Harvesting

Wash, Inspect & Grade

(need to paraphrase) Once harvested by field workers, cucumbers are transported to a receiving station. If the cucumbers are transported a long distance, refrigerated trucks are used. This helps to maintain the fresh appearance and flavor of the vegetable. At the receiving station, the cucumbers are poured out onto a conveyor where they are subjected to a cleaning process that removes the excess stems, blossoms, dirt, and other foreign matter. They are then moved to an inspection station where rotten vegetables are removed and the rest are separated by size.

Preserving

Ferment & Pasteurize

At Magnolia Vegetable Processors, we use two methods to pickle vegetables:

Fermentation and Pasteurization

The fermentation method involves transferring the cucumbers to a large, air tight, stainless steel tank filled with a brine solution for a period of about 5 weeks. Products pickled this way have an extended shelf life.
We also fresh pack vegetables with the method of direct pasteurization. Within days of harvesting, the cucumbers are sliced or speared, jarred with a product-specific pickle liquor (vinegar, water, salt and other ingredients), capped and then exposed to very high temperatures for a set amount of time. This has the effect of killing all of the natural bacteria that may be present.

Finished Goods

Packaging, Holding & Distributing

In order to vacuum pack the pickles, air in the jar is replaced with steam just before the cap is sealed. When the steam cools and condenses, it creates a vacuum, reducing the amount of free oxygen present in the jar. The jars are next moved along a conveyor to a labeling machine. Labels are automatically affixed and a freshness date is stamped on the jar." From here the jars are moved to cardboard boxes, transferred to pallets and received by our customers.

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To learn more about our production process simply contact us - we’re happy to answer any questions you may have.