Sweet Gherkins

Ingredients

5 quarts cucumbers - (1 1/2 to 3 long)
1/2 cup pure granulated salt
8 cups sugar
6 cups vinegar, 5% acidity
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice
8 pieces cinnamon stick - (ea 1 long)
1/2 teaspoon fennel (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method

First Day:
Morning -- Wash cucumbers thoroughly; scrub with vegetable brush. Drain cucumbers; place in large container and cover with boiling water.

Afternoon (6 to 8 hours later) -- Drain; cover with fresh, boiling water.

Second Day:
Morning -- Drain; cover with fresh, boiling water.

Afternoon -- Drain; add salt; cover with fresh, boiling water.

Third Day:
Morning -- Drain; prick cucumbers in several places with table fork. Make syrup of 3 cups of the sugar and 3 cups of the vinegar; add turmeric and spices. Heat to boiling and pour over cucumbers. (Cucumbers will be partially covered at this point.)

Afternoon -- Drain syrup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 2 cups of the vinegar to syrup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.

Fourth Day:
Morning -- Drain syrup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 1 cup of the vinegar to syrup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.

Afternoon -- Drain syrup into pan; add remaining 1 cup sugar and the vanilla to syrup; heat to boiling. Pack pickles into clean, hot pint jars and cover with boiling syrup to 1/2-inch of top of jar. Adjust jar lids.

Process for 5 minutes in boiling water (start to count processing time as soon as water returns to boiling). Remove jars. Set jars upright, several inches apart, on a wire rack to cool.

This recipe yields 7 to 8 pints.

Yield



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