So...a number of contributing factors could be responsible for the failure of my grand pickle experiment. I had the right 2 gallon crock. I had Grandma's instructions. I had a boat load of cucumbers. However, it appears that the brine either evaporated or leeched through the bottom of the crock to such an extent that the top slices were exposed. Hence icky mold and flies all over! Also, my efforts to sanitize the crock and the pickles (I had to separate the good ones from some white fuzzy ones...) might have backfired.
I was decidedly deterred when I discovered the moldy cucumber slices. However, I do have some cucumbers left, clean and fuzz-free, so I am now encouraged to make a second, edited attempt. Instead of the crock, I'll start right away with sealed jars to prevent brine loss. And these jars will be washed and rinsed thoroughly with vinegar to kill anything that might feast on the cucumber. The challenge will be adjusting the spices from Grandma's 2-gallon recipe.
Financially...that's still around a $20 loss. Much worse than the spilled $1 coke in the car. But I'll keep trying to reincarnate this family tradition.
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