Pickle brine recipe/question

[Rajun Gardener]

What's the least amount of salt and vinegar brine I can make for pickles?

I made pickled okra last night and tasted some today, it's to much vinegar and salt for me. Will it mellow out if I let it sit?
Today I'm making cucumber pickles if that makes a difference.
Here's the brine recipe I used.
4C=H2O
2C=vinegar
1/2C=canning salt
1/4C=sugar

[friedgreen51]

Be careful on reducing the vinegar too much. The acid in the vinegar is what keeps bacteria from growing. This article says 2/3 vinegar to 1/3 water ratio. Also be sure to use pickling salt or any non-iodized salt.
https://www.mountainfeed.com/blogs/lear ... 20spoilage.

[Rajun Gardener]

Be careful on reducing the vinegar too much. The acid in the vinegar is what keeps bacteria from growing. This article says 2/3 vinegar to 1/3 water ratio. Also be sure to use pickling salt or any non-iodized salt.
https://www.mountainfeed.com/blogs/lear ... 20spoilage.

Thanks, I edited my original post to include the canning salt.

[worth1]

The amount of salt is insanity.
No wonder you dont care for them.
Try the Ball Blue book recipe and see what you think.

[Rajun Gardener]

Send a link or post the recipe. I looked and found this, which one do I use?
https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgnapa/files/265533.pdf

[worth1]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... tvNqPAF-y-

[Rajun Gardener]

Thanks, is that gonna work for pickles too?

[worth1]

I have no idea I ferment pickles.
As for the okra I also add habanero peppers for heat.

[worth1]

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ww ... FcIaGSJ7AK

[worth1]

The above link explains a lot about water vinegar ratio.
I also use citric acid in place of vinegar many times.
And lime juice.
Can't remember the measurements for replacement and have to figure it out or look it up.
In the culinary circles citric acid is sometimes called sour salt.

[Rajun Gardener]

I should've also mentioned these are refrigerator pickles.

I ended up using 2C of vinegar to 5 C of water, it still has a vinegar bite but not too bad. I tested the PH and it's at 4.2. After reading the last link the PH should be below 3.5 so I just dumped the brine into a bowl and added vinegar till it dropped to 3.2. That was 1/2C of vinegar to each pint jar of brine.

I'll play with the recipe on the next batch as I've read the sugar should combat the vinegar bite and noticed many recipes with just a TBS of salt and that alone should make it better. The cloudy brine on the left is a result of adding crab boil seasoning to the jar for extra flavor. Just playing around at this point.

[worth1]

One tablespoon citric acid per cup of water equivalent to one up vinegar 5% acidity.
From what I have read.