be fine with them. You didn't process them so any vacuum that might have been created by the heat would be minimal anyway and there was air still in the jar. Now that the lid is on loosely, no problem.

But most importantly c. botulium cannot grow in an acidic environment - the vinegar - so it isn't a concern with pickling as long as enough vinegar is used (1:1 ratio minimum) and you did. The only concerns with pickling is yeasts and molds and those you can see.

Enjoy your pickles.

Dave

Thanks very much! I feel better now.

I agree with Dave. I make fermented pickles and they sit out for weeks on end. I do can them if we are keeping long term but I often let them ferment and then refrigerate and fermented don't usually have any vinegar added.

Brined pickles such as anne made can't sit out like fermented ones can - totally different processes and safety factors. However even fermented pickles, once active fermenting is complete (approx. 7 days), should be refrigerated to continue fermenting rather than left sitting out. The issue is listeria, not botulism.

Dave

I thought that listeria could not develop in fermented pickles.

I was referencing her timeframe for brined pickles sitting out over night. Fermented pickles are fine to sit out for as long as they are still fermenting which depends on your temperature. I've never had pickles finish fermenting in 7 days and I've made an exorbitant amount. If you don't let them ferment long enough you are actually risking bacterial contamination.

I believe my original recipe came from the USDA website but I can only find PDF versions. I can dig it out later and compare it against this one, but it gives you the same procedure, the ingredients just might be slightly off for amounts.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/vegetables-herbs/dill-pickle-recipe/

"Store where temperature is between 70° and 75° F for about 3 to 4 weeks while fermenting. Temperatures of 55° to 65° F are acceptable, but the fermentation will take 5 to 6 weeks. Avoid temperatures above 80° F, or pickles will become too soft during fermentation. Fermenting pickles cure slowly."

Sorry I am not disputing the length of time required for fermenting or that foods in the process of fermenting cannot sit out for long periods of time. You are correct that the current NCHFP guidelines allows for that.

My point was that fermented pickles sitting out is very different situation from brined pickles sitting out and the original question was about vinegar brined pickles. So the fact that fermenting pickles can safely sit out does NOT mean that brined ones can. Brined foods have a 24 hour limit per the guidelines.

However I did misspeak when I said "approx. 7 days". What I meant to say was that is the recommended MINIMUM fermentation time. Clearly many foods are fermented longer.

Listeria, if it is present, can eventually grow in anything, even fermented foods. The testing done in 2010 and published by NCHFP established that listeria can grow in both high acid and low acid environments, both high temp and low temps. It is only the rate of growth that is affected by those conditions. It is the reason NCHFP pulled many of its so-called "refrigerator pickles" recipes that were brined and left out on the counter and reduced the fridge storage life for several other things.

Hope this clarifies.

Dave