Tarantula hawk. For the psychedelic rock band, see Tarantula Hawk (band). A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp that hunts tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis, in the family Pompilidae (spider wasps).
Ditch the prefab pickling spice and make your own. And try a 5 percent salt solution per pound of cucumbers (full recipe below). In addition to reverse-engineering Grandma Minnie's recipe, McClellan offers these tips for getting crisp pickles: 1. Trim the ends off the cucumbers before you pack them into jars. Depending on how well you've washed your cucumbers, there can also be an enzyme in the blossom end of a cucumber that can lead to softening, and nobody wants a soft pickle, she says. 2. Try certain leaves.
Russian Salt Pickles. A gallon jar or 2 half gallon jars. Fresh cukes (any size) Wash and put in cold water 6 to 8 hrs, or overnight. Dill head and stems - carefully wash. Horseradish leaves (2) Leaves from a cherry tree (4) Leaves from a black currant (4) A few cloves of garlic (6) Salt and mustard powder.