Is open kettle canning safe if put in fridge?

Hi,

I am making some pickled eggs with 50% vinegar and 50% water. I understand that the PH will be unsafe and

that they need to be refrigerted.

But my question is this.

If I put the hot eggs and boil the brine this will create a seal similar to unsafe "open kettle" canning.

However, if I place them in the fridge after cooling off will this be ok?

I would rather have the jars sealed because makes them easier to transport, they don't leak when sealed.

I know that vacuum packing even low acid meat is ok if you put it in the fridge...I take it's the same with

pickled eggs?

I will be selling these so a safe answer would be great!

Thanks,
Bruno

Hi Bruno, welcome to the forum. Are you working with an existing recipe? Where did you get the recipe? My answer to your current question is, maybe, but do you want to take a chance?

Hi There AHVINCENT
Welcome to SFG.
Most of the safeties involving canning are determined by food safetly groups depending on country, which is why it is always best to use a recipe that is already tested.
I would think that the eggs would be safe in the fridge, but only for as long as they are normally safe in the fridge.

according to the university of georgia, which is where i got my canning education, there is no safe, tested means of home canning pickled eggs. that is not to say that there is NO safe way to do it but there are currently no guidelines that have been tested and demonstrated to be safe for long-term storage. however, home pickled eggs are a known botulism carrier so if you must err, do it on the side of caution.

i'm unclear as to how long you need to store them, why they need to be transported, how long they will need to be outside of refrigeration during transport.

Hi Rowena,

I did some research and keeping hard boiled eggs in a solution in the fridge is fine. Acutally approved from a recipe on a Gov website, not sure where, I think UTAH or something.

But they don't mention if the brine must be hot and create a seal.

My questions are:

- Does open kettle provide an evironment that is anaerobic enough to harbour botulism? Is the vaccum created in open kettle even really air tight or just a slight difference in atmospheric pressure?

Please keep in mind that this is for a product with high acidity brine AND kept in the fridge at all times, transportation would be refrigerated also or just a few minutes, way under the recommended 2 hours max to keep pickled eggs on the counter according to gov recommendations.

Thanks,
Bruno

Found the recipe but can't link to it:

"Each of these recipes uses 12 peeled, hard-cooked eggs. The directions for each recipe are to bring all the ingredients except the eggs to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pack no more than one dozen peeled, hard-cooked eggs loosely into a warm, pre-sterilized quart jar (or other similar size container which can be closed tightly). There needs to be plenty of pickling solution, and enough to completely cover the eggs. Pour the hot pickling solution over the eggs in the jar, cover, and refrigerate immediately. "


They don't really say if mason jars or plastisol can be used....can these jars be airtight?

If the eggs are hot and the brine is hot it will create a seal, is that safe?

I do can red beet pickled eggs and have for years. I don't think I have ever kept them more than a month, they simply don't last that long.
Try this link from the USDA. Happy Canning!
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_eggs.html

according to USDA standards for home canning, there are currently no known SAFE methods of canning eggs at home, by any means. creating a seal on a jar is not the same as preserving the food inside. the heat needed to penetrate a cooked egg in the middle of a jar in order to kill botulism has not yet been achieved by home methods using home equipment.

food that is kept in a closed jar in a refrigerator is USUALLY safe for a short period of time. even commercially canned foods state on the label that after they are opened they should be stored in a refrigerator.

i am not the canning police and i definitely encourage you to pursue your own line of inquiry on this issue. as i mentioned in another thread, while i have passed the master food preserver course thru the university of georgia extension (which was linked in happycamper's reply), i am not certified because i am not a resident of georgia, but rather of tennessee. thus i can't represent my knowledge as a master food preserver but i can reference the materials for you if you wish to have more specific information.

I just pickled 2 dozen eggs yesterday and the recipie I used was prepared the same way as the recipie you indicated. I pre-sterilized my mason jars and lids/bands, put in the eggs, than the brine, capped off and refrigerated. Not sure I can wait a week or so for them to merinate, because they are just too darn good!

Last year my pickled eggs didn't last more than 3 weeks, as everyone just snacked on them all the time!

Good luck!

happycamper - that's the same link I used as a base when I started pickling eggs...thanks for the link again!

Hot pickled eggs - with habanero, jalopeno and pepperchini (sp?)