Help out a dumbie

[bigfurmn]

Bought dilly beans (pickled green beans) at a farmers market. Stupid question time, can I reuse the brine for more beans? Got beans at the market too. Im reading online not to do this but I trust you guys over google.

 

[millerbuilds]

My parents always said you had to start fresh...and they were cheap as hell, so if they could have re-used they would not. My wife also says the same thing.... No facts behind except from my German parents and my wife's polish parents who we learned to pickle and can from.

- Jason

 

[bigfurmn]

And those are the folks Ill trust! Thank you.

 

[Fueling Around]

Made many batches of dilly beans and always use a fresh pickle (brine) each time.
Here's the 4 pint recipe from the Ball Blue Book that I use to can dilly's.
2# beans
4 heads dill (I often omit)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I usually add 2-4 dried chili arbol to each jar, readily available from the local grocer, as I like them hot.)
2-1/2 cups vinegar
2-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup canning salt
Pack the beans in jars
Add spices to each jar.
Boil the vinegar, water, and salt. Add to each jar.
Cap and seal and water bath process for 10 minutes

Happy canning!

 

[indaswamp]

It i my understanding that the main reason for not reusing is you don't know how much salt is left in the brine... And you NEED to know how much salt is in a pickle brine for canning. That's why you always make it fresh from a proven recipe.

 

[bigfurmn]

Thats what i was thinking. Thank you everyone. We are thinking of trying it ourselves soon

 

[Coreymacc]

I put hard boiled eggs in second hand pickle brine but it always stays in the fridge. I'd be leary about doing full on canned stuff with 2nd use brine.

My opinion
Corey

 

[millerbuilds]

And those are the folks Ill trust! Thank you.

Me too!

Jason

 

[Fueling Around]

It i my understanding that the main reason for not reusing is you don't know how much salt is left in the brine... And you NEED to know how much salt is in a pickle brine for canning. That's why you always make it fresh from a proven recipe.

Partially on the salt, but many vinegar brine use way too much salt.
You can often lower the salt level significantly and still be safe.
In this case the main reason is for the vinegar (acid) in the brine to lower the pH to a safe storage level either for a fridge pickle or for canning.

 

[GreytQ]

Maybe this will be useful to someone in the future….
Here is a safe, tested way to make DILLY BEANS from the National Center for Home Food Presentation:

National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Pickle

Ball’s new website (www.ballmasonjars.com) has a terrible search function but these are from Ball’s Canadian cousin, Bernardin:
CAESAR’S HOT BEANS:

Bernardin Home Canning: Because You Can: Caeser's Hot Beans

www.bernardin.ca

 

[chopsaw]

We are thinking of trying it ourselves soon

I've used Al's refrigerator dill pickle recipe to do green beans .

 

[zwiller]

I've used Al's refrigerator dill pickle recipe to do green beans .

Long overdue to run those.

LOVE Dilly Beans. Usually just buy them but bookmarked that recipe. Thanks! Fueling Around

FYI Dilly Bean brine is INSANELY good in a bloody mary. I don't do them often but NO WAY I would ever do them without adding some brine. It's that good.

 

[Steve H]

You didn't say whether these would be fridge dillies or attempting to resuse for canning. I would not use it for canning. But it is fine for fridge pickled veggies. Just add vinegar and salt to taste. Or. Use it as a base to add more spices for something new. I also found that blanching the beans for a minute or two. Then dunking into a ice bath. Helps soften them just a touch. I don't care for them to be really crunchy.