Magical Elixir That Saved My Pennsic

[Hjlmr inn Danski]

Greetings,

After my first day of fighting at Pennsic I started cramping up something fierce. I drank tons of water and even (gasp) drank some Gatorade (the G2 stuff with less sugar). It was like torture. I tried eating things that normally work on me like, bananas (quiet Alejandro), potato chips, peanuts, anything with salt or potassium in it. I even stretched, for Odin's sake!

The next day I told my tale of woe to a fellow An Tirian who was camping with the East. He said, "Try pickle juice."

I tried it. And it was good. Not a single cramp for the rest of the war. Thanks, Anghous.


Hjlmr inn Danski

[Syrfinn]

Yep, pickle juice works great.

Not sure when I heard it first, but was reminded about I think 5 years ago, when a bunch of Philadelphia Eagles talked about thats what they used a lot.

[Tor Magnusson]

I have heard that several times now here.... So how do you drink pickle juice? Full strength? Diluted? What?

Thanks

[Eamonn MacCampbell]

I just eat the pickles straight..Don't know if it works better than the juice, But I seem to have less tightening of the muscles when I do...Never have had cramps from fighting though....Guess, I just die to fast...

[Leo Medii]

Try pickle juice

Yep....

I give away the pickles and drink the juice straight from the bottle. Works every time....

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Mix a little limeaid in it and it will blow your mind.

[Hjlmr inn Danski]

Greetings,

I have heard that several times now here.... So how do you drink pickle juice? Full strength? Diluted? What?

Thanks

I was drinking it straight out of the jar. Before getting dressed and before walking out to the field. Changed my whole perspective.


Hjlmr inn Danski

[Mord]

The problem that pickle juice solves is that it replaces lost electrolytes.

The problem with pickle juice is that it's full of salt, as is any of the sports drinks. For us older folks with high blood pressure, anything with salt is a big no-no.

I eat a banana, which is full potassium, and drink water. Afterwards, avoid carbs (and there is a big craving for carbs after fighting) by eating more fruit and protein. A burger usually does the trick.

Mord.

[Maeryk]

Olive brine will work as well. Pickle juice I usually dilute a bit with water.. otherwise it's HARSH and easy to get "Too much" (which will cool you off, make you feel like a million bucks, and give you the hershey squirts to beat the band).

I just mix pickle juice half and half with water, maybe 4 oz in total and swig it, and eat a pickle.

For the record: Vinegar and honey and water will do _exactly_ the same thing.

[Maeryk]

Greetings,

I have heard that several times now here.... So how do you drink pickle juice? Full strength? Diluted? What?

Thanks

I was drinking it straight out of the jar. Before getting dressed and before walking out to the field. Changed my whole perspective.


Hjlmr inn Danski

And it doesn't take a lot. The first time I did it, I was hot, dry, flushed.. you know.. all the typical signs of "this is serious". I was drinking water like a horse after a race, no change.

Belted down a small amount of kosher dill squeezins, and within five minutes, the temperature dropped 15 degrees, my skin moistened, and I felt 100,000% percent better.

[Mefario]

hmm, would rather have the chocolate milk. That was the magical elixer

[Maeryk]

hmm, would rather have the chocolate milk. That was the magical elixer

I've watched more people chug that when hot and fried and end up returning it to the air in short order than anything else.

[Glaukos the Athenian]

For me it was a pouch full of little Power Bar Gel packs.

The difference between hitting a wall and keeping on going.

http://www.powerbar.com/Products/PowerGel/


Cliff also has a great product call SHOT BLOK

http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_bloks/

Little packs of sugar-cube sized hard gel (about as hard as a jelly bean's inside) full of easily usable carbs and electrolytes, but with less salt than Gatorade, and in more easy to dispense format.

Both worked extraordinarily well for me, and will be a permanent part of my carry pouch in the field from now on...

Rowan of Needwood

[BdeB]

Am I the only one who read the title and thought this was going to be an entry about Beer?

[Gilebert]

Might have to try the vinegar and Honey... dill pickles give me raging heartburn...

[Maeryk]

Might have to try the vinegar and Honey... dill pickles give me raging heartburn...

I'm trying to remember what it's called.. possibly Sekanjabin?

Yup.. from Cariadoc's site:

Sekanjabin

Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 2 1/2 cups of water; when it comes to a boil add 1 cup wine vinegar. Simmer 1/2 hour. Add a handful of mint, remove from fire, let cool. Dilute the resulting syrup to taste with ice water (5 to 10 parts water to 1 part syrup). The syrup stores without refrigeration.

