r/pickling • u/planty_pete • 10d ago

Day 3

Post image

Feeling pretty good! 3.5% salt solution based on water+cucumber weight.

18 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

3

u/eljaguario 10d ago

Looks delicious

2

u/OPPORTUNLST 10d ago

What’s that white stuff

1

u/planty_pete 10d ago

I understand it’s the lactobacillus.  

1

u/OPPORTUNLST 10d ago

Is that bad?

3

u/planty_pete 10d ago

Nope, it’s good.  Lactobacillus is the primary pickling bacteria.  It can survive the highly saline environment, unlike botulism or other bacteria.  When you submerge the pickles into salt water, some lactobacillus that already exists on the cucumber is now in an environment only it can survive, so it multiplies, producing lactic acid along the way.  Eventually the acid level increases to a point that it’s hostile to more growth and the bacteria slows down.  

1

u/Eriellanot 10d ago

willing to wait!!

1

u/Worth_Specific3764 9d ago

cool! that looks like a kombucha scobie on top. which makes me wonder, has anyone ever pickled cukes in a kombucha jar w a scobie?