Pickling without Sterilization - Is It Safe?

Question

Is this recipe safe? The author is making pickles without sterilizing the jars first and I've ALWAYS read that you have to sterilize the jars first.

Answer

The recipe appears to be close to a standard Summer Pickle recipe. It's about a 9% brine with 3.75% acetic acid, which should effectively discourage human pathogens. It is not a fermented product. They're meant to be refrigerated for at most a few months, not stored on some dusty basement shelf. Refrigerated properly, I'd eat them without concern.

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