I have pickled a few things lately but havent had time to tan them right away, so they are neutralized and put in the freezer. Can I just pull them out and let thaw then tan? or do I need to do anything special before they will take a tan. I know they really should be tanned right after pickling but I just havent had much time lately.
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You pickle, then you NEUTRALIZE, then you tan.
So you would take them out of the freezer, neutralize/degrease, and THEN tan.
Sam, I have frozen things at about every stage there is. No problem here- just thaw and take up where you left off. Certainly if frozen a very long time you might want to start over but sounds like that's not the case. Enjoy, Aaron H.
I store many skins in the pickle, as long as the pH is under 3.5 the skin will keep a long while. If for some reason I decide to freeze the skin, I still leave it pickled.
Mom once knocked the freezer cord out of the socket, I found out three weeks later, the pickled/frozen skins were fine. The neutralized skins were ruined!
It would be best to simply leave the skins in the pickle. As long as you stir them every other day and maybe check the PH to make nothing dropped in it - they're safe. I keep skins and capes in a Saftee Acid pickle for 6-8 months.
However - for whatever reason you decide you want to remove them from the pickle and freeze them - do it without neutralizing them. Exposing them to the neutralizer will slowly pulp the epidermis. First for the usual 20 minutes and then while they freeze and again when you thaw them. THAT'S TOO LONG. Alkalines do serve a purpose - like neutralizing for 20 minutes - but that much exposure will weaken the epidermis.
So basically if I want to freeze them, don't neutralize them first. And if I do neutralize them, it would be like neutralizing them the whole time they are freezing and thawing. The skins i have in the freezer are were rinsed well and washed before they were frozen, would this make any difference?
You're better off freezing a pickled, drained skin - if you so desire. I would not neutralize them and then freeze. Once neutralized - go directly into your tanning solution.
One other thing I do not do is neutralize and wash also! Again - a soap is an alkaline just like your neutralizer and alkalines if your skins are over exposed will weaken the epidermis.
If you want to safely wash your skins - do it while they are pickled. Remove them from the pickle, drain for 30 minutes, wash, rinse, and throw them back into the pickle.