I discovered that I could pickle items without a canner, pickle items without concern of botulism, and have the items keep in the refrigerator for upwards of three months. The reason being that the brine (which I make from scratch and is heated up on the stove prior to packing the ingredients) contains herbs and spices that have preserving properties (not to mention the fact that the homemade brine is vinegar-based, which in itself is a natural preservative). This brine is where that fantastic “pickled” taste comes from, and it can be reused, within reason.
Click here for my recipe: http://www.motherearthliving.com/food-matters/how-to-can-pickles-without-a-canner.aspx
