failed fermentation kosher dills
It happens sometimes.
The ferment fails.
Home > Pickles and Ferments > Kosher Dill Pickles 2 Ways
It happened. a Failed fermentation of my kosher dill pickles
epic-fail1The lactic acid developed the way it should. The cucumbers had the right color. Everything seemed to be going right. BUT...
See that little patch of blue-green something at six o'clock?
That's mold. Not good mold, mind you; but the nasty stuff.
That kind of mold develops in an aerobic (with oxygen) state. Fermentation is only safe to eat if done in an anaerobic (without oxygen) state. The white film on top is not attractive, but it isn't deadly.
The liquid MUST be above the fruit! Mine dropped too low and exposed the cucumbers to air. They spoiled.
they seemed so promising...
They smelled like delicious Kosher Dill Pickles on day 3...
I put them in a cooler, out-of-the-way place to ferment.
But I ignored them. If I'd paid more attention, I might have topped off the liquid, but I didn't.
I'd noticed early on that the cheesecloth seemed to wick away the liquid from the top, but I didn't think much about it. Later, it dried out. I never checked back.
Weights are helpful, but...
The weight worked, but if not submerged, your ferment WILL fail.
Learn from me. PLEASE.
Failed Fermented Kosher Dill Pickles.
I drained the brine down the sink & tossed everything else. I washed the jar and weight in hot water with soap and re-attached the lid to the jar. I laundered the cheesecloth and rinsed it in vinegar.
I'm ready to try again.
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