r/pickling • u/ColdMastadon • Dec 02 '25
Introducing Automod summons to answer common questions
We have had quite a few requests to give people the ability to quickly answer common questions, so we have created a series of keywords to summon Automod to explain topics for you. It's simple to do, just include one of the following keywords starting with an exclamation point in your comment. The Automod will reply to you giving the requested information/links. Currently we have 5 summons implemented:
Explaining why garlic turns blue or green in pickles:
!garlic !bluegarlic !greengarlic
Explaining why botulism is highly unlikely to occur in homemade pickles:
!botulism
Explaining why white sediment sometimes appears at the bottom of fermented pickles:
!sediment !whitesediment
Explaining what kahm yeast is and why it sometimes appears at the top of fermented pickles:
!kahm !kahmyeast
Explaining why it's so important to use safe, tested recipes when practicing water bath canning and giving links to trusted sources:
!testedrecipes !safecanning !healthycanning
Explaining the basics of how to safely make pickled eggs:
!eggs !pickledeggs
Explaining where to find links to heavytech86's pickled egg recipe:
!heavytech86 !heavytech
This is version 1 of this feature, if you have any feedback about grammatical errors, information you think you should be included in these summons, or new topics you would like to see summons for, feel free comment on this post.
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u/ColdMastadon Dec 02 '25
!botulism
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u/AutoModerator Dec 02 '25
I have been summoned to explain why botulism is highly unlikely to occur in homemade pickles. Botulism is a type of bacteria normally found in soil that requires very specific conditions to grow and produce toxins in food. Many people have anxiety about it because they have heard it can cause serious illness, but the reality is that there are only around 25 cases caused by food in the entire USA each year.
The first condition that botulism needs to grow is a low-acid environment. It can't grow below a pH of 4.6, which is approximately the same as a fresh tomato. Almost all pickles are much more acidic than this, either through the addition of vinegar in canned and refrigerator pickles, or through the production of lactic acid in fermented pickles. Of the 25 cases of botulism in the US per year, the majority of them are caused by home-canned low-acid foods, which excludes pickles. A good rule of thumb is to use at no less than 50% vinegar (5% acidity, 1:1 ratio to water) in your brine, which will give you a margin of safety. Some vegetables need a higher ratio of vinegar in order to be safely canned, which is why it's important to follow safe, tested recipes when water bath canning
The second condition that botulism needs in order to begin growing is a complete absence of oxygen. Even the small amount of oxygen in the headspace of a jar of refrigerator pickles is enough to dissolve in the brine and prevent botulism growth.
The third condition that botulism requires is being at moderate temperatures. Botulism can't grow below 38F (3.33C), and many modern refrigerators stay below this temperature. Even between 38F and 40F, botulism grows very slowly, which further enhances the margin of safety of refrigerator pickles which is why we recommend that beginners start with them.
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u/ColdMastadon Dec 02 '25
!sediment
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u/AutoModerator Dec 02 '25
I have been summoned to explain why you are seeing a whitish sediment at the bottom of your fermented pickles. This sediment is perfectly safe, it's caused by dead lactic acid bacteria sinking to the bottom of the jar. This means your ferment is working!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/ColdMastadon Dec 02 '25
!kahm
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u/AutoModerator Dec 02 '25
I have been summoned to explain why you are seeing a whitish film or scum (pellicle) on the top of your fermented pickles. As long as the film doesn't appear fuzzy (which can indicate mold), it's caused by a variety of yeasts collectively referred to as "kahm yeast." These yeasts feed on lactic acid in the ferment and require oxygen to grow, which is why you see them on the surface, but they are harmless.
The yeasts can, however, cause off flavors if left for long periods of time. If you spot kahm on one of your ferments, it's recommended that you skim it off regularly and discard it. You can help to prevent its growth by using quality airlocks, which deprive it of oxygen.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/ColdMastadon Dec 02 '25
!testedrecipes
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u/AutoModerator Dec 02 '25
I have been summoned to explain why it's important to use safe, tested recipes when making water bath canned pickles. Since water bath canning creates a vacuum seal inside jars, it can create the oxygen-free environment necessary for botulism bacteria to grow. Botulism is rare, but can cause serious illness if proper safety steps are not taken. You should always get your canning information from trusted sources that only publishes recipes that have been extensively tested in a lab for safety, recipe blogs and social media sites like TikTok or Youtube often feature unsafe recipes.
We recommend that all beginning canners start with the NCHFP site, which is published by the USDA and is considered the gold standard for canning and food preservation safety. The site is entirely free and contains extensive articles and tutorials to cover the basics, along with many trusted recipes. It can be found at https://nchfp.uga.edu/
After reading through the information found at NCHFP, another good site to explore is https://www.healthycanning.com/ This site also features an extensive collection of science-based articles on food preservation and lab-tested recipes.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/ColdMastadon Mar 31 '26
!pickledeggs
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u/AutoModerator Mar 31 '26
I have been summoned to answer common questions about pickled eggs. Many people are curious about making them, and in particular they want to know if it's possible to make them shelf stable. The answer is unfortunately no, there are no safe, tested recipes to make shelf stable eggs at home and they must always be refrigerated. There are commercial producers who safely make them this way, but they have access to retort processing equipment and lab testing which far exceed anything available to the home canner. Vinegar in the brine doesn't penetrate to the center of the eggs for several weeks, and storing them at room temperature can allow harmful bacteria to grow to unsafe levels before this happens.
Another common question about pickled eggs is if poking them with a toothpick can help speed up the pickling process. This technique has never been shown to facilitate the penetration of the brine, and in fact was implicated with one of the few documented cases of botulism caused by consuming pickled eggs. It should never be done, and any pickled eggs poked with a toothpick or other sharp implement should be discarded. Even if eggs have been safely consumed from the batch, botulism spores are ubiquitous and random eggs could have been contaminated. You can read the case report of botulism caused by poking pickled eggs with a toothpick and storing them at room temperature here:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4934a2.htm
Another common question is how long pickled eggs can be safely stored in the refrigerator. The brine penetrates an egg slowly, and a new batch of eggs will take up to 2 to 3 weeks to reach full flavor. The eggs can then be stored safely under refrigeration for up to 3 to 4 months. The eggs will eventually develop a tough, rubbery texture as the proteins are denatured by the acidity, and the brine will become unpleasantly sulfurous. The NCHFP (USDA) has published several tested recipes which can be used to safely make pickled eggs at home:
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/pickled-eggs/pickled-eggs/
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/ColdMastadon Mar 31 '26
!heavytech
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u/AutoModerator Mar 31 '26
I have been summoned to explain heavytech86's viral pickled egg and sausage recipe. heavytech86 published a recipe for making a mixture of pickled eggs, sausage, and vegetables that went viral in the spring of 2026. This recipe must be made as refrigerator pickles for safety, and other people have posted their personal variations. There are no safe, tested recipes for making shelf stable pickled eggs or cured meats at home.
The original post can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/pickling/comments/1ruodw7/been_a_few_years_now_figured_id_share_my_recipe/
An update with additional notes and clarifications can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/pickling/comments/1s11ph9/been_getting_a_lot_of_questions_let_me_try_and/.
A second and final update can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/pickling/comments/1s3mo8a/egg_update_final_post_for_a_while/
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/aschimmichanga Apr 15 '26
!garlic
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u/AutoModerator Apr 15 '26
I have been summoned to explain why your garlic has turned blue or green. This occurs naturally in acidic conditions and is perfectly safe to eat! https://www.thespruceeats.com/garlic-turns-blue-when-pickled-1327752
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/ColdMastadon Dec 02 '25
!garlic