A Wonderleaf question
Why do pickles last so long?
a real page from the book
Pickles last so long because salt and acid make the jar a hard place for spoilage germs to live. Vinegar or fermentation lowers the pH, while salt pulls water away, so many bacteria and molds cannot grow well there.
The cucumber also sits sealed away from fresh contamination until the jar is opened. In fermented pickles, helpful bacteria make lactic acid, which protects the food while giving that sharp tang. Once air and new microbes enter, the pickle's long clock starts running faster.
Wonder words
- brine
- acid
- fermentation
- bacteria
Try it out
Put cucumber slices beside a tiny pinch of salt and watch after ten minutes for beads of water.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Who invented pizza?
- How is chocolate made?
- How did people keep food fresh before refrigerators?
- Why do fruits taste sweeter when they are ripe?
- Why do we cook food?
- How does food turn into energy?
One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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