Pickling lime is calcium hydroxide or slaked lime. In pickles it's a crisping agent.

I've never used pickling lime, though MIL did occasionally for her pickles. It's very important to rinse the product thoroughly (note in the recipe it specifies 3 soaks/rinses) to assure any residual lime is removed from the cucumbers. If lime remains it will reduce the pH of the recipe, compromising the safety of the pickles. I have heard there have been cases of botulism connected with inadequately rinsed lime pickles, but I have no specific instances.

Pickling lime is also caustic, so it has to be handled carefully to avoid burns.

Some Extension sites still provide recipes calling for pickling lime but other Extension sites say not to use it. You can achieve similar results with Pickle Crisp, which is another form of calcium, without the risks.

Regarding flavor, if the cucumbers are adequately rinsed, you shouldn't notice anything beyond the sugar-vinegar-spices. Where pickling lime does make a difference is in products like hominy or masa harina. Authentic tortillas would be made from corn treated with lime.

Carol

Pickling lime is also still sold under the Mrs. Wages brand. It is caustic and can even stain a stainless steel bowl. A lot of rinsing and scrubbing is required, as it does tend to cling to the cuke skins. Aside from drawing out some of the moisture and setting up a strong alkli based 'barrier' for the vinegar to have difficulty penetrating, its use today isn't as popular as it once was. Suffice to say that Pickle Crisp is much easier to deal with as its just added to each jar prior to filling with boiling brines. Pickle Crisp (from Ball), being a similar pH raising ingredient tends to 'buffer' the acid of vinegars, which seems to help slow down the softening effect acidic brines can cause on cucumbers. Its also used commercially when packing whole tomatoes in cans. It helps the whole tomatoes to hold their shape a little.

I agree with using Pickle Crisp. So much easier and not caustic.
I haven't heard of any botulism with the pickling lime. May need to check into that further and see what info I can find.
Ooooh, those can't be any better that Linda Lou's Sweet Pickle Chunks, can they ??? LOL !

Linda Lou, I'd be interested in what you find. Several sites, including Clemson and Purdue, mention an increased risk of botulism if the lime isn't sufficiently rinsed. But one site specifically said cases have been recorded without providing documentation. The site seems accurate, but there's just no way to know where that information was obtained from.

Here's the link. Just scroll down to the section "Pickling Lime."

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Practically Edible - Lime

Lime does not form an 'alkali barrier' or otherwise raise the pH of the pickling solution or the pickles, nor does it 'buffer' the solution. Any of these mechanisms would be dangerous (that's why you're supposed to soak and rinse the lime away repeatedly).

The calcium in the lime reacts with the pectic acid in the cucumber to form calcium pectate, which adds to 'crunchiness'. There is already some calcium pectate in cucumbers and other vegetables - soaking in lime water simply adds to it.

my mother made "Candied Dill Green Tomato Pickles" using really green sliced green tomatoes and this technique. They were sweet, crisp, almost transluscent and incredibly good. Her recipe was lost and I have tried to recreate it to no avail. The closest I came was a recipe from "Mrs Dulls Southern Cooking" -- (c) 1941, 1968 --which like my mother's recipe did not call for processing. But the spices were all wrong. Yes, I did process them.

Like some of you above I went looking on the web and found the same references to increased danger of botulism but no documentation of actual cases. I found it significant that while both USDA and NCHPF emphasized the necessity of rinsing, neither mentioned botulism:
USDA: "The calcium in lime also improves pickle firmness. Food-grade lime may be used as a lime-water solution for soaking fresh cucumbers 12 to 24 hours before pickling them. However, excess lime neutralizes or removes acidity and so must be washed out to make safe pickles. Drain the lime-water solution, rinse and then re-soak the cucumbers in fresh water for 1 hour. Repeat the rinsing and soaking steps two more times."

I really want to try these pickles again, but I am very cautious and don't want to pass on a flawed recipe.

I am willing to try Pickle Crisp....just hope it works cause it sounds a whole lot easier than my old recipe.

I have a much simplier recipe for similar cucumber pickles:

Annie Margaret's Piquant Pickles

Source: Annie Margaret McLeod Mitchell. These pickles could be called candied dills.

1 quart plain dill pickles
2 cloves garlic quartered
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 cups sugar
4 or 5 dried red peppers

Slice pickles crossways and drain well. Mix with other ingredients and let stand until sugar is dissolved. Stir often. Replace in jar and chill.

I have used the lime and made the pickles in the past. They are sooooo good, and when we go to the 'Dinner on the Grounds'....I look for them before any other food. We moved to a tiny little house with a glass top stove, and I am afraid to can on it. They have been in my family for ever!

Interesting. I've never come across this meaning of Lime Pickles. The title made me think the post was about this. Lime Pickle. Absolutely delicious.

perhaps there should be a d on the end of lime so it becomes a verb instead of a noun... limed pickles.

I would NEVER make these with white vinegar. A couple of years ago, I was just a tad short of apple cider vinegar so I used about a pint or a little more of white vinegar. The white vinegar absolutely ruined the flavor and I threw out all 9 quarts.

My family has made and eaten these pickles for years....even when my Mother was little, and she would be 105...and never an illness related to these. I don't have my recipe at hand, but we used what vinegar that was on hand. They are delicious..translucent and so crisp. You do have to rinse the lime from the pickles...as the recipe calls for. thoroughly. The best pickles I ever put in my mouth.

dinkan, I would buy some!

itsbeverlee -- I just found this site last night, so I can't vouch for the taste, but I plan to order some soon. https://www.jakeandamos.com/products/pickles/j445591/jake-and-amos-lime-pickles-16oz

I ran to the site to order some...and you have to buy 6. I didn't want to buy that many until I knew if they were good....

I've been making pickles for years but had never used pickling lime. A friend brought me some from a clearance sale and I decided to make them because it seemed rude not to use her gift. The result was fantastic! I've never had such crisp, delicious pickles. There is absolutely no comparison to pickle crisp. It doesn't even begin to measure up. Since then, I've made all my pickles using pickling lime. It requires a lot more time and repeated soaking and rinsing but the results are well worth the effort.

Although I'm no expert, I do have a food manufacturing permit and have attended numerous courses and classes to become FDA approved so I can sell my products nationwide. I've talked extensively with the food scientists at the University of Kentucky and they tell me there is no significant change in the PH factor if the lime is thoroughly rinsed.

In canned products, safety has to be first. I drain the lime mixture and thoroughly rinse the cucumbers. I give them another three hour soak in water and rinse and drain three more times. It might be overkill but I want to make sure there's no trace of lime left on the cucumbers. I have no hesitation in using pickling lime and my dills, bread and butters, spicy sour, and Old South pickles have a growing reputation as the best pickles my customers have ever tried.

now you know what I know. when we go to Arkansas for 'Dinner On The Grounds'....that is the first thing I ask about. I made them for years. love them more than anything!