SWEET GHERKIN PICKLES

      Title: SWEET GHERKIN PICKLES
  Categories: Pickles, Canning
       Yield: 6 Pints
  
       7 lb Cucumbers
            -- (1-1/2 inch or less)
     1/2 c  Canning or pickling salt
       8 c  Sugar
       6 c  Vinegar (5 percent)
     3/4 ts Turmeric
       2 ts Celery seeds
       2 ts Whole mixed pickling spice
       2    Cinnamon sticks
     1/2 ts Fennel (optional)
       2 ts Vanilla (optional)
  
   Yield: 6 to 7 pints
   
   Procedure: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and
   discard, but leave 1/4-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 1/4-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 1/2-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.
                          1,001 - 6,000 ft: 10 min.
                            Above 6,000 ft: 15 min.
   
   ======================================================= === * USDA
   Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994) * Meal-Master
   format courtesy of Karen Mintzias
[ add our full cookbook to your website ] [ Search The Cookbook ]