27 Nov Sweet Pickles (14 Day Pickles)
Recipe from Ruth Butcalis
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Into a clean stone jar*, put 2 gallons of cucumbers that have been washed and sliced lengthwise or crosswise. Dissolve 2 cups of salt in one gallon of boiling water and pour while hot over pickles (still cucumbers at this point I guess). Then cover and weight down pickles and let stand 1 week. (I think I used a plate but not sure what I used to weight it down.) Each day remove any scum that forms on top to prevent spoilage.
On 8th day, drain. Then pour 1 gallon boiling water over and let stand 24 hours.
On 9th day, drain and pour 1 gallon of boiling water with 1 Tablespoon of powdered alum over pickles and let stand 24 hours.
On 10th day, drain again. Pour 1 gallon of boiling water over the pickles. Let stand 24 hours and drain on the 11th day.
11th day: Create pickling mixture. Combine 5 pints vinegar, boiling hot, 6 cups sugar, 1/2 ounce (5 tsp.) celery seed, 1 oz. (3T) broken cinnamon stick OR 4 T. pickling spices & 2 T. celery seed.
Pour the pickling mixture over pickles (after you have drained off day 10 water). Drain off for 3 mornings, reheating it and adding 1 cup of sugar each morning. With 3rd and last heating, pack pickles into sterilized jars, pour hot pickling liquid over and seal at once.
*Stone jar: This means stone crock, large enough to accomodate the pickles and liquid.
These are my favorite pickles, but are a lot of trouble, as you can see.
