Peel them and slice the cucumbers into ½+ inch rings. Not too thin, she'd say. You need a nice amount to bite into! Next, remove the seeds.

Now soak the cucumbers in the pickling lime dissolved in water for 12 hours. This is what helps to make a nice crunch.

Strain, rinse, and soak in a fresh batch of water for a half-hour or so. Rinse again. Now rinse a third time to be sure you get all the lime off. If the lime isn't rinsed off it can neutralize the vinegar causing an improper pH for longterm storage.[1]

Next, soak them in the pomegranate juice, the first amount of vinegar, and the grape leaves. They don't need to be colored, but they may end up gray looking after all the pickling. There are no amounts of water given for the soaking as it's just whatever it takes to submerge them. Let the cucumbers set in the colored water for a few hours, just enough to turn the color you want. Drain.

In a saucepan, mix the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer until all the sugar is dissolved.

Pour over the cucumbers and let sit for 24 hours. This will give them the flavor that they need.

After 24 hours, drain the liquid and bring it to a boil again.

Place your cucumbers in jars and then pour the hot liquid over them. Leave 1/2 inch of open headroom at the top and hand tighten the jars.

Process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Turn off heat, let cool, and then set on a towel until completely cool. Once cool, check the tops to see if the seal took. Store the pickles in the refrigerator and use these first.