Categories: Pickles 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
     10    Percent brine solution made              -2 quarts 
           -by dissolving 1 cup salt in    
  
  "Pickle making begins with the brine and to make carelessly or to maintain 
  carelessly a brine is the reason for most of the soft and unfit pickles. 
   
  Remember these key points; Use clean stone or glass jars; use only a 
  recommended pickling variety of cucumbers; use only canning and pickling 
  salt; and do not use hard water.  Pickles must be placed in a brine and 
  fermented for approximately 6 weeks before the addition of the final and 
  last brine." 
   
  1.  Wash cucumbers carefully. Use only freshly harvested, slightly immature 
  pickling variety. 2. Weigh cucumbers. Put in a clean pickling container and 
  cover with a water. (Cucumbers may be added during the first day or two of 
  curing process if enough brine is added to cover them and if salt is added 
  in definite amounts to maintain a 10% brine. 3. Weight cucumbers under 
  brine 4. Store in a cool dark place. 5. Next day, add 1 cup salt for each 5 
  pounds of cucumbers.  This is necessary to maintain a 10% brine solution. 
  Salt must be added on top of plate or clean cloth (and not directly on the 
  cucumbers) for even distribution throughout the brine. 6. Remove scum when 
  it forms on top of brine.  The scum will destroy the acidity of the brine 
  and result in spoilage of the product, if left on. 7. At the end of the 
  week, and for 4 or 5 succeeding weeks, add 1/4 cup salt for each 5 pounds 
  of cucumbers.  Add in the same manner as No.5. 8. Fermentation resulting in 
  bubble formation should continue about 4 weeks. Test for bubbles by tapping 
  container on the side with your hand. As a second test, cut a cucumber in 
  half; if it is the same color throughout and has no noticeable rings or 
  white spots, fermentation is complete. 9. Cucumbers may be kept in this 10% 
  brine solution--no additional salt is added after they are cured--until 
  made into pickles.  The best temperature for brining cucumbers is about 70 
  to 75. 
   
  From: Ball Blue Book Shared By: Pat Stockett