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Pour your hot coffee into a metal cup (or a martini shaker), which has better heat transfer properties than ceramic or glass. For even quicker results, plan ahead by frosting the metal cup in the freezer. Put the full metal cup in an ice bath.

For the crunchiest pickles, start with cucumbers that are firm and crisp, not rubbery, and plan to pickle them the day you buy or pick them. Avoid over-processing your jars. Have your canner at a rapid boil before lowering your jars into the water, and start timing as soon as the water returns to a boil.

Unlike their other pickle mixtures, their pickle crisp is a pure ingredient (pure calcium chloride) with no added salt or extra flavourings, etc. It is a coarse powder consisting of small, white round balls. Generally, use about 1/8th teaspoon per 1/2 litre (us pint) jar; 1/4 teaspoon per litre (us quart) jar.

It is a colorless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide (called lime or quicklime) is mixed, or slaked with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, caustic lime, builders' lime, slack lime, cal, or pickling lime. Calcium hydroxide is used in many applications, including food preparation.

1) make a brine of ¾ cup of pickling salt, 2 ½ quarts of water, and ½ cup vinegar, heating to dissolve the salt and cooling before use. 2) pour brine over vegetables, and weigh down using a cloth, plate, and a canning jar full of water. 3) for 2 weeks, white scum will appear on the top of your pickles.

According to the USDA, alum may still safely be used to firm fermented cucumbers, but it does not improve the firmness of quick-process pickles. If you use good-quality ingredients and follow current canning methods, alum is not needed. If you do use alum, do not use more than 1/4 teaspoon per quart of pickling liquid.