Grandpa's Stink Pickles

A.C. Kurth's Open Crock Pickles  

In a one gallon crock, jar or plastic bucket, start with one layer of grape leaves, one layer of cherry leaves and one layer of cucumbers. Repeat until container is full, ending with cherry leaves. Add 1/4 C. pickling salt and 1/2 C. vinegar. Fill with water and weight down. Store in a cool place until ready, removing scum as it occurs.

That's the recipe as I received it. 'Ready' is so precise. I usually check a cuke after a couple weeks. I look for the center to have changed from the raw, opaque look of a fresh cuke to the expected translucence of a pickle. I think Dad used to can them after they were cured, but I don't know the processing time or anything. I just refrigerate them. They don't last very long anyway. Dad and Grandpa just put them in the basement to cure. We keep our house at 72F. so I just keep them in a dark corner of the kitchen counter.

Well, let's see if this will post this time.