Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
pickled eggs?

Thanks,
Carol

Fancy Pantz wrote:

> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out
> all that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use,
> besides pickled eggs?

Adding some spices, the water from pickled veggies is a wonderful marinade
for lamb in order to make kebab, be it shish (cooked & served on a skewer)
or doner (cooked on a big skewer and then shredded and put in a bun).

Great idea, but not just lamb; any meat, I think, would work. Even the
veggies that I do with the kabobs. Hmm.

Thanks, Carol

Fancy Pantz wrote:

> Great idea, but not just lamb; any meat, I think, would work. Even
> the veggies that I do with the kabobs. Hmm.

Exactly

> Thanks, Carol

You're welcome

On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
> pickled eggs?

Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
keep it in the refrigerator.

nancy

On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:47:02 -0400, Nancy Young
> wrote:

>On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
>> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
>> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
>> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
>> pickled eggs?
>
>Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
>keep it in the refrigerator.

I've been drinking lactic acid laden pickle juice all my life... kraut
juice is wonderful.
http://www.lizwolfentp.com/articles/...kout-strategy/

On 8/23/2012 10:04 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:47:02 -0400, Nancy Young

>> On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:

>>> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
>>> pickled eggs?
>>
>> Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
>> keep it in the refrigerator.
>
> I've been drinking lactic acid laden pickle juice all my life... kraut
> juice is wonderful.
> http://www.lizwolfentp.com/articles/...kout-strategy/

I'd rather have some pickle juice than bananas, sometimes, for those
occasional leg cramps.

nancy

On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:58:58 -0400, Nancy Young
> wrote:

>On 8/23/2012 10:04 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:47:02 -0400, Nancy Young
>
>>> On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
>
>>>> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
>>>> pickled eggs?
>>>
>>> Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
>>> keep it in the refrigerator.
>>
>> I've been drinking lactic acid laden pickle juice all my life... kraut
>> juice is wonderful.
>> http://www.lizwolfentp.com/articles/...kout-strategy/
>
>I'd rather have some pickle juice than bananas, sometimes, for those
>occasional leg cramps.

I like both. I've never tried pickle juice in my cornflakes. lol

On Aug 23, 9:32*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:58:58 -0400, Nancy Young
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> >On 8/23/2012 10:04 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> >> On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:47:02 -0400, Nancy Young
>
> >>> On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
>
> >>>> that fragrant pickle juice. *Any ideas about how to make use, besides
> >>>> pickled eggs?
>
> >>> Athletes drink it. *Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
> >>> keep it in the refrigerator.
>
> >> I've been drinking lactic acid laden pickle juice all my life... kraut
> >> juice is wonderful.
> >>http://www.lizwolfentp.com/articles/...-a-new-post-wo....
>
> >I'd rather have some pickle juice than bananas, sometimes, for those
> >occasional leg cramps.
>
> I like both. *I've never tried pickle juice in my cornflakes. lol

I bet Andy has.

On 8/23/2012 4:58 AM, Nancy Young wrote:
> On 8/23/2012 10:04 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:47:02 -0400, Nancy Young
>
>>> On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
>
>>>> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
>>>> pickled eggs?
>>>
>>> Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
>>> keep it in the refrigerator.
>>
>> I've been drinking lactic acid laden pickle juice all my life... kraut
>> juice is wonderful.
>> http://www.lizwolfentp.com/articles/...kout-strategy/
>>
>
> I'd rather have some pickle juice than bananas, sometimes, for those
> occasional leg cramps.
>
> nancy

Oddly enough, bananas give me leg cramps. That ain't how it's supposed
to be but that's my weird body for you. I take Tums i.e., calcium for
leg cramps. OTOH, here's a lactic acid drink. I guess these guys were
ahead of their time.

http://www.calpico.com/

Calpico is a fermented milk drink that's oddly refreshing. It used to be
called "Calpis" but that sounds a lot like "Cow ****." "Lactic acid"
could become a new marketing buzzword. Hopefully, they'll capitalize on
this.

