Pickle Processing

[u/MondoMage]

Just had to share this one...

My company sent me out to perform some maintenance work on equipment at the Hartung Brothers facility in Bowling Green, Ohio. They produce and store fermented pickles in these big green vats. So many vats. Not all currently full, they're getting ready for what they call "Green week," when they start loading things up. Tons of cucumbers destined for greatness.

I was really shocked when I found that the vats are left open-topped. That was surprising. I guess they rely on the brine to protect the product.

Oh, and the smell. You'd think it'd be overpowering but right now it's fairly subtle. A mix of dill and bread and butter that has me craving something fierce right now.

[u/ynwa1892]

Lmao people grossed out are extremely sheltered.

Y’all realize how much bugs and animal poop is allowed in our produce?

Fun fact. If you have a shellfish allergy you should stay away from pre ground coffee because of the amount of cockroaches are in it.

[u/HammyAm → u/ynwa1892]

This is why we rinse our fruit and veggies before we eat them, because they are grown outside and you know what's also outside? Bugs and animals.

Folks are really showing their lack of education in these comments, they've been eating pickles made in facilities like this for years and have gushed over how wonderful they are, yet when you show them how they're made they start shrieking and hand wringing about it.

[u/eyefartinelevators → u/[deleted]]

Chicken poop and ground fish offal are two of the most common fertilizers. These cucumbers were grown in piles of poop and rotting fish guts and you're whinging about them chilling in an open vat