Canning VS Pickling
Canning and pickling can oftentimes be thrown around interchangeably in conversation, but there are actually quite a few differences between the two methods. We break down the canning vs pickling below – their main components, their differences, and their similarities. So what’s the difference between canning and pickling? Let’s find out!
Canning:
The main component of the canning method is that it involves sterilization of any bacteria, including the jar, and the product that goes in it. Which effectively means, it’s cooked.
Beyond “sterilization,” there are the components of “processing,” the “water bath method”, and “pressure canning”.
Canning does not always use a “brine” to preserve food. It usually uses heat; and sometimes, both heat and pressure.
Products that are effectively sterilized by the canning method can last for years, which is what makes this a popular choice. You can gather all of your harvested veggies, can them, and keep them in your pantry or store them for the months and years ahead.
Pickling:
Pickling is something else altogether. Pickling, while it is a type of preservation, uses an acid (vinegar) that anaerobically “ferments” the food by producing lactic acid from the fruit’s own sugars; which in turn, extends its shelf life.
Pickling is a method that can create delicious results for products such as cucumber pickles, carrots, green beans, okra, radishes, bell peppers, asparagus, cauliflower, chili peppers, etc.
Fruits and vegetables with a high acid content must use traditional canning methods to ensure their extended safety.
Yet even pickling has two options:
- Start by using a pickling brine and then can the product with heat.
- Use a cold pickling brine, and then refrigerate the product. This is known as quick pickling or refrigerated pickling and results in the crispy pickled veggies that you can easily make at home.
The easy-to-make pickling pouches here at Great Lakes Pickling Company use the quick pickling / refrigerated pickling method. The result will be the freshest, most crisp and delicious pickled products you’ve ever tasted. It is an tried and true easy homemade pickling option!
Unlike canned vegetables, which are cooked and often rubbery and soft and might last a year or more in a jar, our pickling pouches create a product that’s full of flavor with that “crisp snap” that every pickler loves.
You can expect to get 3 to 4 weeks of pickled goodness from each recipe you try.
