Brine level goes down as pickles removed - top off or not?
I made some refrigerator pickles and they turned out great. However, as finished pickles are removed for eating, the brine level goes down and no longer covers the tops of the remaining pickles. Should the opened jar be topped off to cover remaining pickles? If so, with what? The opened jars will be put back in the frig.
Best Answer
Keeping vegetables submerged is important in a lacto-fermented product, because the fermentation is anaerobic (happens in the absence of oxygen). Keeping the product submerged during fermentation also makes it less likely that mold will grow on the product.
Refrigerator pickles are not generally fermented, and are just kept in a vinegar and seasoning base to flavor the product. Refrigeration also drastically slows any problem bacteria and such. Just avoid sticking your fingers in the jar to keep potential mold at bay, and given that you will likely consume in relatively short order, I would say there is no need to top off.
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Do pickles need to be fully submerged?
Yes, the brine does need to cover the cucumbers in a refrigerator pickle. With other forms of canning where the jars are processed, you have a vacuumed sealed environment after processing.At which concentration of salt fermentation is pickle stop?
Brine pickles The strong brine draws sugar and water out of the vegetables, which decreases the salt concentration of the brine. It is important that the salt concentration does not fall below 12% as fermentation will not be able to take place.Should my pickles be bubbling?
While fizzing is normal for fermented pickles, in canned, heat-treated pickles, it is not. If a jar of canned pickles is fizzing, throw it away. Unless stated otherwise by their producer, assume that store-bought pickles are canned and therefore should not pop or fizz when opened.Why is my pickling brine cloudy?
While fermenting pickles, the brine might become cloudy due to lactic acid bacteria growth during the fermentation period. If a noncloudy appearance is desired, a fresh brine can be used to pack the pickles when they are ready for processing. In nonfermented pickles (fresh pack), cloudiness might indicate spoilage.VEGISODE™ - \
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