GreenieLeBrun wrote:

> The Joneses wrote:
> > So the cukes are resting in 1 cup lime & 1 gal water, just covering
> > the 7 # regular cukes all sliced up nice. The lime seems to gravitate
> > to the bottom and does not stay in solution. Is this normal? Should I
> > have mixed it differently? Or just stir it up a couple times?
> > Edrena, wishin' & hopin'
>
> Assuming you mean slaked lime, not quick lime, then slaked lime is
> calcium hydroxide ( Ca(OH)2 ) and this is only slightly soluble in
> water, about 0.2gm/100mL.
>
> Quick lime is calcium oxide ( CaO ) which turns to Ca(OH)2 when it
> reacts with water.
>
> calcium hydroxide, lime, slaked lime, calcium hydrate, caustic lime,
> lime hydrate,
> hydrated lime are all the same compound

It's the food grade lime for homemade pickles, calcium hydroxide.
Thanks all for the advice. The slices are so crisp it is like they were
frozen! But I know better than to try to taste them at this stage. Might
pucker me permanently!
Edrena, off stirring.