Put into a barrel 5 to 6 inches of a 40° brine (Table 1, p. 14) and add
1 quart of good vinegar. In this brine place the cucumbers as they are
gathered. Weigh the cucumbers each time before they are added. Put a
loose-fitting wooden cover over the cucumbers and weight it down with a
stone heavy enough to bring the brine over the cover. After the cover and
stone have been replaced add to the brine over the cover 1 pound of salt
for every 10 pounds of cucumbers.
Unless the cucumbers are added too rapidly, it will be unnecessary to
add more brine, for when a sufficient weight is maintained on the cover
the cucumbers make their own brine. If, however, the cucumbers are added
rapidly, or if the barrel is filled at once, more brine may be required.
In such a case, add enough of the 40° brine to cover the cucumbers.
When the barrel is full, add 3 pounds of salt each week for five weeks
(15 pounds to a 45-gallon barrel). In adding the salt, place it on
the cover. Added in this way it goes into solution slowly, insuring a
brine of uniform strength throughout and a gradually increasing salt
concentration. Thus, shriveling of the pickles is prevented to a great
extent and the growth and activity of the lactic bacteria are not
seriously checked.
Stirring or agitation of the brine may be harmful for the reason that
the introduction of air bubbles is conducive to the growth of spoilage
bacteria.
From time to time remove the scum which forms on the surface.
Where cucumbers are grown extensively for the production of pickles,
curing is done in large tanks at salting stations. While it involves
certain details of procedure not required in barrel quantities, this
method of curing is essentially the same.