Ask Lemmy

You cannot substitute sugar for salt. Foods with high enough sugar levels are shelf stable because they are high in sugar and low in moisture. This suppresses microbial activity completely.

Honey cured meat usually uses the honey for flavour only and will still have salt in it. For ham in particular, there will also be sodium nitrite (this is what gives ham its distinctive colour).

In pickle brine, salt is important for suppressing the growth of unfriendly microbes. Friendly microbes like lacto bacteria are very tolerant of saline environments, where unfriendly microbes are not.

There are different kinds of pickles.

Fridge pickles are the most forgiving because the low temperature limits microbial activity.

Vinegar pickles are packed in acidic brine. The acid (usually vinegar) kills c. botulinum. The salt flavours the pickles but also hampers the growth of unfriendly microbes. These are also usually sterilized in a water bath for shelf stability.

Fermented pickles have very specific salt requirements to ensure you get the right kind of microbial growth. The fermentation process also requires sugar for the microbes to metabolise into acid and prevent the growth of c. botulinum.

Obligatory warnings in case this was not a hypothetical question:

Use tested recipes from reliable sources. Use recipe books from the Mason jar manufacturers, USDA recipes, books from well known chefs, etc.

If it smells like death, throw it out. If in doubt, throw it out.

Do not screw around with this - it is very easy to make yourself violently ill and if you make a bad enough mistake, you could die.