The brine used for preparing half-sour pickles should be warm but not hot—its temperature should be around 68°F. Hot water ...

Sour pickles sit in a bucket of brine at a stall at Picklesburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., in 2024. The festival, held just off the city’s Market Square each year, brings pickle lovers and permutations ...

The brine used for preparing half-sour pickles should be warm but not hot—its temperature should be around 20°C. Hot water could deprive the pickles of valuable nutrients and soften them.