| PROBLEMS WITH PICKLES Soft or slippery: Using too weak brine or vinegar for curing. Not daily removing scum or covering cucumbers in brine. Using hard water or cucumbers with blossom end intact. Hollow pickles: Faulty growth. Standing too long before being processed. Temperature too high during curing. Shriveling: Not starting the pickling process soon enough after picking cucumbers. Brine is too strong or syrup too heavy (if pickles are sweet). Dark pickles: Minerals in water or on cooking utensils. Don't use copper, brass, or galvanized iron. Spices can cause discoloration. Low nitrogen content in the cucumber. Dull or faded pickles: Poor quality cucumber. Sunburn or overmature White sediment on bottom of the jar: Using table salt. Temperature not controlled. Bacteria that grow during fermentation |
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