Is it necessary to skim the scum off of fermenting pickles?
The sour (fermented) pickle recipe that I am following states:
Check the crock every day. Skim any mold from the surface, but don’t worry if you can’t get it all. If there’s mold, be sure to rinse the plate and weight.
The only change that I have made to the recipe is to add 3 med tomatoes along with 4 lbs of cucumbers.
The pickles do seem to have more surface mold than sauerkraut. However, is there any real advantage to skimming the mold off of the top? It seems that if the mold is aerobic and restricted to the surface, then any skimming, especially if combined with removing the stone weight on top of the pickles, would simultaneously mix both mold and air in.
I would prefer to skip skimming every day, and the shape of my crock makes it somewhat awkward to do: the crock curves in at the top, and there is < 1 cm of brine between the surface and the stone weight.
Is there any disadvantage to not skimming every day?
Best Answer
I make pickles similarly, but not quite the same way: I usually make half-sours, as even the 5.6% salinity of that recipe would be way too salty for my family's tastes. I boil the brine before using it, letting it cool before adding it to the cucumbers. I use a clear glass jar rather than something opaque like stoneware, which might change the mechanics a bit. The biggest difference, though, is that I add a slice of bread, which really gives the fermentation a head start. Usually, the pickles are ready in two days, three at most. Perhaps it's this shortened time period, but I've never encountered any scum that needs to be skimmed off. Sometimes, if it was a particularly hot day or something, there will be mold, either on the bread or on the liquid; if this happens, the pickles are thrown away — it's just not worth the risk.
That said, scum does not equal mold. If it's anything other than white, and/or if it's fuzzy, it's mold, and I personally would not eat whatever it occurred on, unless of course it was rotten moldy milk blue cheese. If it's really just scum, then it's probably a cosmetic issue: if you don't skim it off, the brine might turn cloudy and unappetizing.
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Why do we have to remove the scum on the surface of brine during fermentation?
Mold growth on the surface of the brine/liquid can occur. Monitoring for mold growth and scum formation on the surface and quickly removing it will ensure quality vegetable fermentation.What is the effect of scum on pickles?
Scum may destroy the physical appearance of the pickles. It also decreases the acid concentration in the pickling solution resulting in improper processing resulting in the spoilage of the cucumbers.What is the white stuff on my fermented pickles?
When fermenting vegetables, it is common to notice a white layer forming on top of the liquid after a few days. Often this white film is mistaken for mold, and the entire ferment is discarded. However, the white film is usually a type of yeast known as kahm yeast.Should fermented pickles be 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.Pickles Part 2: Skimming the scum
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Answer 2
From what I've read, leaving the scum on reduces the salinity of the brine, which changes fermentation. Skim the scum so that the salt level stays the same ... check out "Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz.
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