Pickle Fail!

Be careful what you wish for! Our cucumber plant had a slow start to the season due to some nibbling on the budding cukes. We have yet to find the culprit but their actions have abated so our plant is pumping out a fair number of cucumbers. I did not particularly love the fermented pickles I made last year. The taste was fine but the texture was a bit soft and, let's face it, the joy of a pickle is the crunch. One source recommended adding a bay leaf to the brine. I did that and it did not work. On top of that, some mold developed near the lid. I dumped the pickles and added to my notes, "Fail. Try again."