dsi1 wrote:
>
> On 8/23/2012 4:58 AM, Nancy Young wrote:
> > On 8/23/2012 10:04 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> >> On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:47:02 -0400, Nancy Young
> >
> >>> On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
> >
> >>>> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
> >>>> pickled eggs?
> >>>
> >>> Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
> >>> keep it in the refrigerator.
> >>
> >> I've been drinking lactic acid laden pickle juice all my life... kraut
> >> juice is wonderful.
> >> http://www.lizwolfentp.com/articles/...kout-strategy/
> >>
> >
> > I'd rather have some pickle juice than bananas, sometimes, for those
> > occasional leg cramps.
> >
> > nancy
>
> Oddly enough, bananas give me leg cramps. That ain't how it's supposed
> to be but that's my weird body for you.

Yeah, potassium (which bananas are good for) should help muscle cramping.
Those others here....all the militant low carbers are causing that problem
by not eating enough starches. Pickle juice as the solution.....lmao. Just
eat enough complex carbs to provide enough glucose to your muscles each day
according to your exercise routine. You run out of glucose in your muscles,
you get cramps. Hello?

Reading here for a good while, most here seem to be "low carbers." Dear
lord, will this food fad ever end? A very low carb diet is only for people
with diabetes and diabetes is not a good thing to have. Better not to have
it and eat your complex carbs.

G. (now envokes the rath of all the low carbers here once again)

On 8/23/2012 5:21 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On 8/23/2012 4:58 AM, Nancy Young wrote:

>> I'd rather have some pickle juice than bananas, sometimes, for those
>> occasional leg cramps.

> Oddly enough, bananas give me leg cramps. That ain't how it's supposed
> to be but that's my weird body for you.

I believe it. I'm the one who will have that odd side effect they warn
you about in the drug ads.

Weirdly enough, I discovered a strange effect from eating a banana
later in the evening, to make up for a missed dinner. During the night
I woke up to, shall we say, tinkle, and I felt like I was drugged. At
that moment I wondered, what the heck did I eat. I sure hadn't taken
a sleeping pill but it felt as if I'd taken two.

The next morning, I searched on bananas sleep aid and I'm not the
only person to have that experience.

> I take Tums i.e., calcium for
> leg cramps. OTOH, here's a lactic acid drink. I guess these guys were
> ahead of their time.
>
> http://www.calpico.com/
>
> Calpico is a fermented milk drink that's oddly refreshing. It used to be
> called "Calpis" but that sounds a lot like "Cow ****."

That cracked me up.

>"Lactic acid"
> could become a new marketing buzzword. Hopefully, they'll capitalize on
> this.

Beats the hell out of cow ****.

nancy

On 8/23/2012 8:47 AM, Nancy Young wrote:
> On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
>> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
>> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
>> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
>> pickled eggs?
>
> Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
> keep it in the refrigerator.
>
> nancy
>
My middle brother used to drink pickle juice and trust me, he was no
athlete He just loved drinking the brine. I'm all for salt but I
draw the line at drinking pickle juice.

Jill

jmcquown > wrote:
> On 8/23/2012 8:47 AM, Nancy Young wrote:
>> On 8/23/2012 8:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
>>> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
>>> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
>>> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
>>> pickled eggs?
>>
>> Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
>> keep it in the refrigerator.
>>
>> nancy
>>
> My middle brother used to drink pickle juice and trust me, he was no
> athlete He just loved drinking the brine. I'm all for salt but I
> draw the line at drinking pickle juice.
>
> Jill

Never actually drank that, but there were times I had the craving for plain
vinegar, and I drank some.

Been putting cucumbers in water and vinegar, with dill and my jar of
pickling spices.

Greg

On 8/23/2012 2:38 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:47:02 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:

>> Athletes drink it. Me, I replace the pickles with cut up cucumbers and
>> keep it in the refrigerator.
>
> They used to make Pickle Pops(tm) <http://bobspicklepops.com/> using
> real, juiced pickles. But they reformulated them using fake stuff
> because they said the fake stuff was better for athletes, and that's
> where most of their sales were coming from.

Of course, because pickle juice worked, naturally something
fake would be better.

Or cheaper.

> They were even featured on FoodTV showing the manufacturing plant
> pressing real pickles. But now all mention of them being actual
> pickle juice has been removed from their site and the pops suck as a
> novelty treat. They were better under the old formula. They changed
> the formulation just after I discovered them.

