Guest guest Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Hi , If you skim off mold, the rest underneath it should be fine. Any parts that are slimy or yucky should be tossed just as you did. As to the white coating, I'm not sure what that is. Was there any wax on the cukes before you started? It's safe to taste one and see whether it's off. As long as it's sufficiently salty, and you used reasonable hygiene, it should be safe to eat, but it you don't like the taste, toss it. I've only done sauerkraut, though I have used a variety of vegetables and fruits in it. If I'm not happy with the taste, I just throw it in the compost and start over. I found that adding any whey made things too soft; things stay crisper if it's just brine (and any seasonings) and you don't ferment outside the fridge for too long. Maybe someone else has pickle-specific expertise to share. Jeanmarie On Aug 5, 2009, at 5:49 AM, wrote: > Sorry for the cross post. > > I started fermenting a few different recipes of pickles, and have > questions. > > First, there is definately some mold in the scum on top when I skim > them- is this ok? (yes it is definatley mold) > > Second, When cukes float up out of the brine, do you rinse them and > stick them back down in, do you discard them? I had one I didn't > notice and it was kind of yucky so I cut the top off and then put > the rest back in- is this ok? > > Third, even though they are totally under the brine, many of my > pickles seem to have a white coating on them. Is this normal? > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 These were home grown cukes, with no spray ever. So it should not be wax or residue, but I hadn't thought about that. I did wash them very thoroughly- since they were homegrown, they were picked over several days so I 'freshened' them in cold water for an hour, then scrubbed to get the prickles off and the blossom ends (didn't cut the blossom ends only cut) The garlic was purchased as was some of the dill. I did add grape and cherry leaves as they say they keep the crispness. THey are also from my home, I do not spray,but we did discover the grapes have black rot a type of fungus-- would this be a problem? I did wash the leaves and chose ones that looked to be the healthiest. The white is covering cukes that are down in the jar, maybe I let them ferment tooo long outside the fridge, it has been a week and a half on the counter. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 I ferment my cukes on the counter for only two or three days, then transfer into the refrigerator. It's possible they've been out too long. -PattyT > > The white is covering cukes that are down in the jar, maybe I let them ferment tooo long outside the fridge, it has been a week and a half on the counter. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 I wouldn't use any leaves that are contaminated with fungus, but who knows whether the actual leaves you used were contaminated; it's possible, since you can't always tell an early infection by visual inspection. I'd try another (small) batch without the leaves, and don't ferment on the counter so long. Are you following some kind of recipe? I wouldn't wing it until I was experienced. I highly recommend " The Joy of Pickling " by Ziedrich, revised edition, and be sure to read her chapter 1 on safety and basics. It's very useful. Then chapter 2 has fermentation recipes and general information about how much salt yields a given brine concentration. (Other chapters cover sauerkraut, kimchi, chutneys, salsas, and vinegar pickles of all kinds.) I glanced at several of her recipes for cucumber pickles, and they vary from 3 days to 2 weeks for recommended fermentation time, so I'd get a tried-and-true recipe and follow that. Jeanmarie On Aug 6, 2009, at 5:24 AM, wrote: > These were home grown cukes, with no spray ever. So it should not be > wax or residue, but I hadn't thought about that. I did wash them > very thoroughly- since they were homegrown, they were picked over > several days so I 'freshened' them in cold water for an hour, then > scrubbed to get the prickles off and the blossom ends (didn't cut > the blossom ends only cut) The garlic was purchased as was some of > the dill. I did add grape and cherry leaves as they say they keep > the crispness. THey are also from my home, I do not spray,but we did > discover the grapes have black rot a type of fungus-- would this be > a problem? I did wash the leaves and chose ones that looked to be > the healthiest. > > The white is covering cukes that are down in the jar, maybe I let > them ferment tooo long outside the fridge, it has been a week and a > half on the counter. > > Thanks > > _,___ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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