Accidently reduced salt in pickling recipe - are these pickles still safe?
A dill pickle recipe called for 1.5 cups vinegar, 1.5 cups water, and 2 tablespoons salt. I doubled the bring, but forgot to double the salt before canning my pickles. I ended up with:
3 cups Apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
Will these pickles still be safe to eat? There is a wide range of vinegar:water:salt ratios online, and I'm not sure what is safe.
Best Answer
With that level of salt, I think it was more for flavor rather than curing properties. They'll be safe, but they'll probably taste somewhat flat.
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What do you do if salt is less in pickles?
If there is an overdose of salt in the pickle, you can mix it by making garlic pickle without salt.How important is salt to pickling?
According to the Pennsylvania State University Extension, "in fermented sauerkraut and brined pickles, salt not only provides characteristic flavor but also is vital to safety since it favors the growth of desirable bacteria while inhibiting the growth of others."Do you have to use pickling salt when making pickles?
Do You Really Need Pickling Salt for Pickling? While pickling salt is ideal for pickling, because it has fine granules (finer than even table salt) and no additives, it is not the only salt that can be used. Kosher salt is a great alternative, as long as it is pure salt without any additives.Can you preserve pickles without salt?
It is safe to make and can pickles without salt as long as there is at least a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water in the recipe. The flavor and crispness of the pickles might not be top quality but they would be safe.Salt Alternatives in Canning/Pickling
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Answer 2
The vinegar should still introduce enough acidity for it not to matter. A couple of tablespoon is not enough for a brine anyway.
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