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Miscellaneous Pickle Problems

Source: NDSU Extension Service Food and Nutrition Specialists

Problems in pickles may have several causes. If you are having difficulty in obtaining good results, the following will be helpful to you.

Soft, slippery or slimy pickles are spoiled and should be discarded. Several factors may contribute to spoilage. Two important reasons are insufficient heat treatment and poor jar seals. To help prevent these problems, process your pickles in a boiling water bath according to USDA recommendations and use standard canning jars with new lids.

Other factors which lead to spoilage include failure to clean the stem and remove blossom ends, failure to thoroughly wash products to be pickled, and failure to remove the scum that accumulates on curing brines. Other causes may be caused by using deteriorated ingredients such as molding garlic or decayed spices; or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.

It is important to use the proper vinegar to water ratio in preparing the brine. The brine should be at least one cup vinegar to each three parts of water. Failure to have a brine of this ratio can cause spoilage.

If you have further questions, please contact your county office of the NDSU Extension Service.

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For More Information Contact your North Dakota County Extension Office of the NDSU Extension Service for additional information or see our main NDSU Web Page for publications and articles on Agriculture, Horticulture, Youth and Family, Business and Community and Food and Nutrition at  http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/