Note: This is the only recipe in the Miscelleny that is based on a modern source: A Book of Middle Eastern Food, by Claudia Roden. Sekanjabin is a period drink; it is mentioned in the Fihrist of al-Nadim, which was written in the tenth century. The only period recipe I have found for it (in the Andalusian cookbook) is called "Sekanjabin Simple" and omits the mint. It is one of a large variety of similar drinks described in that cookbook-flavored syrups intended to be diluted in either hot or cold water before drinking.

I prefer honey to sugar, as simple white sugar doesn't have the same affect, and for me, does more harm than good.

[Hjlmr inn Danski]

Greetings,

Am I the only one who read the title and thought this was going to be an entry about Beer?

Pickle juice allowed me to drink beer later thus saving my Pennsic.

How about mixing pickle juice with beer? I'll be in the lab!


Hjlmr inn Danski

[Maeryk]

Greetings,

Am I the only one who read the title and thought this was going to be an entry about Beer?

Pickle juice allowed me to drink beer later thus saving my Pennsic.

How about mixing pickle juice with beer? I'll be in the lab!


Hjlmr inn Danski

I recommend something dark and bitter to begin with, like Hop Devil or Arrogant Bastard that will cover the taste of the pickle juice.

Course, if you simply add Gin or Vodak, it's a dirty martini variant, though for the purist, that would be olive brine.

[RoaK]

Valasic pickels kick ass, so does the juice.

[mordreth]

Am I the only one who read the title and thought this was going to be an entry about Beer?

One year I made a "harvest home" ale - low alcohol, high residual sugars, almost no carbonation - You couldn't drink it fast enough to get any level of buzz and it packed a massive whallop of sugars and b vitamins
It got me through a brutal hot pensic.

[Donal Mac Ruiseart]

Am I the only one who read the title and thought this was going to be an entry about Beer?

I came close . . . thought it was going to be some wonderful distillate.

[robstout]

Mordreth, do you happen to have the recipe for your ale, and are you willing to share it? I'm curious about it. It sounds a lot like a English mild beer.

Robert The stout.

[Saburou]

Just curious: which Anghaus?

[Hjlmr inn Danski]

Greetings,

Just curious: which Anghaus?

Aengus Mac Aonghuis, the one-eyed bastard of House Methelstede.

Did you meet him?


Hjlmr inn Danski

[Rev. George]

I'm trying to remember what it's called.. possibly Sekanjabin?

The Romans had Posca, which is essentially the same. Soured wine, honey and water. That's what the soldiers offered Jesus, not out of spite (which some people think- dude they were mean, givin the dyin man vineagar) but becasue it was the gatoraid of the day.

-+G

[Bastior]

I don't doubt it works but you have to wonder who was the person who first thought I'll mix vinegar, honey and water.

B

[Maeryk]

I don't doubt it works but you have to wonder who was the person who first thought I'll mix vinegar, honey and water.

B

I don't know, but he's probably related to the first person to look at a lobster and go "Wow! Giant aquatic bug! I bet they are TASTY!"

[audax]

Sekanjabin kicks ass. I'll try it with honey the next time I make it.

Power Gels are great. I like the raspberry cream and the lemon lime flavors. I don't use the caffeinated ones. You wouldn't like me on caffiene. Srsly.

The Shot Bloks are nasty tasting but they get the job done.

[Ceawlin Alreding]

Anghous camped with us, we got some An Tirian transplants in my group, collectivitly they are a laugh riot.
And when Anghous starts in with the new kite shield, that's all my fault.
Tell 'im I said Hi and he and Timeo should get on the AA.

[Duke Areus]

Pickle juice is natures gatorade.

[Kotek]

Whats in pickle juice that makes it good? Just salt and vinegar, or something more magical?

[Owain Mawr]

Aengus is my man-at-arms and one of the best people you could ever meet.

He rescued me with pickle juice at AnTir/West War this year. After fighting for six hours on the second day of the war, I was feeling a bit rundown. I wanted to fight in the "Buy a Life" speed tournament but was not sure I had it in me. Aengus came over and told me to take two big swigs of pickle juice. Within a couple of minutes I felt great and was ready to fight in the tournament.

Ceawlin, on his return from Pennsic, Aengus mentioned his desire to make a kite shield for wars. I now know who to blame.

I will pressure Aengus and Timo to get on the AA.

[Maeryk]

Whats in pickle juice that makes it good? Just salt and vinegar, or something more magical?

It's probably just primarily the salt and vinegar, but theres other muck floating in there.. that hint of cuke.

Course, the type of _salt_ is an issue as well. Kosher salt is far better than Morton's, and real sea salt, with all it's crufty crap in it, is better still.

There's also sugar in most pickle juice, but not a hell of a lot.

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

Ahhhh dill pickles.... the hangover cure.....of course it will work after/during fighting.

Thorvaldr

[Mefario]

I've watched more people chug that when hot and fried and end up returning it to the air in short order than anything else.

Buy it once, but taste it twice. That would have been a good slogan