Everyone has these old recipes handed down from generations... Sometimes they get clouded as to the ingredients. This one is definately not safe as the vinegar is not even a 50% mix with water. Salt is added, but needs to be PICKLING salt. If table salt is used its terrible. Grandma may have made these using water and picking salt as a salt brine pickle. This type 'ferments' and creates lactic acid after a few days and weeks. Once its finished bubbling, you add a little vinegar. My grandmothers recipe was similar and they only saw a few days at room temps, then placed in the fridge. The worst thing that could happen to yours is listeria bacteria. Mold can also form on the surface of the brine. In any case, let him be the 'guinea pig' and see if he is still kicking after eating a few..?? If he gets sick, be ready for a trip to the hospital!! Dont give any away. There are very simple dill pickle recipes found in many places here, and you can also use Mrs. Wages dill pickle mix that only needs the necessary water and vinegar, as well as cut up garlic, and fresh dill weed, dill seeds. I like using both as ripe dill seeds and also some green dill seeds.

It did call for and he did use pickling salt.

The directions say to store in a cool dark place for six to eight weeks.

She gives him some every year so he has been eating them from the same recipe for a very long time. He refused to consider using another recipe. He bought twenty five pounds of pickling cukes and has made them.

I don't know if it makes a difference or not but the brine was boiled and poured into hot jars and many of the lids have already sealed.

Rock and a hard place position. ;) Keeping hubby happy vs. safety.

You could print out the pickle safety rules from USDA (linked below) or maybe buy some litmus paper and test them to show him they aren't acidic enough or offer a compromise of at least putting them in the fridge. But if he isn't open to at least discussing them there isn't much you can do except don't eat the pickles yourself or give them as gifts to anyone.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NDHFP - Pickling Safety Guidelines

Since he put the lids on and some have sealed, he may be in for a surprise. They may blow off the tops.
Just wait and see if it happens.

The sketch of the recipe looks reasonable, provided that the salt concentration is high enough, though I've never heard of putting lids on this early in the fermentation. In a normal fermentation, the bacteria produce lactic acid which will act as the preservative. These require no refrigeration during fermentation (2-4 weeks) and then they can go directly into the fridge or be canned with their fermentation brine. (These are the "old-fashioned" pickles that were long in use before "fresh pack" became the standard.)

This is a link to the University of Georgia, National Center for Home Food Preservation. Perhaps it will help put your mind at ease or set off alarms if they are warrented! ;)

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: University of Georgia, National Center for Home Food Preservation

buyorsell888:

Do not eat them!!! I hope you have a good life insurance policy on him and mortgage insurance.

I won't eat them, I don't like spicy dill pickles.

Sadly no life insurance or mortgage insurance.

All of the lids sealed...

He informed me after the fact that he added more vinegar and reduced the salt because the neighbor made them last year and they were too salty.

We've canned for years, I'm not sure where the in the world he gets the idea that it is ok to mess with a canning recipe or that it is ok to use an unsafe recipe.

I tried to explain that is was like turkey, that his mother used to bake it all night on 200* and leave it on the counter all day and no one died but that turkeys today are no longer safe to do that with but he still would not see reason.

Fermentation can continue in a sealed jar, once its reached a high enough pressure point and the lid doesn't release gasses, the jars will break. Store them in a big plastic tub just in case they do break.

I've made pickles for years, but always with a hot bath. I watched a neighbor in England who tried a recipe like this one. He survived, but I wouldn't want to be like he is for the rest of my life. So, this is for the husband.

I'm just might be old enough to be your father. If I was, right now you'd be hearing the sound of my belt clearing the beltloops on my pants. Take that male stubborn streak and replace it with some common sense. Listeria is nothing you ever want to consider tangling with. If you don't buy into that, then go buy a 6 foot plot of ground. You're "leaning into a left hook". Any history of masochism in your family? Am I trying to get your attention? Darned right!!! All these folks are trying to help your wife, who doesn't deserve to have to take care of what's left of you, if you get severe listeria and survive. She doesn't want you to take this kind of chance on having a future. Before you eat any of those bullets you loaded in the jars, you might want to do a little research and get to know the rules of the game you're playing. Take the time to see what the results of having a severe case of listeria are. Ain't pretty. IMO, what you're doing is like playing Russian Roulette with 3 bullets in a six shooter.

The hardest thing about trying to help someone is getting them to let go and allow the help to be given.