Questions using old pickle recipes?

Question

I'm about to make my favorite watermelon and carrot pickles with recipes from my grandmother and have been doing a bit of surfing on making pickles.

Apparently, old pickling recipes may be unsafe since the % of vinegar used to be 7% and now is 5%. I've looked for similar recipes that are more current but nothing seems to fit. They have also noted that you can use the old recipes if you store them in your fridge but if I'm making a dozen of each, I don't have that much space!

So for example if the recipe calls for 14 cups of water and 3 cups of vinegar do you think the flavor would be super altered if I changed it to equal amounts of each like 8 cups of water and 8 cups of vinegar?

And/or how many of you still use old recipes and have no problems? The last time I made these were about 4 years ago and they were absolutely fine with the old recipe.

Answer 1

How long will it be before you eat them?  If it's going to be a year or less, I wouldn't worry about it.  If you are going to be storing them longer or in a hot part of your house, I'd change the ph.

If you change to equal amounts it will very much alter the taste.  If you decide to change the recipe,  I would go more with 12 cups to 5 cups but even that will probably change the taste but put you close to 5%