just the wide mouth attachment as they seemed to have discontinued it but Amazon has both sizes in a kit now for $25. Any opinions or help are appreciated.

Thx Cliff

 

[Winterrider]

I use it for pickles. Works good. They need to be kept in fridge, does not make them shelf stable. Good for sealing other things in jars that are not used frequently.

 

[clifish]

I use it for pickles. Works good. They need to be kept in fridge, does not make them shelf stable. Good for sealing other things in jars that are not used frequently.

OK, got that. Does it make pickling faster than the usual pouring in the hot liquid and keeping in the fridge for several weeks before ready?

 

[Winterrider]

I usually let them set for about 3 days to a week.
Check out Steve H , he has done numerous pickles.
SmokinAl has good tutorial on " Very good " dill pickles also

 

[bregent]

I don't use it for pickling, but do use it for other things like storing dehydrated foods.

 

[Brokenhandle]

It does make pickling faster. We usually wait 5 or 6 days when using it, if I remember correctly its a month or 6 weeks when not using it. We used to can pickles but after trying SmokinAl recipe I doubt we will anymore, they are so good! But then again we have 3 fridges so storage isn't a problem

Ryan

 

[clifish]

It does make pickling faster. We usually wait 5 or 6 days when using it, if I remember correctly its a month or 6 weeks when not using it. We used to can pickles but after trying SmokinAl recipe I doubt we will anymore, they are so good! But then again we have 3 fridges so storage isn't a problem

Ryan

Thanks - been reading up on both Steve H and SmokinAl methods, will see if I get it or just wait it out. Currently I can't find anything but standard cucumbers anyway.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

I have been looking into these as well. Made up about 5#'s of pickled norther pike a couple weeks ago. It was my first attempt ever and so far so good. I'm thinking about getting a set just for some of the little pickling experiments and for dried goods.

 

[justplainbob]

i use mine for a lot of things now
but no, not shelf stable
if something has to get stored in the fridge it gets put in a jar and vac sealed
extra bbq sauce, extra marinade, home made stocks that i dont want to freeze
stays longer so a lot less waste
pickles go much faster - more than cucumbers can be pickled

 

[Brokenhandle]

Asparagus is really good pickled also!

Ryan

 

[Steve H]

Asparagus, carrots, beans, turn ups, onions, garlic, cukes of course, eggs, sausage, cauliflower, peppers. I've made them all. I truly believe my blood is 5% acidic.

 

[Steve H]

You can also use the vacuum attachment to help speed up and get a marinade into the meat or veggies quicker. I do this all the time for wet cure for jerky.

 

[tx smoker]

I pulled the trigger a while back and got them and immediately fell in love!! They are great for many, many things. Mine get used a lot. One place it saves a huge amount of time is with pickled garlic. That can take months to develop flavor but under pressure it's a week and a half to two weeks. Folks have covered the rest of your questions.

Currently I can't find anything but standard cucumbers anyway.

Not a thing wrong with using regular cukes. Just put the alum powder in per the directions and you'll get really good pickles and they stay nice and crispy. I prefer pickling cukes but have done many jars with regular cukes and nobody can tell the difference but me, and even that's marginal. The alum powder is what makes the difference. I believe Steve uses something called pickle crisp or something to that effect.

Robert

 

[Steve H]

Yup, pickle crisp. But Alum gets the job done just as good.

 

[clifish]

I pulled the trigger a while back and got them and immediately fell in love!! They are great for many, many things. Mine get used a lot. One place it saves a huge amount of time is with pickled garlic. That can take months to develop flavor but under pressure it's a week and a half to two weeks. Folks have covered the rest of your questions.



Not a thing wrong with using regular cukes. Just put the alum powder in per the directions and you'll get really good pickles and they stay nice and crispy. I prefer pickling cukes but have done many jars with regular cukes and nobody can tell the difference but me, and even that's marginal. The alum powder is what makes the difference. I believe Steve uses something called pickle crisp or something to that effect.

Robert
[/QUOTE yeah read about pickle crisp. What happens if you don't use any crisping agent? I have only pickled habaneros and did not feel I would need the crisping agent on those....but a pickle, might be different.

 

[Steve H]

This is only a few dollars more then what I paid for. And it comes with the assy hose.

Amazon.com: FoodSaver Regular Sealer and Accessory Hose Wide-Mouth Jar Kit, 9.00 x 6.00 x 4.90 Inches, White: Kitchen & Dining

 

[clifish]

found this, seems cheaper than "pickle crisp" looks to be the same?

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Yeah its just one of those things you buy and don't look back. These are the ones you looking for. I checked stores around you and you right. Out of stock. Do you have any Asian stores?

Robot or human?

 

[clifish]

This is only a few dollars more then what I paid for. And it comes with the assy hose.

Amazon.com: FoodSaver Regular Sealer and Accessory Hose Wide-Mouth Jar Kit, 9.00 x 6.00 x 4.90 Inches, White: Kitchen & Dining

yes that is the one I found as well. Also what size jars do you use for pickles? 16oz or 32?

 

[clifish]

Yeah its just one of those things you buy and don't look back. These are the ones you looking for. I checked stores around you and you right. Out of stock. Do you have any Asian stores?

Robot or human?

Yeah Walmarts down here don't have big food sections as there are way too many grocery stores. Plenty of Asian market near me, what would they carry that would be suitable for pickles?