[JULY 29, 2000]  Making homemade pickles is a time-consuming and expensive operation. There are a variety of different steps along the road from cucumbers to sweet gherkins, so there are a number of places where the process can break down. Pickle problems can usually be traced to the method by which the pickles, brine or syrup are prepared:

1. Weather and growing conditions (quality of your vegetables)
2. Kind of salt used (canning or pickling vs. iodized table salt)
3. Vinegar (five percent acetic acid, or 50 grain)
4. Temperature of storage conditions (fermentation)
5. Pickling method (fermented, quick-pack)
6. Time lapse between gathering and pickling the vegetables

A list of pickle problems follows, with possible causes indicated for each problem.

1.  White scum appears during fermentation – the scum is a layer of yeast and/or mold: Safe

1. Vegetables are not submerged in brine.
2. Pickling container is not sealed.

2.  Pickles or sauerkraut is soft or slippery: Unsafe

1. Brine is too weak (less than 10-12 percent salt) – allows growth of organisms which cause texture softening and sliminess.
2. Vinegar is too weak (less than five percent acetic acid) – allows growth organisms which cause texture softening and sliminess.
3. Temperature during brining was too high (over 75 F).
4. Too little brine – all cucumbers must be immersed.
5. Salt is unevenly distributed on cabbage.
6. Air pockets due to improper "packing" of cabbage allow for growth of undesirable microorganisms.
7. Failure to remove scum daily on surface of brine.
8. Failure to remove the cucumber blossoms – enzymes from the blossom will cause softening.

3.  Pickles are hollow: Safe

1. Improper curing: weak brine, pickles uncovered during curing, curing stopped short of full fermentation.
2. Too much time lapse between gathering and brining (i.e., more than 24 hours).
3. Cucumbers have grown in an "abnormal" way.
4. Temperature too high during fermentation.

4.  Shriveled pickles – caused by excessive loss of water from the cucumbers: Safe

1. Curing brine is too strong (more than 12 percent salt, vinegar more than six percent acetic acid).
2. Too much time lapse between gathering and brining (i.e., more than 24 hours) – cucumbers are dehydrated.
3. Pickling solution which is too "heavy," or contains too much sugar.

5.  Pickles or sauerkraut is dark or discolored: Color development due to iron is safe to some extent but not with other metals.

1. Using hard water for pickling solution – minerals in the water react with pigments in the cucumbers. Iron in the water is the worst offender.
2. Use of brass, iron, copper or zinc utensils during pickle making – they contribute metal ions which react with cucumbers to form dark pigments.
3. Use of ground spices will darken pickles.
4. Whole spices were left in the pickles after packing.
5. Vegetable (cabbages) is unevenly salted.
6. Curing temperature is too high.
7. Vegetables are making contact with the air – pigments oxidize.
8. Use of cider vinegar with light-colored vegetables.
9. Use of brown sugar with light-colored vegetables.

(To top of second column)

6.  Sauerkraut turns pink: Unsafe

1. Too much salt (over 2.25 percent) = yeast growth on surface.
2. Uneven distribution of salt = yeast growth on surface.
3. Kraut is improperly covered or weighted during fermentation = yeast growth on surface.

7.  Moldy pickles or sauerkraut during fermentation: Unsafe

1. Fermentation temperature is too high.
2. Insufficient lactic acid production (too much salt).
3. Failure to keep cloth on top of kraut clean during fermentation (may need to be replaced after skimming).

8.  Pickles are strong or bitter tasting: Safe

1. Used too much spice.
2. Spices cooked too long in the vinegar.
3. Vinegar is too strong (more than six percent acetic acid).
4. If pickles are too acid, increase the sugar, do not decrease the acid.
5. Use of "old" or overmature cucumbers with tough, bitter skins.