Made some today. 2 Tbs sea salt, 2 cups water, 1 tsp or so pickling
spices (hopefully the right sort), and about 4 cloves of garlic. Hope
they turn out well.

David
Which end is the blossom end?

Feuer wrote:
>
> Made some today. 2 Tbs sea salt, 2 cups water,

That's about right.

> 1 tsp or so pickling spices (hopefully the right sort), and about 4 cloves of
> garlic.

I've always thought those were optional. Couple red pepper pods,
garlic, and a head of dill would be enough... but, to each his own.

> Hope they turn out well.

"Incubate" and save a few tbsp. of the brine for the next batch. It'll
go faster.

> Which end is the blossom end?

The one opposite the stem. rounded, with a circular dinkum on it where
the blossom was.

B/

Feuer > wrote in :

> Made some today. 2 Tbs sea salt, 2 cups water, 1 tsp or so pickling
> spices (hopefully the right sort), and about 4 cloves of garlic. Hope
> they turn out well.
>
> David
> Which end is the blossom end?
>

Opposite of the stem end, which IME usually has a bigger scar.

BTW, what sort of cukes did you use? How long are you planning on them
setting out before refrigerating?

Wayne

Brian Mailman wrote:

> > Which end is the blossom end?
>
> The one opposite the stem. rounded, with a circular dinkum on it where
> the blossom was.

Hmmm.... I didn't get them all off until several hours after I stuck
the cukes in brine. Hope it was soon enough.

David
What sort of red pepper pods? Bell pepper? Hot pepper? Fresh?
Dry?

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> BTW, what sort of cukes did you use? How long are you planning on them
> setting out before refrigerating?

Used cukes sold as pickling cukes. Gonna let 'em sit probably 2 weeks
maybe longer at somewhere around 70F (my basement).

David

Feuer wrote:

> What sort of red pepper pods? ... Hot pepper?

Yes. Dried red ones.

B/

Feuer > wrote in :

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> BTW, what sort of cukes did you use? How long are you planning on them
>> setting out before refrigerating?
>
> Used cukes sold as pickling cukes. Gonna let 'em sit probably 2 weeks
> maybe longer at somewhere around 70F (my basement).
>
> David


Thank you...

Wayne

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> Thank you...

Why'd ya ask?

David
Is this gonna become rec.food.pickling or something?

Feuer > wrote in :

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> Thank you...
>
> Why'd ya ask?
>
> David
> Is this gonna become rec.food.pickling or something?

I thought I'd give it a try.

Wayne

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> I thought I'd give it a try.

:-)

David
The pickles are starting to foam a bit. Is that the "scum" the
directions are talking about?

Feuer wrote:

> The pickles are starting to foam a bit. Is that the "scum" the
> directions are talking about?

Sort of a whitish froth? yeah.

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:
>
> Feuer wrote:
>
> > The pickles are starting to foam a bit. Is that the "scum" the
> > directions are talking about?
>
> Sort of a whitish froth? yeah.

Cool. What is that? Why must it be removed? Also, I'm seeing only the
tiniest bit of it. Does that mean the fermentation's going slowly?

David

Feuer wrote:
>
> Brian Mailman wrote:
> >
> > Feuer wrote:
> >
> > > The pickles are starting to foam a bit. Is that the "scum" the
> > > directions are talking about?
> >
> > Sort of a whitish froth? yeah.
>
> Cool. What is that?

Stuff. If one really needs a technical word to impress friends and
relatives that it's more complicated than just putting cukes in brine
and letting them sit then "detritus" should do. "Fermentation detritus"
adds four more syllables.

> Why must it be removed?

Because it's nasty-looking. Because it's not needed. Perhaps because
that way if something truly awful is happening you can see it more
quickly.

> Also, I'm seeing only the tiniest bit of it. Does that mean the fermentation's going slowly?

Maybe. I've had many batches that haven't formed it at all. What's the
ambient temperature?

Next batch, you might want to put them in a glass jar. That way you can
watch the bubbles, if you have nothing else to do.

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:

> > Also, I'm seeing only the tiniest bit of it. Does that mean the fermentation's going slowly?
>
> Maybe. I've had many batches that haven't formed it at all. What's the
> ambient temperature?

Round about 70F I think.

> Next batch, you might want to put them in a glass jar. That way you can
> watch the bubbles, if you have nothing else to do.

The container is translucent. I'm not seeing any bubbles... Some gas
is being produced for sure, and I see the cukes trap it against the wall
of the container, but I don't see bubbles rising or anything. How small
are the bubbles?

David

Feuer wrote:
>
> Brian Mailman wrote:
>
> > > Also, I'm seeing only the tiniest bit of [scum]. Does that mean the fermentation's going slowly?
> >
> > Maybe. I've had many batches that haven't formed it at all. What's the
> > ambient temperature?
>
> Round about 70F I think.

Eh, I have no trouble at 60-70.

> > Next batch, you might want to put them in a glass jar. That way you can
> > watch the bubbles, if you have nothing else to do.
>
> The container is translucent. I'm not seeing any bubbles...

Here on the home front, I'm often accused of being too subtle.

> Some gas is being produced for sure, and I see the cukes trap it against the wall
> of the container,

Then it's fermenting, and you can go off about your business on other
productive endeavors.

> but I don't see bubbles rising or anything. How small
> are the bubbles?

Varying sizes. Some pinpoint, some soda-pop fizz. I wouldn't worry
about it.

(really... I understand this is the first batch you've made and want to
make sure it's "right"... but...).

Lessee, it's been 4-5 days by now, right? Why not cut a slice off a
cuke and taste it?

B/

B/