These delectable, crisp pickles use a 3.5 percent brine (when scaling for a smaller or larger batch, simply add enough 3.5 percent brine to cover the cucumbers). Use the optional grape leaves as insurance against softening (see here for an explanation), but don’t worry too much: You can preserve most of their crispness if you trim off the blossom ends, taste the pickles regularly as they ferment, and refrigerate them as soon as they start to soften.

Clean and cut a ⅛-inch slice from the blossom end of:

Stir together in a large bowl to dissolve the salt:

Divide between 2 sterilized half-gallon mason jars or place in the bottom of a crock:

If using jars, wedge the cucumbers into the jars tightly, starting with larger cucumbers and filling in with smaller ones. Wedge small cucumbers in at the top so that the curve of the jars holds them under the brine. Fill the jars with enough brine to cover the cucumbers completely. If using airlock lids, fill the airlock with water and screw on the lid. If using a crock, use a plate or a doubled zip-top bag filled with 3.5 percent brine to keep the cucumbers under the brine, then cover the crock either with a lid or a piece of cloth tied tightly to keep out dust and flies. Depending on the size of the crock, you may need to make more brine to cover the cucumbers completely.

Check the progress of the fermentation daily. The brine will start to get cloudy and smell slightly sour, and the cucumbers will begin to soften and turn from a vibrant green color to an olive green. Taste the cucumbers as they ferment to judge their readiness. Half-sour pickles may be done in as few as 5 days, or they may take weeks depending on the ambient temperature.

When the pickles are as sour as you want them, they are done. To store, see here.