Salt Preserves the Cucumber

• Salt is a natural preservative because of its ability to draw moisture out of food and help control harmful bacteria that contribute to spoilage. As moisture is leeched from food, it becomes submerged in its own liquids. This limits the food's exposure to oxygen, making it difficult for spoilage microbes to grow. In the case of pickled cucumbers, a young cucumber is submerged in brine -- salt solution -- and sometimes a strong acid like vinegar and allowed to ferment.

Salt Affects the Cucumber's Flavor

• Soaking a cucumber in brine prevents spoilage while simultaneously promoting the growth of good microbes. As the good microbes consume the cucumber's naturally occurring sugars, they produce substances like lactic acid, alcohol and carbon dioxide. The substances produced during this fermentation process alter the cucumber's aroma and taste. The amount of salt that is added to the brine help to determine which microbes flourish, affecting the pickle’s final flavor.

Salt Affects the Cucumber's Texture

• Pickled cucumbers are typically eaten raw. Though they are soft on the inside, their skin remains crisp. There are several ways to produce a crunchy pickle; the use of unrefined sea salt is one. Unrefined sea salt contains traces of calcium and magnesium. When it is used in a brine, the calcium and magnesium are absorbed into the cucumber, fortifying the pectin in its cell walls. This reinforced structure gives the pickled cucumber its characteristic crunch.

Troubleshooting

• Salt is responsible for the pickled cucumber's preservation, flavor and texture, so it is important to use the correct amount of salt when pickling. Using the wrong concentration of salt can cause several problems. If too little salt is used, unwanted bacteria can grow and the cucumber will spoil. If too much salt is used, the cucumber becomes swollen with carbon dioxide produced by the good bacteria. Most cucumbers are pickled in brine that is between 5 and 8 percent salt.