help!
i’m new to canning and have only edible pickled cukes, jalapeños and pickles – but today i used some refrigerated pickles jalapeños i made on october 14th from my garden. except i didn’t realize the brine is pink. i am way too afraid of botulism for my own good so please tell me the discoloration is normal/ safe.
i used a 1:1 ratio of distilled white vinegar and water, garlic, red chili pepper, salt and sugar for my recipe.
by Zealousideal_Toe2047
3 Comments
botulism needs no oxygen, low acidity, and warm temperatures. none of which happen in refrigerator pickles.
now you can get other bacteria growing especially if your acidity isn’t high enough, but botulism is not a risk.
however looking at your recipe I believe it should be fine. most likely the red chili pepper colored the brine
I would ask over on r/fermentation
However looking at your recipe, I doubt there is botulism risk. You used approximately 20g of salt in 2 cups of liquid for a 4% brine. 50% vinegar at 5% acidity means you have a 2.5% brine. If these have lived in your refrigerator since you made them, I would not personally be worried about anything besides mold growth right at or just above the liquid line. There may be some acidophilic bacteria that have taken up residence, I am not familiar enough with some of the more niche species, but in general acidophiles aren’t cause for health concern, only quality.
Boiling the brine just gives you a quicker penetration on the veggies, and isn’t a necessary step to having a safe product assuming you rinsed your veggies well and used good sanitation practices in your kitchen.
If in doubt, throw it out. Veggies are cheap compared to a visit to the ER for food poisoning or a round of antibiotics.
I pickle pepperoncini peppers with and without red pepper flakes and the ones with almost always have a pink tint like that.