Sweet gherkin pickles

6 Pints

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
7 pounds Cucumbers (1-1/2 inch or less)
½ cup Canning or pickling salt
8 cups Sugar
6 cups Vinegar (5 percent)
¾ teaspoon Turmeric
2 teaspoons Celery seeds
2 teaspoons Whole mixed pickling spice
2 Cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon Fennel (optional)
2 teaspoons Vanilla (optional)
1,001 - 6,000 ft: 10 min.
Above 6,000 ft: 15 min.

Directions

Yield: 6 to 7 pints

Procedure: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave ¼-inch of stem attached. Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water. Six to 8 hours later, and on the second day, drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing ¼-cup salt. On the third day, drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork. Combine and bring to boil 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups sugar, turmeric, and spices. Pour over cucumbers. Six to 8 hours later, drain and save the pickling syrup. Add another 2 cups each of sugar and vinegar and reheat to boil. Pour over pickles.

On the fourth day, drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. Drain and save pickling syrup 6 to 8 hours later. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla and heat to boiling. Fill sterile pint jars, with pickles and cover with hot syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace. For more information on sterilizing jars see "Jars and Lids". Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1, or use the low-temperature pasteurization treatment. (For more information see "Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment".) Table 1. Recommended process time for Sweet Gherkin Pickles in a boiling-water canner.

Style of Pack: Raw. Jar Size: Pints. Process Time at Altitudes of 0 - 1,000 ft: 5 min.

======================================================= === * USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994) * Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

Related recipes