I have found that if you still want a little more sweetness and no sugar, a very small amount of Splenda works well too. I use it here for most sweet pickle brines and if it were measured cup for cup as in sugar, it would be way too sweet for many one to enjoy. Instead, I only add maybe a couple of tablespoons of Splenda to do almost the same sweetening compared to many cups of sugar.

For clarification, I just wanted to mention that the UGA search links to the Colorado Pepper recipe page, so while the lemon juice recipe is more acidic, the vinegar one is perfectly acceptable. You might, however, prefer the lemon marinade for its flavor. The NCHFP (UGA) links to Purdue Extension also and cites a number of its documents. Generally all the Extension agencies are going to be following NCHFP (UGA) and USDA guidelines. What happens is the NCHFP is the primary resource, but they also rely upon other Extension services to provide support, particularly in areas of specialty. So Oregon State Extension here is the NCHFP resource for canning seafood, canning nuts (yes, they can be water bathed), maraschino cherries, Asian pears. New Mexico provides pepper expertise. Washington developed a number of safe salsa recipes. Wisconsin Extension has the best document on pickles. Michigan Extension and Pennsylvania Extension are wonderful all-round resources. There is one exception. Extension service funding is very limited and they don't always update documents on their websites, so on rare occasions I have seen out-of-date publications. I always check the document date and the date of last revision. Whenever there's doubt, check the NCHFP. They're "the decider." Carol

Remember our parents and grandparents used 15% Vinegar for pickling! Now it’s only 5% Vinegar and you are cutting it 3:1!! Not a good idea! You have 2.5% Vinegar just using a 1:1 ratio! Your canning salt ratio needs to be 1 measuring cup per gallon of brine (vinegar + water combined). i don’t know if you are boiling them on a low boil for a minimum of 12-14 minutes for ”low-temperature pasturization” and making certain they ”set up properly” or stay sealed prior to storing them on the shelves to cure for 30 days, or if you are planning on refrigerating them once you finish canning and allow them to cool down! if you fail to boil them and place them on the shelf, they will develop a botulism that can be fatal! Just my thoughts! Been putting up pickles for over 40 years and two of my proteges have used my recipe and won the Blue in the Minnesota State Fair 2007 & 2014

digdirt: "But the real issue is that there is no way to know for sure without measuring the pH and culturing the food and see what grows out. That is what was done in the testing article Carol linked. Note for example that it was 4 days before a notable drop in pH occurred in the testing and the amount of listeria steadily declined from that point on. That is why it is recommended that foods be left to ferment for a minimum of 7 days prior to consuming them. That insures the pH has sufficiently declined, the beneficial bacteria have sufficient time to develop and pathogenic bacteria that might have been there has declined." The listeria hysteria is becoming comical to me. My recommendation to those who want to enjoy 'half ferments' is simply don't follow the recipe that the researchers did. Omit the step where the filth is added. Kinda like home prepared cole slaw, don't spit a loogie in it before putting it in the fridge, It really is that simple. If you had even one documented case of food born illness from fermented vegetables, the conclusions of this 'research' might take on some meaning to me. This post was edited by sidhartha0209 on Sat, Sep 21, 13 at 11:39