Checking on my pickles today I found they had gotten a bit slimy. This
means I need to toss them, right?

What went wrong? What do I need to do to avoid this next time?

David
:-(

Feuer wrote:

Checking on my pickles today I found they had gotten a bit slimy. This
means I need to toss them, right?

When in doubt, as they say. Without seeing the 'slime' it's hard to
tell. They should not be very slippery.

What went wrong? What do I need to do ... this next time?

Practice the art of benign neglect.

From what you said, the brine is strong enough (approximately 1 tbsp.
kosher salt to 1 cup of water, right?). So it's not a matter of
contamination during the beginning. Perhaps boil the water (boil hard,
full and rolling, for at least one minute) and let it cool before mixing
in the salt.

And sometimes, it just plain happens. You're in the East, yah? You
might want to get a jar of Ba-Tempte brand (Bubbie's on the West Coast
are also salt-brined) and use a couple tbsp. as a "starter."

Supposed to be high 60s, and mid-70s today and over the weekend, maybe
I'll start some kim chee.

B/

"Brian Mailman" wrote in message
...
Feuer wrote:

Checking on my pickles today I found they had gotten a bit slimy. This
means I need to toss them, right?

When in doubt, as they say. Without seeing the 'slime' it's hard to
tell. They should not be very slippery.

What went wrong? What do I need to do ... this next time?

Practice the art of benign neglect.

From what you said, the brine is strong enough (approximately 1 tbsp.
kosher salt to 1 cup of water, right?). So it's not a matter of
contamination during the beginning. Perhaps boil the water (boil hard,
full and rolling, for at least one minute) and let it cool before mixing
in the salt.

And sometimes, it just plain happens. You're in the East, yah? You
might want to get a jar of Ba-Tempte brand (Bubbie's on the West Coast
are also salt-brined) and use a couple tbsp. as a "starter."

I've seen that mentioned here before, using the brine of Ba-Tampte as a
starter. Just a couple of tablespoons of the brine into the normal 1
tablespoon kosher salt and 1 cup of water, is that it? And this can be done
in large glass jars, is that correct?

Becky

Julia Dream wrote:

starter. Just a couple of tablespoons of the brine into the normal 1
tablespoon kosher salt and 1 cup of water, is that it? And this can be done

I think it's more like 1 Tbs pickling or (fine?) sea salt. Kosher salt
measures differently by volume.

David

Julia Dream wrote:

"Brian Mailman" wrote in message

And sometimes, it just plain happens. You're in the East, yah? You
might want to get a jar of Ba-Tempte brand (Bubbie's on the West Coast
are also salt-brined) and use a couple tbsp. as a "starter."

I've seen that mentioned here before, using the brine of Ba-Tampte as a
starter. Just a couple of tablespoons of the brine into the normal 1
tablespoon kosher salt and 1 cup of water, is that it? And this can be done
in large glass jars, is that correct?

Yup. That's all. I'd say a couple* tablespoons in 4 cups of brine (and
that's the ratio kosher salt:water I use). I usually use a "starter"
from one batch to the next; I stir the liquid before dipping any out on
the theory the organisms might have settled or something. I don't know
if that's accurate. Does entertain the onlookers with technological
prowess though.

*meaning anywhere between 2-and-a-splash and a 1/4 cup. Don't need much
at all, just enough to get a head start on anything else and establish
the dominance of the culture.

and yeah, glass jars... I use the gallon jars I collected when
restaurant working. Narrow mouth, so no need to worry about keeping
them under the brine.

My sister-in-law uses pieces of stale rye bread for that. Some people
use plates and weight them with water-filled resealable sandwich bags.

B/

Feuer wrote:

Julia Dream wrote:

starter. Just a couple of tablespoons of the brine into the normal 1
tablespoon kosher salt and 1 cup of water, is that it? And this can be done

I think it's more like 1 Tbs pickling or (fine?) sea salt. Kosher salt
measures differently by volume.

Then you're putting in a heckuva lot more salt than I've been telling
you... I can't remember if I said kosher salt, just just to be clear,
it's 1 scant tablespoon kosher salt:1 cup water.

Perhaps that's what might have gone wrong, your brine was too strong for
anything to grow. That's close the strength I use to cure olives.

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:

Then you're putting in a heckuva lot more salt than I've been telling
you... I can't remember if I said kosher salt, just just to be clear,
it's 1 scant tablespoon kosher salt:1 cup water.

But it is what is called for in most of the recipes I've seen...

David
who still hasn't decided whether to throw out the pickles.

Feuer wrote:

Brian Mailman wrote:

Then you're putting in a heckuva lot more salt than I've been telling
you... I can't remember if I said kosher salt, just just to be clear,
it's 1 scant tablespoon kosher salt:1 cup water.

But it is what is called for in most of the recipes I've seen...

There was a great scene in "Picket Fences" before it went downhill. Kid
is sitting at the table telling his mother about something he saw on 60
Minutes. Says a guy with a chicken farm had all his chickens die of
some disease and he buried all 5,000 of them in a big pit. They rotted
and eventually the methane exploded, blowing rotten chicken carcasses
here there and everywhere. Several of 'em knocked over the farmer's
wife 2 miles down the road as she was hanging laudry. "You can't
believe everything you see on TV," the mom said. The kid's response?
"BUT MAAAWWWWWMMMMM!!! SIXTY MINUTES!!!!"

I'm not going to argue with you about what you've read.

I will tell you I use kosher salt, everyone else I know who does it uses
kosher/coarse salt (non-iodized), most the recipes on my site I pointed
you to specify kosher salt and that's what works. 1 level/bare tbsp.
kosher salt to 1 cup of water, would be the ratio.

who still hasn't decided whether to throw out the pickles.

Did you taste one as I recommended?

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:

Did you taste one as I recommended?

No. I'm kind of scared. What might be growing on one?

David

Feuer wrote:

Brian Mailman wrote:

Did you taste one as I recommended?

No. I'm kind of scared.

Then that should be a hint from the universe whether or not you would
want to throw them out.

If you're not willing to eat a slice now, then you're probably not going
to want to do so later.

B/