A sour pickle would not have any sugar in it. The amont of 1 cup is fine though, if you like to take the edge off the acidic vinegar. Grape leaves have not proven themselves to me. I tried addding them to my jars about 7 years ago and after a single year in the brine, the pickles were no different in crispness to ones made without it. Today, the Pickle Crisp may be a better option. I also had been using a lime soak for my cukes up until a few years ago as well, and that seemed to help a little, but it does need a lot of rinsing to remove as much as possible after the 24 hours soaking. They could be canned, but would become very soft once processed. Also, be sure to cut off both end tips of the cukes prior to putting in the brine. Cursing is more of the correct term to use when cukes turn into pickles. And yes, about 6 weeks they would be cured. Refrigeration may be a better option so that no mold can form.

Cursing is something I've occasionally done when making pickles!

It's interesting. Though grape leaves don't make pickles more crisp, I did read in one source that if you have them around anyway, they can make a nice barrier on the bottom and top of the container. The bottom layer cushions delicate cukes and the top layer can catch scum. Just lift off the leaves and replace when you skim.

A leaf can also be an attractive addition to the finished jar but purely for appearance' sake.

Since we don't grow grapes it's a moot issue for me.

Carol