by Don Barnhill AKA STRONGBOW

Created on: May 21, 2008

I make these sweet pickles every summer with cucumbers from my garden. They are very simple to make.

Crisp Pickles

2 gal cucumbers- leave whole.

1st 24 hours: add 3 cup salt in 1 gal boiling water; pour over cucumbers, soak 24 hrs then drain.

2nd 24 hours: Add 4 oz powdered alum in 1 gal boiling water. Pour over cucumbers, soak 24 hrs, drain.

3rd 24 hours: Drain. Cover with 1 gal clear boiling water. Soak 24 hrs, drain.

4th for 9 days: simmer 1 gal white vinegar with 1 box pickling spice, cover whole cucumbers. Leave in this for 9 days. Drain well, cut to desired pieces and pack in container. Use a layer of cucumbers and a layer of sugar, using 10 lbs. sugar to 2 gal of pickles. Pickles do not require sealing.

Note: I use a plastic bucket to soak them in and put a plate over them to keep them under the fluid.
At the end of the 9th day I slice them across into thin slices, layer them in the bucket, a layer of sliced cucumbers and a layer of sugar. Let them sit in this for a couple of days to soak up the sugar. Remove from bucket and pack into jars, spooning the sugar/fluid over them to fill the jar. I use small plastic jars to pack them in, about the size of a peanut butter jar. They make great gifts to take to cookouts

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