You’ve inspired me to look into making pickles!
Real easy! Look for a product called the perfect pickler, it comes with an instructional DVD. I would link it from Amazon but the flame war would not be worth it.
To all of you who expressed your kind words in sympathy - thank you.
As an indication of just how effective the immune booster effect is, the upscale grocery stores have pickle bars with all kinds of fermented foods in open air containers un refrigerated. They naturally kill pathogenic bacteria so they don’t rot without refrigeration.
Try some of the olives, side by side with canned olives.
The flavor is definitely superior.