-what pickling spices did you add?
-did you scrub your cucumbers very thoroughly removing every bit of debris?
-which salt concentration did you use (he has a few offered in his recipe) 3 T per quart?
-how long did you leave them out and in what weather?
just trying to help. I've never used leaves ( don't have any) but they don't turn soft. they are not perfectly crunchy like from the store, but they are for sure crunchy to some degree.