# Do Pickles need to be airtight?



## Siegal (Mar 6, 2013)

I attempted to make my first pickled vegetables today. I bought these jars from target - glass "storage" jars with a plastic seal around the lid. My FIL a chef even picked them out with me knowing I wanted to make pickles. Anyway - I filled it up and when I flip it over to shake it leaks - so its not airtight.
Is that a problem? Can I still make pickles if I refrigerate the jar? Its only turnips, beets, celery, chili peper, and vinegar, water, and salt.
Thanks


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 6, 2013)

Your pickles won't last forever, as they aren't canned for storage.  But in the fridge, they'll last a good, long time, so long as there is sufficient vinegar in the pickling solution.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CharlieD (Mar 6, 2013)

I keep my pickles in the fridge, they for sure last me from year to next year. They are not air tight as use used jars from store bought pickles. I do not use vinegar, big no-no in my book of pickles, nor do I use any kind of pickling solution, unless the liquid in the jar considered the pickling solution.


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## MrsLMB (Mar 6, 2013)

Charlie can you tell me what the advantage is to passing on the vinegar?  Do you get a better pickle taste or ?


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## CharlieD (Mar 6, 2013)

AS far as pickles goes there two schools of pickling. Garlic dill pickles, where pickling is basically done by using salt. The second one is vinegar pickling. I do not know about English but in Russian the first ones called pickled cucumbers and the second ones called marinaded cucumbers.
Advantage? I do not know if there is advantage, both are completely different product in my book and the only difference is taste. And taste as we know is a completely personal thing.


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## Snip 13 (Mar 7, 2013)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> Your pickles won't last forever, as they aren't canned for storage. But in the fridge, they'll last a good, long time, so long as there is sufficient vinegar in the pickling solution.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


 
+1
As long as you keep them in the fridge the vinegar will keep them from spoiling.
I make all my pickles and chilli relishes in old jam and honey jars so they aren't airtight. They still last a few months. We eat a lot of pickles so I've never kept them longer than that.


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## Siegal (Mar 7, 2013)

Thanks everyone


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## frenchguycooking (Apr 9, 2013)

Air tight is better is you want to keep them for a long time. And I think that the jars must be sterilized even if they are airtight.

My grand mothers used to do like this, and we kept them out of the fridge in a dark cool place. Don't know if this will help


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## JanaAZ (Apr 12, 2013)

I make them with the vinegar brine and store them in the fridge.  The ones I made for shelf storage seemed to lose their crunch after canning.  I used pickle crisp, but they still seem to be 'cooked'.  

I found that bread/butter pickles lasted a year in the fridge but my dill (claussen-style) lasted only about 6 months.  They didn't spoil but they did get overly-dill.


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## TooTall (Apr 18, 2013)

Hey


Not necessarily, more important than airtight is sanitary, sterilized containers, super clean pots and utensils and using tongs to grab them out, a little bit of bacteria can taint a whole big batch. Airtight can just mean baking paper or plastic wrap laid over the top of the liquor as well tho. Pickles are great fun and really easy. Happy to provide recipes if your keen man.


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## Mel A (Apr 19, 2013)

Hi There, i think they should be airtight to keep a longer life span and I always refrigerate after opening up the glass container.


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