Plot question: not yet released scifi novel

[Dennis]

If a human died in a vat of pickle relish, would it float or sink?

[Allan]

That's not a simple question. It all boils down to relative densities. In water, a human body may sink or float , depending on its individual density. Some humans sink, some float, because bodies differ in muscle and fat content (muscle is more dense than fat). The liquid in relish is mainly vinegar; household vinegar is really just acetic acid dissolved in water. So I would say that the liquid would behave much like water, but with soft solids in it. Therefore, how a body would behave in relish would be much like it would in water, based on body fat vs muscle content.