only heat the amount you will need. leave the remainder cold and it will keep in the refrig. longer. I have not used these spices but I would simply use them cold. I see no valid reason to heat them again if you are keeping them in the refrigerator. I always use vinegar with no water added to preserve the pickles. no need to heat my recipe.

Let us know what recipe you used please so I don't accidently mislead you, ok? No they need to be in a brine not plain water. But you can reduce the salt in the new brine. Sounds as if they didn't get rinsed well enough. In fact you don't need to put any salt in the new brine as long as it is at least 50% vinegar (1:1 vinegar to water). You can even add some sugar to the brine if you wish to off-set some of the salty taste and then taste it first. ;) Trust me you do NOT want to PC pickles. They will go quite soft and mushy and get trashed. Been there - done that. As an alternative - put them in the fridge and use from there. They will keep for 3-4 months. Dave

THE STRUB'S FAMILY HOMESTYLE BRINE RECIPE Utensils Needed: 12 quart pot 1qt mason jars (clean well, use new lids) 1qt measuring cup and measuring spoons Ingredients Needed: Salt, Garlic, Dill, (Hot Banana Peppers), White Distilled Vinegar (6% acid), Fresh Pickling Cucumbers (length to diameter ratio of 3:1) Pickle Brine Add 1/4 cup of salt + 1 cup of vinegar to 1qt of water. Mix until the salt is dissolved. Packing Instructions Add 4 cloves of peeled or chopped garlic to each jar Add 1 T chopped dill weed, plus 1 T dill seeds Add 1/4 cup sliced Hot Banana Peppers (optional) Pack cucumbers tightly into the jar. (whole or sliced) Add brine mixture to jars and fill to 1/4 inch from the rim of the jar. Close cap tightly and place jars upright into the pot. (Do not stack jars). Fill pot with tap water to cover bottles and bring to a slow boil. Continue boiling for 5 minutes then remove pot from burner. Begin adding tap water slowly so the pot overflows slowly. Adding water too quickly may crack the jars! Continue until the jars are cool enough to hold against your face. Store in a dark cool place. Your pickles will be ready to eat the next day. Tips Choose the freshest pickling cucumbers for pickle making, or better yet, grow your own. The perfect size for a pickling cucumber has a length to diameter ratio of 3:1. Two to four inch cucumbers are best for home pickling because you can maximize the number in a typical canning jar. Wash cucumbers thoroughly and check for blemishes prior to pickling. Prick the skin of each cucumber once or twice lightly with a fork to allow the flavors to penetrate the cucumbers.

The secret is packing them hot. Multiple slits, then lightly blanch (or roast to peel), then pack and cover with the brine. When packed raw they will always soak up much of the brine in the jar during the processing. My personal method is to cut slits, drop raw peppers by the handful into the already boiling brine mix to blanch, stir vigorously so they suck up some brine (you'll see air bubbles as the brine gets in) and leave them for about 30 seconds then scoop them hot into the jar. That way they already have brine in them and when you top off the jars with the brine you will end up with full jars after 10 mins. processing. Also be sure you get all the air out of the jars before putting on lids. You might want to note that the NCHFP instructions also call for a 5:1 vinegar to brine ratio. 2:1 would still be safe but more vinegar gives you a longer shelf life. Dave PS: I don't use honey (although it does sound good and will give it a try) but in addition to the salt I also add 1/4 tsp. pickle crisp to each pint for firmness.