Surface film or cloudiness in homemade pickles can have different causes; do not judge safety from a white color, smell, or texture alone. Do not taste or eat questionable pickles whose preparation and storage are unknown.
A safe recipe and brine
For fermented cucumber pickles, follow a tested recipe’s quantities of cucumbers, water, vinegar, and pickling salt together; do not reduce the salt. There is no single water-to-salt or water-to-vinegar ratio suitable for every pickle. Wash the vegetables; use a clean, suitable container, weight, and cover to keep them below the brine as the recipe directs. Follow the recipe and fermentation-container instructions for the lid and gas release as well.
Surface film and storage
Tested fermented-cucumber recipes may describe checking and removing surface film during the process; this does not mean every questionable jar can be skimmed and eaten. Discard the whole batch if it becomes soft, slimy, or develops an unpleasant odor. Refrigerate fully fermented pickles that have not been canned. Room-temperature storage requires a validated canning recipe and all of its processing conditions; heating jars in an oven, boiling them for a few minutes, or tightening a lid alone does not replace this process.