Starting a Vegetable Pickling Business

Because of oversupply, vegetables and fruits in season often wilt and spoil in our markets. The producers are forced to sell cheap and get only a small profit. By processing and preserving abundant, in season fruits and vegetables, people can sell these at much higher prices during the off-season. Preservation makes vegetables and fruits more palatable.

Microorganisms are always on vegetable. Home canning prevents the growth of those that cause spoilage and illness. When the acidity of a canned food is high, harmful bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum can’t grow. That’t why pickling (adding acid) prevents spoilage.

Pickling Equipments:
– crock or food- grade platic and glass containers
– weight (keeps fermenting food under the brine)
– utensils (don’t use metals that may react to acid or salt)
– jars
– lids
– boiling-water canner
– thermometer

Pickling Ingredients:
– vegetables (select tender vegetables without blemishes and molds)
– pickling and canning salts (table salt may be used)
– vinegar (with 5% acidity)
– sugar
-alum or tawas (used to firm fermented cucumbers)

Pickling Procedure:
1. Wash thoroughly carrots, cauliflower, ampalaya, singkamas, winged beans (seguidillas), red and green pepper, and green papaya.
2. Peel, cut into desired sizes, and wash. Drain well and pack in sterilized culture jars.
3. Boil four cups of water and one-third cup of salt.
4. Cool and strain the solution with cheesecloth.
5. Add one-fourth teaspoon of alum (tawas) and pour into the vegetable-packed jars. Cover and set aside. Add two tablespoons of salt for every four cups of water and one-third cup of salt daily for four days.
6. After four days, wash the vegetables to reduce saltiness, and repack in the jars.
7. Prepare the sweet-and-sour solution by boiling one cup water, three cups of vinegar and two-thirds cup of refined sugar.
8. Cool the solution, strain and pour into the jars. Cover and set aside, adding five tablespoons of sugar for every four cups of sweet sour solution daily for three days.
9. Transfer the vegetables from the culture jars after these days and arrange them in sterilized preserving jars. Boil the sweet-and-sour solution, then pour through a cheesecloth into the preserving jars.
10. Half-seal and exhaust for five minutes. Seal completely and process for 10 minutes.

Storing:
Wipe the jars and label them with the date and contents. Remove screw bands so that the liquid under them won’t cause rusting. Store jars in a cool, dark, dry place. Use within 1 year for best eating quality and nutritive value. Exposure to heat, freezing, or light decreases the quality and shelf life of canned food.

Sources: recipe from ITDI (DOST), extension.oregonstate.edu

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