my pickles are fizzing!

[Two_Sheds]

The latest batch of AndiandDi's pickled courgettes that I made... are fizzing. Vigorously
I've goggled and discovered a recipe for fermented pickled carrots (so the fizzing can't be a poisonous thing?) but I'm curious as to why it's happened.

Unless it has something to do with the fact that I stuffed too many courgettes in this lot and some have risen above the surface of the vinegar.

Flum?

[binley100]

Careful when you open the jars .........it might be Zaz's ginger beer all over again.

[Scarlet]

Did you wash off the salt? I'm not 100% but think the salt and vinegar reacts.


No - nothing to do with the vinegar!
Just found the same pickled carrot recipe - interesting, it says using a salty brine allows bacteria to do their thing - fermentation.
So my guess is you left the courgettes in the salt and water for too long

[valmarg]

Well, something has gone very wrong, insofar as the pickles are fermenting.

valmarg

[Two_Sheds]

Did you wash off the salt? ... using a salty brine allows bacteria to do their thing - fermentation.

They weren't ever in a brine, I sliced the courgettes and layered with salt, then rinsed it all off and spun dry in a salad spinner. Same as I've done all the other times
They taste OK, maybe slightly soft ...

[solway cropper]

I had something like this a few years ago when I made some beetroot chutney. Because beet has quite a lot of natural sugar I think that somehow bacteria had got in and were converting the sugars to alcohol. I had to throw it away but the idea of getting pi**ed on chutney is quite appealing

[Jeanied]

I've had fizzing marmalade before now - and wine-y jam. No idea why.

[Scarlet]

With a little help from my OH (chemistry degrees are good for somethings after all!!)
The brine is created by the salting – water is pulled from the courgettes and then mixes with the salt – thats the brine
A by product of fermentation is carbon dioxide.
When you fill the jar with liquid( in your case vinegar)the carbon dioxide gets trapped, which causes the fizz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation_(biochemistry)

[Two_Sheds]

The brine is created by the salting – water is pulled from the courgettes and then mixes with the salt – thats the brine

Good point, but I never did have a brine.
The courgettes were layered in a sieve, then salt sprinkled on top of each layer. Any water that was extracted went down the sink.

The salt was then washed off, rinsed and all the courgettes spun dry in a salad spinner before vinegar was added.

[Scarlet]

Good point, but I never did have a brine.
The courgettes were layered in a sieve, then salt sprinkled on top of each layer. Any water that was extracted went down the sink.

The salt was then washed off, rinsed and all the courgettes spun dry in a salad spinner before vinegar was added.

O.k. But I have just read this
http://www.wildfermentation.com/reso...p?page=pickles

My understanding is that the fermentation was started by the salt, heat can speed up the process or perhaps you left them longer than usual.
Even if the salt was washed off the fermentation within the courgettes had already started.

Below is a section taken from the link above

"The simple key to successful vegetable fermentation is to make sure your vegetables are submerged in liquid. That’s it, the big secret. Usually the liquid is salty water, also known as brine, but fermentation can be done without salt, or with other liquids, such as wine or whey.Typically, when fresh vegetables are chopped or grated in preparation for fermentation—which creates greater surface area—salting pulls out the vegetable juices via osmosis, and pounding or tamping the vegetables breaks down cell walls to further release juices, so no additional water is required"

[Hilary B]

Vinegar doesn't ferment, but some vegetables contain enough sugar to do SOME fermenting.
The fermenting in brine thing is not exactly what winemakers mean by fermenting, and in any case would not happen with vinegar.
The likeliest cause is either too dilute vinegar, or veg not submerged (or a combination).

[Two_Sheds]

The likeliest cause is ... veg not submerged

Exactly what I suspected Hilary, thank you.

[wellie]

Two Sheds,
I've had a HUGELY remotely similar situation just now with what I've been trying to do with some Walnuts in the green, and trying to Pickle them. There was clearly some kind of fizzing going on within the huge kilner, and even though I'd effectively buried the exposed tops of the walnuts at the top of the jar, a seepage of vinegar was dribbling down the jar/label to alert me to to fact that they weren't.......
Largely, I threw caution to the wind in the end, opening the jar, sinking the offending walnuts good and proper with a spare inverted kilner lid within the jar, so spilling out lots of vinegar to boot, but, having kept a close eye on it in The Funny Farm Kitchen now for a week on a sheet of kitch paper, it's got a dry bottom, and no fizz or spillage since.
And I just cross all of our availables for a happy outcome in all directions.X.