Isn't that the way.

Can you make good pickle juice without making pickles?

nancy

On 8/23/2012 7:37 AM, Fancy Pantz wrote:
> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
> pickled eggs?
>
> Thanks,
> Carol
>

When Nolan Ryan, the famous pitcher, was a rookie with the NY Mets, he
would get blisters on his fingers from throwing his fastball. The
trainer had him soak his fingers in pickle juice. Supposedly, it
toughened up his skin.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Fancy Panties wrote:
>
>Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
>garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
>that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
>pickled eggs?

The juice from fermented pickles can be used to make more pickles,
just add a bit more salt, herbs, and spices to freshen the brine. I
do that all the time, I have four quart jars going now as I have a
glut of kirbys that a can't eat fast enough and pickling extends their
shelf life. You can also reuse that brine to pickle other veggies, I
often do carrots, cauliflower, string beans, and of course cabbage.

"Fancy Pantz" > wrote in message
...
> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
> pickled eggs?
>
> Thanks,
> Carol

During the Chick-fil-A brouhaha, I found a copycat recipe online that
involved soaking the chicken breasts in pickle juice before breading and
frying. They were delicious!

Fancy Pantz > wrote:

> Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
> garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
> that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
> pickled eggs?

What kind of pickles? If true sour, i.e. malolactically fermented
pickles, then the juice - and the pickles themselves - can be used to
cook the Russian rassol'nik, kal'ya or solyanka, or the Polish zupa
ogórkowa. These are some of the nicest soups in existence.

Here are some recipes I have posted over the years.

<http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/8646512d70ac92a8>

<http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/ce860cf1d89eafd4>

<http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/2a8f5bbf7772ba1f>

Victor

In article >,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

> Fancy Pantz > wrote:
>
> > Hello everybody, got a question for you. I buy the most delicious
> > garlic pickles and when the jar is empty I really hate to throw out all
> > that fragrant pickle juice. Any ideas about how to make use, besides
> > pickled eggs?
>
> What kind of pickles? If true sour, i.e. malolactically fermented
> pickles, then the juice - and the pickles themselves - can be used to
> cook the Russian rassol'nik, kal'ya or solyanka, or the Polish zupa
> ogórkowa. These are some of the nicest soups in existence.
>
> Here are some recipes I have posted over the years.
>
> <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/8646512d70ac92a8>
>
> <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/ce860cf1d89eafd4>
>
> <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/2a8f5bbf7772ba1f>

Google won't let me see them without their permission -- they want a
signup and a login. How about posting them somewhere public?

Isaac

isw > wrote:

> (Victor Sack) wrote:
> >
> > What kind of pickles? If true sour, i.e. malolactically fermented
> > pickles, then the juice - and the pickles themselves - can be used to
> > cook the Russian rassol'nik, kal'ya or solyanka, or the Polish zupa
> > ogórkowa. These are some of the nicest soups in existence.
> >
> > Here are some recipes I have posted over the years.
> >
> > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/8646512d70ac92a8>
> >
> > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/ce860cf1d89eafd4>
> >
> > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/2a8f5bbf7772ba1f>
>
> Google won't let me see them without their permission -- they want a
> signup and a login. How about posting them somewhere public?

The problem must be on your end - the posts on Google Groups are
publicly available with no signups and logins. But here are the recipes
in question:
__________________________________________________ _________________

Rassol'nik

Rassol'nik, soup made with sour (lactic-acid fermented) pickles
(cucumbers) and sour-pickle juice, is one of the soups emblematic of the
Russian cuisine. Such a soup may perhaps sound strange to those
unacquainted with it, but it is one of the great soups of the world.
The premise of using pickles and pickle brine in the soup is of course
the same as that of sauerkraut and sauerkraut brine and is not really
anything exotic or unusual. The best rassol'nik versions are made with
beef- or veal kidneys, but versions with poultry giblets are good, too.
This general kind of soup is also known in Poland as zupa ogórkowa.

