Old thread, I know, but I'm following it with great interest. linda_lou wrote: "The brine has been diluted with the cucumbers that were in there..." Just wanted to say that this is correct, and that the biggest dilution involved is the salt content. The whole process of brining is made possible by the fact that salt attracts water, effectively 'dehydrating' the fresh water out of the cukes, while simultaneously re-hydrating them, as the fresh water contained in the cukes is drawn out and exchanged with the salt solution from the outside. This process continues until equilibrium is achieved, which means your brine is most certainly diluted. I do reuse commercial pickle juice (I know, unsafe, bacteria, your head will fall off, yada yada - it's my choice, I don't care, and I will continue to do so as I have done for many years) - but I add a rounded teaspoon of kosher salt and a tablespoon or two of distilled white vinegar (per jar) back into the solution beforehand. Works like a charm.

Nope just the 1 jar like that. It was my test jar, I got a bunch of peppers coming soon though. I topped it off and will eat 'em up quick. I tried finding a recipe for them on Ball's website but didn't see one. So I had to resort to google which gives you very mixed results. Everything from 50/50 to practically all vinegar. I'll make sure to use more vinegar in the future though. EDIT: And yeah they were floating, but if I flip them upside down, they're still floating there was too much air in the jar. I also thought you couldn't store sealed jars upside down or on it's side? Or at least I read never to do that. This post was edited by IAmSupernova on Fri, Jun 21, 13 at 16:29

With that recipe that is about all you can do - divide as best you can. Use tea strainer or skimmer to skim the spices and solids out and divide them and then pour in the brine. Other recipes call for placing them all into a spice bag fro boiling. Then all you have to do is remove the spice bag, open it and divide the contents into the jars. 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.