Pickled Bitter Melon (Foo Gah)

I love pickles....with anything! Bitter Gourd is a vegetable used in Asian countries in a variety of ways. It's supposed to have health benefits. I have never had it pickled so decided to try doing that. As its name suggests, the vegetable is very bitter so one has to "treat" it in a variety of ways to get rid of the bitterness. I salted it, then soaked it in vinegar and water overnight, before pickling it and waiting about 3-4 days to taste it. The results are pretty good. It's a combination of sweet, bitter, acid, and slightly salty. It's a great pickle to go with fish dishes.
2 Bitter Melons (pick the ones that are pale in color and blemish free. If there are slight blemishes, slice them away)
1/2 cup pickling salt
Equal portions of vinegar and water to soak overnight
Brine
1 part white vinegar
.75 part of white sugar
1/8 teaspoon Pickle Crisp Granules
Directions
1. Wash the melons and cut the top and bottom off. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the white pulp and seeds with a spoon. Remove as much of the white pulp as you can without breaking the semi-lunar shape of the vegetable.
2. Cut into 1/4 inch slices and put in a bowl. Mix in the pickling salt and let the salt draw out the water and bitterness. This takes about 4-6 hours.
3. Put in a colander, drain, and rinse off the salt well. Pour boiling water over the pieces and then immediately rinse again with cold water.
4. Make a mixture of equal parts of water and vinegar, and place in a bowl with the sliced bitter melon. Cover and refrigerate covered, overnight.
5. The next day, drain the vegetables well, put in a sterilized mason jar and prepare the pickling liquid. Mix 1 part of white vinegar with .75 part of sugar (1 cup vinegar with 3/4 cup water). Add the Pickle Crisp granules and stir over low heat just until the sugar is dissolved Make enough liquid to cover the pickles in the jar. Do not boil. Pour the mixture over the vegetables in the jar, cover and refrigerate. Leave for about 3-4 days before tasting. They will keep in the fridge for a while.