Pickled cucumber mush

[More basil]

Eek. I have just opened a jar of pickled gherkins and found that they have turned soft and mushy. They were covered in salt for 24 hours before being pickled in a solution of 2/3 white wine vinegar and 1/3 boiled water plus chillies and tarragon.

Any ideas what went wrong?

[rustylady]

Was the vinegar mix hot? If so you've cooked the cucumbers

[roitelet]

I don't like to dilute the vinegar. You need all the acidity you can get to preserve things. It could be that was what went wrong.

[More basil]

Thanks both!- the water had cooled but I am wondering if the water content was the culprit. The mix works well with other veg but of course they don't tend to have the water content of cucumbers. Some of my jars are fine but perhaps the overall water content was too high in the mushy jar. Oh well, here's to a new season with better pickles

[Scarlet]

I wouldn't use a recipe with that water content either. There's a really good recipe on here. I'll try to find it. I think you need to try a few recipes before you get one that's good for you, I've had a few disasters. Some recipes don't give you the "keeping time" either which I really don't like.

[Thelma Sanders]

as in the recommendation for this recipe

Dill Pickles Recipe -Bobby Flay | Food & Wine

with that low an acid content (less vinegar) they're usually kept in the fridge and used quite quickly.