> > I was horrified. Great demo, dangerous presentation.
> > You can cook more than a hot dog that way

I remember seeing this demonstration by someone with
technical knowledge. US show, 70s I'm guessing, "That's
Incredible" or something like that. Electrified pickle as a
(spluttering and short-lived) light bulb. Probably a video on
YouTube, got clips of seemingly everything else

http://www.big.uk.com/knowledgebase/shows/food_shows.htm

The Gherkin - Put 240V mains through a pickle and watch!  I
saw Tim Hunkin [Secret Life Of Machines] do this first, but
since I've seen it turn up in other places, Penn and Teller do it
and the original research was done in California (obviously).  The
orange glow is caused by the sodium D line emission from the
salt in the pickle.  I've tried other pickles but gherkins work
best, my onions caught fire and the eggs just stank.  I suspect
that the gherkin is particularly good at diffusing the light.  

I thought it would be nice to get gherkins in different colours by
soaking in solutions of metal salts.  I tried leaving one in copper
sulphate over night but the sodium line is just too strong.  Any
ideas on this appreciated.  I've never blown a fuse or blacked
out a science centre yet but get permission before plugging pickles
into the mains! 

Playing with electric pickles is dangerous, keep the equipment
away from people who don't know what they're doing.

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