I’m not satisfied with the crispness of my salt brine pickles. I will pickle as soon as I pick them, cut the very ends off the cucumber and use oak leaves in the pickles. Suggestions?
Pickle Crisp is a good product to use if you want firmer pickles. It’s Calcium Chloride, which sounds horrible, but isn’t, LOL!
https://stockingmypantry.com/what-is-pickle-crisp/
According to Jackie Clay, boil the brine by itself. Pack the raw cucumbers into hot jars, and pour the hot brine over top. she also skips the boiling water bath, letting the heat from the brine do the rest. More info here: https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2012/09/16/q-and-a-amish-cole-slaw-insects-and-weather-and-pickle-crisp/
Personally that would make me nervous, but I don’t eat pickles anyway. The pickle-eaters in my family prefer relish, and the texture for relish isn’t quite as crucial.