Sweet Pickles From Ripe Cucumbers Recipes

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers; peel, cut in halves lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
• Let stand overnight in a brine made of the salt and water.
• Drain very well and cut into pieces.
• Tie spices into a cheesecloth bag.
• Bring sugar, vinegar and spice bag to a boil; add cucumbers and boil until cukes begin to look transparent but are still crisp.
• Fill sterilized jars and seal.

Steps:

• Cut cucumbers into large strips or pieces.
• Combine salt and 8 cups of water in a large stock pot. Stir until salt dissolves.
• Add the cucumbers. Let stand at least 12 hours.
• Drain and rinse cucumbers.
• In a large pot, combine sugar, vinegar, 1½ cups water, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil.
• Add drained cucumbers.Gently boil until cucumbers begin to look transparent. You may have to do this in two separate batches if your pot is too small.
• Pack into clean pint jars.Cover with the vinegar syrup.
• Top with 2 piece canning covers. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
• Remove from canner and let sit on counter overnight.
• Pickles will improve with age, so let sit at least 3 weeks before serving.

Steps:

• Place cucumbers, onions, pickling salt, and water in a large, non-reactive bowl. Cover and allow cucumbers to soak for 2 hours. Drain the water from the onions and cucumbers through a colander and rinse well for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• Combine the vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, cloves, garlic, and peppers in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add the cucumbers and onions. Bring to a simmer and remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Fill each of the hot sterilized pint-size preserving jars with the pickle mixture, dividing them evenly, and enough of the liquid to come within 1/2-inch of the top. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Natural Pickle Crisp to each jar, if desired. With a clean damp towel, wipe the rim and fit with a hot lid. Screw on the metal ring just until the point of resistance is met. Process the jars in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes.
• Using tongs, remove the jars, place on a towel, and let cool. Test the seals by allowing the jars to stand at room temperature overnight or until the lids pop. Tighten the rings and store in a cool dry place. Let the pickles age for at least 2 weeks before using.

Steps:

• Combine the cucumbers, chiles, and mint in a mixing bowl. Pour in the vinegar, sprinkle with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together so the cucumbers are well coated with the vinegar. Refrigerate overnight if possible; the cucumbers will soften as they marinate and the flavors will deepen.

Steps:

• Please note that I use whatever quantities of cucumbers I have on hand, adjusting the quantity of brines and syrup to cover the cucumbers generously. You will need more brine to cover the cukes initially than you will need syrup later as there is a lot of shrinkage. Therefore I don't guarantee the above quantities will all work out exactly but each solution is easy to adjust to what you need. Start with what you think will cover the cucumbers and just make a little more if you need it.
• The use of alum is no longer recommended in home canning - I have noticed that some of the big pickle companies still use it and so do I in these pickles. It makes them crisp. I have made them without and they were not nearly as good.
• Day# 1.
• Prepare the salt/water brine by heating together until salt dissolves. It will cool sufficiently while you prepare the cucumbers.
• Wash the cucumbers in cold water. If they are less than 1 1/2" inches in diameter slice them in 3/8" - 1/2" slices. Larger ones may be halved or quartered and the seeds scooped out then cut into pickle-sized chunks.
• Put the cucumbers in a container (a large crock is preferred but hard to come by anymore - a plastic pail works fine). Do not use metal.
• Pour the salt/water brine over the cucumbers to cover. Place a plate over the cucumbers to submerge them. Put a weight on it (plastic vinegar bottle perhaps?). Cover with a cloth. Let stand 7 days.
• Day#8.
• Your pickles might not look very nice after 7 days but they are okay. Drain the brine off (dump in a clean sink), rinse the pickles and pail, put cucumbers back in and cover with plain hot water. Let stand till next day, (day# 9) drain again, and cover with alum/water solution (again heated to dissolve alum). Let stand one day.
• Day# 10.
• Drain pickles and return to pail. Prepare syrup by combining sugar and vinegar in a large (not aluminum) pot. Tie the pickling spice in a piece of cheesecloth and put in pot. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring and several of yellow. Bring to boil, simmer 10 minutes. Pour over cucumbers, submerge the spice bag in the pail.
• Every day, for 3 days, (days 11-12-13) drain the syrup into a pot, reheat and pour back over the pickles. Each day check the color, correcting it with yellow food coloring - it rarely needs anymore green.
• On day #14 put the pickles in sterilized jars, adding a piece of cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves to each jar. Heat brine, (discard spice bag)and pour in jars to cover pickles, leaving a little head space. Seal with 2 piece lids.
• Modern canning instructions would now call for these to be processed in a water bath for 10 minutes. I do not. If the odd jar doesn't seal I refrigerate it and use it first. In a cool dark place these pickles will keep a long time (I usually make a 2 year supply) Time and servings guestimated.

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly., In a Dutch oven, combine sugar, water, vinegars, mustard seed, celery seed and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until heated through., Carefully ladle hot mixture into 4 hot wide-mouth 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add 3 garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf to each jar. Remove air bubbles and, if necessary, adjust headspace by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan at medium-high heat, combine cider vinegar, salt, sugar, tumeric and mustard seed. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice cucumbers and onion. Loosely pack the vegetables in a 1-quart canning jar or other similarly sized container. Pour hot liquid over the vegetables in the container. Refrigerate for 24 hours and enjoy! Keep refrigerated.

Steps:

• Slice the cucumbers in thin slices for pickles and put into canning kettle. Dissolve 1 cup of pickling lime into enough water to cover the cucumber. Soak for 24 hours. Remove slices, wash well, and put into ice cold (with ice cubes) water for 3 hours. Make the Syrup: Mix the five ingredients for the syrup, put cucumber slices in syrup and let stand overnight. Next day, simmer cucumber in the syrup for 45 minutes. Put into sterilized jars and SEAL at once. To Sterilized: Wash jars in dishwasher with hot water setting them with the open ends up. Then pour boiling water in jars. Put lids in a pan of boiling water.