I buy Claussen Kosher Dill Whole Pickles and once in awhile a few of them turn these light green color, almost mold like on the outside. Does anyone know what this is and why they change color? And is it safe to eat still?
So I have to go on thinking I’m the only one who’s ever seen this? :dubious:
Does the green color cover the entire pickle, or just a portion? What do you normally do with pickles that acquire this color, throw them away? How long does the process take, do you notice it overnight, or weeks later?
There is some good info about pickle molds here. If you are routinely encountering mold on commercial pickles, there may be some problem that the manufacturer would like to know about. Also, if one pickle in the jar gets moldy, I’d be wary about the others.
Are these pickles on the outside of the jar or in the middle or doesen’t it make a difference. Lights, particularly flourescent have a nasty habbit of making things turn colors. In fact potatoes left under flourescent lights for not even all that long will take on a distinctive green tint.
Do they really seem to have mold, or are they just bleached in appearance?
If they’re just bleached-looking, Joey P could be right, or it could be that this particular pickle was in a batch that used a lighter mix of vinegar/and or sugar. This info came from Putting Food By (Greene J, Hertzberg R, and Vaughan B, 4th ed., 1991).
If there really is mold, or they seem unnaturally mushy (easily turn to goo when touched), then the book recommends disposing of the contents in such a way that animals won’t be able to eat them.