Assuming you already know that the original recipe would be considered unsafe anyway with such a small amount of vinegar (1:1 is lowest approved ratio of vinegar to water) but have chosen to accept that level of risk then all you can do with what you call the mistake batch is replace the brine after opening the jars. Perhaps add a bit of sugar as well. How much taste benefit that might provide would be minimal as the cukes will have already absorbed much of the vinegar. The mistake batch is by far the safest batch for shelf storage and personally those are the ones I'd keep and toss the original recipe batch. The pH in those jars made with the 4:1 ratio of water to vinegar can quickly rise into the unsafe range as the water from the cukes dilutes the brine even further. But of course the choice is yours. Dave

Per NCHFP Pickling FAQs: When making quick process pickles, can I store any leftover pickling solution for future use? If the pickling solution is fresh and has not been used to make pickles, cover it and store it in the refrigerator for later use. If the pickling solution has been used, it can be stored in the refrigerator and reused in 1 or 2 days for barbeque sauce, coleslaw dressing or a marinade. If mold growth occurs, throw it out. One time of secondary use within 24 hours would probably be safe IMO but no more than that. Dave

It couldn't possibly be 1/2 part salt because that would be a pint of salt to a quart of water, which would be unbearable in a brine - like swallowing the Dead Sea. Or if it's an overnight soak (salt sprinkled on the veggies and left to rest) a salt level that high would shrivel the veggies into dessicated wrinkled little specimens. It would have to be 1/2 cup but the "cup" has been left out - a typo. I'm also suspicious of recipes that call for a measure of "coarse salt." That's not standard nomenclature for reliable pickling recipes, which normally call for canning and pickling salt. If it's a fermented pickle generally a reliable recipe will go by weight rather than measure, in which case an unadulterated kosher salt (i.e. Diamond Crystal) could be substituted. I agree with Chase. There are all kinds of pickle recipes on the internet and many of them are questionable for quality and/or food safety. You have to know a lot about pickling to tell the difference; it's especially important if you're planning for shelf-storage. If you're refrigerating them and just making a pint or so, it's less of an issue. Not much waste if it doesn't turn out and minimal risk because of the refrigeration. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Harvest Forum

Sure. You are looking in the wrong places. Here is one. See http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/quick_dill_pickles.html The salt called for in pickling recipes like the one linked above has 2 different roles. Most of it is used as a pre-soak - you soak the cucumber and peppers in the salty water for 12 hours to draw out the extra water in the cucumbers. Then you rinse them well and throw that soaking water away. The rest of the salt, usually only a small amount, is added to the vinegar and water brine for flavoring. It is optional. You can reduce it or leave it all out if you want. They stipulate pickling or canning salt because unlike table salt, canning salt has no added stabilizers or anti-clotting agents added and those things make the pickles cloudy and off-color. But for long term shelf storage you must 'can', process the jars by submerging them in a deep pot of boiling water for 15 mins to vacuum seal the jars. Otherwise if you don't can them you can only keep them in the fridge for up to 3 months. They cannot be stored out on the counter or shelf. Dave