I am used to canning (water bath) but wanted to pickle just a few garlic scapes today. I found a recipe for cold-packed/refrigerator pickled scapes. I realized after I finished that I'd forgotten to sterilize the jar before beginning! The jar and lid was washed in warm, soapy water but not sterlized in boiling water.

My question: Is it okay/will these be safe to let mull in the fridge for 2-3 weeks and then consume?

I'm curious about the recipe. Even my quick pickles/fridge pickle recipes use a boiling brine. Cold brine?

Bower wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 7:29 pm I'm curious about the recipe. Even my quick pickles/fridge pickle recipes use a boiling brine. Cold brine?

This one uses a boiling brine, too. I'm not sure how to insert links here on the forum, but if you do a search for the blog, "Running To The Kitchen" and then search for pickled garlic scapes, it will come up.

Dee wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 9:36 pm

Bower wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 7:29 pm I'm curious about the recipe. Even my quick pickles/fridge pickle recipes use a boiling brine. Cold brine?

This one uses a boiling brine, too. I'm not sure how to insert links here on the forum, but if you do a search for the blog, "Running To The Kitchen" and then search for pickled garlic scapes, it will come up.

If you would like to insert a link just click on the 'full editor and preview" button and then copy and paste your url.

Here, this link should work:
https://www.runningtothekitchen.com/pic ... ic-scapes/

Pretty close to the standard recipes for quick pickles, with plenty of salt and sugar to add to brine strength.
https://foodprint.org/blog/refrigerator-pickles/

Nobody can make the call for you, and say yes, it's safe to skip sterilizing the jar. I would expect boiling brine to kill most things, plus refrigerating would discourage anything from growing too. Assuming that the jar's previous use didn't involve any spoilage, and that it was washed just prior to using it and completely clean, and that your scapes are pristine and fresh, I would probably take a chance on it myself but plan to use them sooner rather than later, and don't leave them out on the counter/table - just take out what you're serving and put immediately back in the fridge. That's what I would do, rather than toss them out. They should be fully pickled within a few days, and no need to wait for 2-3 weeks. A week is plenty. Assuming they are cut and not whole. Whole scapes might be an issue because I'm not sure how well the brine would penetrate.

I once had the unpleasant experience of finding a jar of jelly went moldy on the shelf, which was put (with a fresh lid) into a clean but unsterilized jar that I grabbed when I ran out at the end of the batch. So hot liquids and strong brines don't necessarily kill everything on your jar or in the air trapped above the brine.

First off you can't actually sterilize anything in boiling water but I know what you mean.
I can't remember the last time I've ever boiled jars lids or rings before canning anything.
I wash with hot soapy water and a little bleach rinse and let dry.
Many will say otherwise but I have as well as others put jars in the oven at around 265 or so.
This will kill anything big enough to die.
The center for scare you to death says not to.
Reason being they might shatter.
Just slowly heat and turn oven off and leave door closed to slowly cool off.

I love quick pickles btw!! Haven't done scapes before... Thanks for the recipe!

worth1 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 25, 2023 8:28 am The center for scare you to death says not to.

Thank you for the belly laugh! I need this on a poster.

Boiling brine and stored in fridge a few weeks? I will make the call and say yes, eat them up! And while you are at it, decide if you they are worth it for next year, and any changes to the recipe. And let me know if they are good enough for me to make with mine.

I don’t think you need to worry. For refrigerator pickles I haven’t sterilized jars in a boiling water bath, just made sure they’re clean. However for a proper (hot water bath) canning recipe, it is required to sterilize them.

To put things in perspective.
Several years ago by accident I started an experiment.
I cut a watermelon with a clean knife put cling wrap over it and put it in the refrigerator.
I just a few days it started to mold.
So later I cut a watermelon but first I washed the knife with hot soapy water.
Put cling wrap on it and placed it in the refrigerator for 16 days.
The watermelon didn't show any signs of mold and was very fresh.
Since then even though the knife is clean I still wash it before cutting things that I put in the refrigerator.
This includes cheese.
The reason behind this is bacteria and mold spores are in the air and settle on things ready for an environment to multiply.
I have also found this with store cut pork and other meat.
It will go bad very quickly.
The vacuum packed meat lasts a long time in most cases.
Obviously the cutting equipment is contaminated.
So basically if you sterilize a jar it needs to be used then not later.