Notice that the soup has to be made with true fermented sour pickles and
their brine. Do not try to use anything containing vinegar! The soup
should ideally not be salted, but instead pickle brine should be added
as needed. So, enough pickle brine should be available, which in
practice, in my case at least, means that it should be saved and
accumulated in a jar in the refrigerator. It keeps well if a bit of
mustard flour (1/2 - 1 teaspoon) is added to the brine, as it keeps it
from getting mouldy.

Yesterday, I cooked a big pot of rassol'nik with chicken giblets. I had
to use a whole jar (about 1 l/1 quart) of saved pickle juice - which is
why I do not get to cook this soup very often.

Amounts are approximate.

Rassol'nik

About 500 g (1 pound) chicken giblets (gizzards and hearts)
About 500 g (1 pound) chicken wings
About 4 l (4 quarts) water
200 g (about 7 ounces) pearl barley
10 sour pickles cubed
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 parsley root, scraped and julienned
1 celery root, peeled, trimmed and julienned
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large leek, white and pale green only, chopped
3 bay leaves
black peppercorns
6 smallish potatoes, peeled and cubed
Pickle brine as needed, and/or to taste, about 1 quart, to my taste
some parsley leaves
some dill
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Ground allspice, to taste
Sour cream

Put the giblets and wings in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the
boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, leek,
parsley and celery roots, and peppercorns, and continue to simmer gently
for 30 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, put pearl barley in a saucepan, cover with boiling water,
cover tightly and let stand for 1 hour. Strain and briefly rinse under
running water.
Add the pearl barley to the soup and cook for 15-20 minutes or until
not quite ready. Add the potatoes and bay leaves and cook for 10
minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pickles in some of their brine until soft.
Add the pickles and the brine to the soup and cook for 10 minutes
longer. Add more pickle brine to taste and bring to the boil again.
Taste for seasoning, adding pepper and/or pickle brine to taste.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, as well as parsley and dill in
each plate.
__________________________________________________ _________________

Kal'ya

A few days ago, I cooked a base for something akin to kal'ya, an ancient
Russian fish soup, or rather broth, made with sour pickles and/or sour
pickle juice/brine. I used the base to cook various fish fillets in the
next days.

In the days long past kal'ya also used to be made with poultry. It is a
great soup, as far as I am concerned, one of those Russian soups
representing the very typical sour note of the Russian cuisine, the
other examples being schi, rassolnik, and solyanka, all made with sour
pickles, sour pickle juice, or with sauerkraut or sauerkraut juice.
Some such dishes, generally made with sauerkraut or similar are also
known in other cuisines, such as Chinese, German, or Alsatian. The
pickles in question are always true sour cucumbers, a result of
malolactic fermentation, with no vinegar added. Sauerkraut is, too, a
result of malolactic fermentation.

Some fish roe or caviar is often added to kal'ya. Traditionally,
pressed caviar used to be used. It used to be prepared traditionally,
i.e. made not with damaged fish eggs, which are pressed, as is often the
case today, but with caviar salted while still in its sacs, dried a bit,
removed from its sacs and then pressed. I used some very nice pike roe.
Pike roe can be replaced with another relatively widely available fish
roe of choice, for example salmon or trout roe.

The soup is easy enough to make. I did not measure anything. The
solids in court-bouillon are usually removed and the broth is strained,
but this time I left the solids in.

Kal'ya

about 2 l (2 quarts) fish fond
1/2 celery root (celeriac), peeled and chopped
1/2 parsley root, peeled and chopped
2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion, sliced in half-rings
some black peppercorns
a few sour pickles, sliced
sour pickle juice
pike roe, pounded to a paste in a mortar with a pestle
fish (zander, wolffish, wild salmon) fillets
a shot of vodka
dill

Make a court-bouillon with fish fond and the roots, about 20 minutes.
Half way through, add the pickles, pickle juice and the pike roe. On
subsequent days, cook a fillet of fish in the court-bouillon for a few
minutes, adding a shot of vodka. Sprinkle with dill and serve.
__________________________________________________ _________________

Solyanka

Now, solyanka _is_ a bona fide Russian soup. It combines components of
schi (cabbage, sour cream) and rassolnik (pickles, pickle brine). It is
always a rather thick, rich soup with a sour-spicy taste - the result of
adding such things as olives, capers, lemon, pickled mushrooms and,
sometimes, kvas. A solyanka would typically contain rather less liquid
than most other kinds of soup, but this liquid is spicy and
concentrated. There are three general types of solyanka: meat solyanka,
which usually includes several kinds of meat, poultry, ham, sausages (of
hot dog type); fish solyanka, with several kinds of fish and crayfish;
and mushroom solyanka, with both fresh and pickled mushrooms. There are
any number of variations on the above themes.

