Theory 136/Pickling/Rate lens
Preservation Follows Acidification Rate
The claim
Pickle safety is set by the rate at which pH falls rather than by the final pH, so a slow acidification can spoil before it preserves.
01Mechanism
Pathogens are inhibited only once pH is low; the time spent in the danger range determines survival.
02Prediction
Safety should track acidification rate.
03Refutation
Safety tracking final pH would remove the transient.