So, I have been experimenting with pickles this summer and I have had limited success, mostly because they have not been very crisp. Doing some research, I see grape leaves and horseradish leaves are suggested for tannins that may help inhibit some enzymes that break down the pickle. Oak leaves (rounded leaf kind) are also added but some reports say that they add too much tannin.
Then I was looking at a valassic pickle jar and noticed calcium chloride is added, did not see that ingredient listed on a competitor’s “mushier” style pickle. So I am going to try that and see if it works.
A couple other ideas: What about that powdered wine tannin? Oak cubes? I wonder if that would work in lieu of leaves? Also, is it necessary to add the water to the pickles hot? Seems like hot water would only cook them, even at 185. I was thinking about heating up the brine and adding it when it is cooled off after ice soaking the cukes for several hours and scrubbing them clean. Heck, maybe even a star-san dunk if microbial concerns are what the hot brine is for, though, that doesn’t seem necessary for excellent sauerkraut - it goes straight into the crock with only a lightwash.
Sounds like these are refrigerator pickles. My experience has been that unless you add the brine hot they take forever to cure. Mine always have a satisfactory crunch, although they do tend to soften up over time.
IIRC, CaCl2 is used in molecular gastronomy when they make those “caviar” drops of some liquid into a CaCl2 solution. So the “firming agent” (insert joke of choice) use seems to fit.
The calcium chloride really did the trick. My pickles still have a few days to go because they are not sour enough but these are the most firm and crisp pickles I have ever had.