Here is a recipe for meat solyanka (based on a Russian cookbook I have
here):

1.25 l (5.28 cups) strong beef stock (from bones or meat)
1-2 cups pickle brine
200 g (7 oz) boiled beef
200 g (7 oz) roasted beef or veal
100 g (3.5 oz) ham
100 g (3.5 oz) sausages (hot dogs)
1/4 medium-sized chicken
2 pickles
200-250 g (7-9 oz) fresh cabbage (about 1/4 of a smallish head)
2 tomatoes
100 g (3.5 oz) sour cream
12 olives, pitted
1-1.5 cup pickled mushrooms
1-2 tablespoons capers
1 onion
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon dill
2 tablespoons green onions
10 black peppercorns
3 pimentos (Jamaica peppercorns)

1. Bring the pickle brine to the boil. Skim. Combine with the stock
and bring to the boil again.

2. Cube (smallish cubes) meat, ham, sausages and chicken.

3. Scald pickled mushrooms and fresh cabbage with boiling water and cube
them, too.

4. Cube tomatoes, pickles and onions.

5. Put all the cubed ingredients, together with the spices, herbs and
sour cream into a clay pot. Pour in the boiling broth and put in the
oven for 10-15 minutes. In the absence of a clay pot, use a
non-reactive saucepan and warm the soup over a low heat, not letting it
boil, for 10-15 minutes.

In article >,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

> > (Victor Sack) wrote:
> > >
> > > What kind of pickles? If true sour, i.e. malolactically fermented
> > > pickles, then the juice - and the pickles themselves - can be used to
> > > cook the Russian rassol'nik, kal'ya or solyanka, or the Polish zupa
> > > ogórkowa. These are some of the nicest soups in existence.
> > >
> > > Here are some recipes I have posted over the years.
> > >
> > > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/8646512d70ac92a8>
> > >
> > > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/ce860cf1d89eafd4>
> > >
> > > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/2a8f5bbf7772ba1f>
> >
> > Google won't let me see them without their permission -- they want a
> > signup and a login. How about posting them somewhere public?
>
> The problem must be on your end - the posts on Google Groups are
> publicly available with no signups and logins.

Then why do your URLs send me to a "Groups" page with a place to give
them my email and password? I suppose the problem is "on my end" because
I won't give those things to Google ...

> But here are the recipes in question:

Thank you

Isaac

isw > wrote:

> (Victor Sack) wrote:
>
> > > (Victor Sack) wrote:
> > > >
> > > > What kind of pickles? If true sour, i.e. malolactically fermented
> > > > pickles, then the juice - and the pickles themselves - can be used to
> > > > cook the Russian rassol'nik, kal'ya or solyanka, or the Polish zupa
> > > > ogórkowa. These are some of the nicest soups in existence.
> > > >
> > > > Here are some recipes I have posted over the years.
> > > >
> > > > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/8646512d70ac92a8>
> > > >
> > > > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/ce860cf1d89eafd4>
> > > >
> > > > <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/2a8f5bbf7772ba1f>
> > >
> > > Google won't let me see them without their permission -- they want a
> > > signup and a login. How about posting them somewhere public?
> >
> > The problem must be on your end - the posts on Google Groups are
> > publicly available with no signups and logins.
>
> Then why do your URLs send me to a "Groups" page with a place to give
> them my email and password? I suppose the problem is "on my end" because
> I won't give those things to Google ...

Google Groups access is really still publicly available - to anyone -
with no signups and logins. The problem really must be on your end.
Have you tried another browser? A signup and login is only necessary if
you want to start posting something through Google Groups (which would
be a very bad idea indeed).

Victor