LOL. I think that in many cases (like the 'whipped dressing' and ketchup saying you must refrigerate after opening), it's companies trying to ward off legal liability. If we were among the 1 in 10000 who got poisoned by my pickles by not cooking the jars, some folks would sue. In any case, it's not hard to do, doesn't hurt them much (although could make them less crisp), and as they say, better safe than sorry!

Zonny, just ent to the Bernardin canning website and darn don't they tell you that you must put the pickles in a canner, darn farmers fooling around with the genetics of the vegetables, but never made pickles that way.
Off to make supper, Kitty

Zonny, pickles will be ok if made in salt brine, soak over nite, rinse a bit, squeeze just a little, make hot pickle vinegar & spice according to recipe add the cukes, heat them through in this don't overcook, just make sure they are hot, jar with the snap lids, done!! Salsa sauce, awesome!! Hope you can get the chance to do that, the smell while cooking is awesome!! Container gardening is cool! All this canning talk, think will look up some seed catalogues and sign up, never too soon to plan for next year, have fun, Kitty

Again, thank you so much for all the info! So I don't need to boil the jars on pickles, just put the hot pickles into the hot jars, they seal up and it's all good right? Next year I hope to put in a small garden, so I can get my cukes nearly free!

A neighbour of my MIL's makes salsa, and she grows all the stuff in containers. I think I'm going to try next year, much cheaper than getting a raised bed built. I'd love to make salsa, love it.

I wouldn't be brave enough to make my own mayo (or brave enough to eat room temperature store bought stuff either!). Honestly, i think it would have been OK - the stuff is shelf stable until its seal is popped, and after that, depends on what bacteria you get into it. Things have so many preservatives now, probably not much chance of being ill. But I was NOT going to have my DH and five year old DS be the guinea pigs!

Zonny, eek!! wouldn't have eaten those sandwiches either, yikes, botulism.... Not a good thing!! No, always, sterilize your jars, no matter what, except for freezer jams. Know what you mean by not using up your freezer, so nice to can stuff if you have the fresh produce and have it in a cupboard, you can make your own mayo, but that for sure needs to be put in a pressure canner. Rule of thumb, pickles, relish, jams & jellies no hot water bath if made in the olden way. Beans, squash, potatoes, most veggies, meats, fish, homemade soup not in a brine just plain water, pressure can. Fruits, peaches, cherries, fruits, etc, require warm water bath. Herbs, freeze, air dry, or place in slow oven. Hope this helps, can't do too much this year as we just moved and still unpacking, no garden. Happy Sunday, Kitty

Didn't even know there was such a thing as freezer pickles! My fridge and freezer are just a bit crowded, so I'm looking to keep stuff out of there until it's open, so want to make shelf-stable things. My MIL makes mustard pickles each year, but doesn't can them, she just reuses a jar from whatever and puts plastic wrap over the top before putting on the lid, I doubt she boils anything (which freaks me out a bit). But probably most of the time, we're safe from botulism or whatever grows in jars! I was at her home earlier this week, she made us sandwiches for the road using 'whipped dressing' (kinda fake mayo, know what I mean?), that the jar had been unsealed, but was in the cupboard! Was freaked out by that too, we didn't eat 'em.

Anyhow, so if you don't have enough juice, not cool to just add more vinegar, am I right there? I filled a couple jars tonight, had a bit of extra that I'll just put in the fridge. Wondered about whether I could just add vinegar.

Hi Zonny, ha, no pro, trial and error, as long as there is enough pickle cooked pickle juice to cover, the cukes, they will seal and be ok, but depends on the recipe have never made microwave or freezer pickles, never had the room, so they will be somewhat different assume, the recipes I used always had to soak the pickles in a brine overnite, then drain, cook and jar, there are some awesome recipes on that Bernardin web site have a look there. where all this pressure cooking and warm water baths came from, gosh we never had time to do all that, but guess that's what the new way is. DH used to buy me a new stove about every 5 years as I would completely wreck or wear them out,, Lol!! Happy canning, Kitty

Oh I haven't had a problem with them being squishy, that's just what I'd read from others. But since you seem to be a pro, do I need to cook the jars further? Or can I just let them seal on their own putting the hot pickles into the hot jars and dropping the lids on? Is that the way to keep them without refrigerating? I think the fridge would be better for keeping them crisp, but I dont have enough room in the fridge. Thanks for your input!

Hi Zonny, have made pickles many times, but never in the microwave, maybe by putting them in the canner you are cooking them too long. Have never put pickles in the canner, make them the old fashioned way, for bread & butter pickles, found that you just heat them through in the hot pickle juice then can them right away, stay crunchy, once jarred the cukes are still cooking in the hot pickle juice until they cool, hope this makes sense! Good Luck & Happy Canning, Kitty