[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

All I have room and Sun for is a few cherry tomatoes. A few are finally starting to ripen, Northern Ohio, late Spring, late planting/

Help! Made refrigerator pickles this week. The green cherry tomato pickles are great, but the sliced cucumber pickles are soggy! Anything I can add to make the next batch stay crisp? Alum? Grape leaves? Help!

[greeneyes]

I think alum helps. I always just use pickle crisp(which is calcium chloride). I also cool them in a salt water brine in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

Then I cold pack the pickles and add the boiling vinegar/spice water to the jars, seal, and process at boiling water bath for 10 minutes for pints.

Grape leaves are also supposed to help. I put a knife in each jar before adding the boiling mixture to help dissipate the heat, and sort of protect jar from cracking.