Fig. 1.—Some suitable containers for home-brined products
Water-tight kegs or barrels are best for making larger quantities of pickles. Those used for the directions given in this bulletin are barrels holding from 40 to 45 gallons. They must first be washed, or possibly charred, to remove all undesirable odors and flavors. Undesirable flavors may be removed by using solutions of potash or soda lye. A strong solution of lye should remain in the barrel for several clays, after which the barrel should be thoroughly soaked and washed with hot water until the lye is removed.
Boards about an inch thick make the best covers. These may be of any kind of wood, except yellow or pitch pine, which would give the pickles an undesirable flavor. They should be from 1 to 2 inches less in diameter than the inside of the jar or barrel, so that they may be easily removed. Dipping the covers in paraffin and then burning them over with a flame fills the pores of the wood, thus making it comparatively easy to keep them clean. Heavy plates of suitable size may be used instead of boards as covers for small containers.
A clean white cloth is often needed to cover the material in the jar or barrel. Two or three thicknesses of cheesecloth or muslin, cut in circular form, and about 6 inches larger in diameter than the inside of the receptacle, makes a suitable covering. Sometimes grape, beet, or cabbage leaves are used for this purpose. Grape leaves are a good covering for dill pickles, and cabbage leaves for sauerkraut.
In addition to the jars, crocks, or kegs in which the pickles are made, 2-quart glass jars are needed for packing the finished product. If corks are used for sealing such containers, they should first be dipped in hot paraffin.
When vegetables which have been fermented in a weak brine are to be kept for any length of time, air must be excluded from them. This may be done by sealing the containers with paraffin, beeswax, or oil. Paraffin, the cheapest and probably the best of these three substances, is easily handled and readily separated from the pickles when they are removed from the containers. To remove any dirt, the paraffin should be heated and strained through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Thus the paraffin may be used over and over again. The clean paraffin is melted and poured over the surface of the pickles in quantities sufficient to make, when hardened, a solid coating about half an inch thick. Where there are vermin, lids should be placed over the paraffin in jars and other covers should be placed over the paraffin in kegs. If applied before active fermentation has stopped, the seal may be broken by the formation of gas below the layer, making it necessary to remove the paraffin, heat it again, and once more pour it over the surface.
In many cases a safer and better plan for preserving vegetables fermented in a weak brine is to transfer the pickled product to glass jars as soon as fermentation is completed and seal tightly.
Almost anything which furnishes the required pressure will serve as a weight to hold the mass down in a jar or keg. Clean stones (except limestone) and bricks are recommended.