Slime in Fermented Pickle brine

I have pickles that have been fermenting for 3 weeks now, which in my experience is the ideal length of time. When I checked on them, there is mucousy slime in the brine. There's no unpleasant smell, and the pickles are crunchy and taste like pickles. There is some yeast on the top of the brine, but this is something I've seen fairly frequently.

Can anyone identify this slime, and confirm if these pickles are safe to eat?

fermentation pickles

Best Answer

On its page, White Film On Cultured Vegetables, Cultures for Health identifies kahm yeast as the probable culprit. Many reference sites indicate that the food is safe to eat as long as mold is not present. The yeast film should be removed as it may affect the flavor of the food and it may adversely affect digestion.

Kahm yeast formation can occur because:

The batch is insufficiently acidic
There is not enough salt in the brine
The culturing temperature is too warm
The batch is over-exposed to oxygen
Good hygiene was not observed during preparation

You should be able to avoid kahm yeast formation in the future by following good lacto-fermentation procedures.

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Quick Answer about "Slime in Fermented Pickle brine"

Why is my brine slimy? Slime producing organisms thrive in warmer temperatures and low-salt environments. Slime may be produced by yeast or fast culture growth, which is why we recommend a simple salt brine without whey or starter cultures. Cucumbers with the blossom end can cause soft or slimy pickles.

How do you tell if your fermented pickles are bad?

Signs Something Is Wrong With Your Ferment:

It's moldy. Pink or fuzzy is not good.

It's mushy. Who wants mushy pickles or kraut?

Its smell repels you because it's putrid or rotten, not just sour. Your nose KNOWS this!

When you taste it, it gives you an upset stomach. (Don't confuse this with a healing reaction though.)

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.

Can bacteria live in pickle juice?

Drinking pickle juice from fermented pickles contains loads of lactobacillus bacteria-- this "good-guy" good bacteria is a really good source of bacteria to promote a healthy gut. A 1.5-ounce serving (that's a shot glass size) of our pickle juice contains 14 billion colony-forming units of live culture bacteria.

Why did my fermented pickles turn to mush?

Too cold and fermentation doesn't happen, too warm and it will take too quickly and your pickles will over ferment. This can cause mushiness and hollowing of the pickles. So sit safe at a general room temperature and you should will be on your way to crunching on your soon to be favourite pickles!

Fermentation Pro Tips. Clarity, Effervescence, Yeast and Mold

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: cottonbro, Egor Kamelev, cottonbro, Anton Atanasov