Acidity

• Vinegar is the preserving agent in pickling. When pickling cucumbers, it is ideal to choose a vinegar that ranges in acid from 4 to 6 percent. This ensures the cucumbers do not lose their crunch and become soft. Most salad-grade vinegars or flavored vinegars have less than 4 percent acidity and are not ideal for pickling.

White Wine Vinegar

• White vinegar has a sharper taste and results in a tangier pickle, ideal for eating on their own or as a side dish. Also, the white color ensures the cucumber doesn't lose its color. To make dill pickles, add enough white wine vinegar to cover a jar of cucumbers all the way. Add six to eight cloves of garlic and two to four sprigs of fresh dill. Tightly seal the jar and give it a shake to mix the dill and garlic in. Place it in a sunny area for up to four days for fermentation to take place.

Apple Cider Vinegar

• Cider vinegar is made from fermented apples and has a more mellow and fruitier flavor. It is darker in color than white vinegar, so your cucumbers will not be as vibrant. But since the taste is mellower and cider vinegar has a more pleasant aroma than white vinegar, your pickles both taste and smell good. Apple cider vinegar mixes well with spices, so if you aim to create a pickle with a bit of spice--for example; black pepper, cumin or cayenne--this is the vinegar to choose.

Seasoned Rice Vinegar

• Seasoned rice vinegar is a mild and already-seasoned vinegar that adds a great hint of spice to cucumbers. Seasoned rice vinegar is popular when making sushi rice, and is also considered a salad-grade vinegar for its low acid content. It is seasoned with salt and sugar, so it creates the perfect sweet and sour-style relish out of marinated cucumbers. Mix 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar with two sliced cucumbers and add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Let sit for two hours, stirring the cucumbers every 30 minutes or so. Before serving, garnish with chopped fresh mint.