Now That’s A Sweet Pickle

I was asked by a bloggy friend if I would share my pickle recipe.  Of course, I will!  This recipe makes a wonderful, crunchy sweet pickle.  Our family has been eating them for generations.  They take a couple or three days to complete, but they are easy to make and well worth the time.  We use them in salads and eat them with anything pickles go good with.  These little gems have made sweet pickle eaters out of some who have turned their nose up to sweet pickles ordinaire.

In another post I will share an excellent dill pickle recipe.

Old South Cucumber Lime Pickles

7 lbs. cucumbers (Slice crosswise)  NOTE:  I cut mine about 1/2 thick.

1 cup MRS. WAGES Pickling Lime

2 gallons water

8 cups distilled white vinegar, 5% acidity (Lesson learned:  I use Heinz…and only Heinz.  All white vinegar IS NOT created equally, and cheap vinegar will seal the fate of failed pickles after all the time and effort you put into them.)

8 cups sugar 1 tablespoon salt (optional)

2 teaspoons Pickling Spices

1.Soak clean cucumbers in water and lime mixture in crockery or enamel ware for 2 hours or overnight. Do not use aluminum ware.

2.Remove sliced cucumbers from lime water. Discard lime water. Rinse 3 times in fresh cold water. Soak 3 hours in fresh ice water.

3.Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and mixed pickling spices in a large pot. Bring to a low boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove syrup from heat and add sliced cucumbers. Soak 5-6 hours or overnight.

4.Boil slices in the syrup 35 minutes. Fill sterilized jars with hot slices. Pour hot syrup over the slices, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Cap each jar when filled.

5.Process pints 10 minutes, quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

If you make these I would love to hear how you like them…

Until next time…

On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally’s cellar.  ~ Thomas Jefferson

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