Crock must be washed and cleaned, rinse well with white vinegar.

Rinse cucumbers well and trim the blossom end. The blossom end is the one with a small brown "scab" on it. This end piece carries an enzyme that will make your pickles soft.

Combine water and the vinegar in a separate bowl and stir, until the salt is completely dissolved.

Line the bottom of the crock with the grape leaves.

Layer cucumbers, spices, garlic, dill heads, and grape leaves in the crock. Add a layer of grape leaves on the top.

Pour the brine over layered ingredients completely covering the ingredients. Place a plate weighed down with a sealed jar full of brine. Cover with a clean cloth and store the crock in a cool but not cold room.

Within a few days, you should see tiny bubbles start to form in the brine. If a white scum forms skim it off and wash and sanitize the plate and jar.

My pickles take about two weeks in optimal conditions. When the cucumbers are almost completely olive green and have a pleasant zesty taste you know they are done. Do not let your pickles ferment too long, they soften and lose their crunchiness.

The pickles are now ready to be jarred and stored in the refrigerator. If you want to keep them on a shelf they must be canned.