Southern Sweet and Crunchy Pickles

The garden produced a large amount of cukes this year. I made plenty of sweet pickles. We use these in salads, on burgers, and straight out of the jar as a snack.

Christine's Southern Sweet Pickles

My mother in law (Teen) would make the most fabulous sweet pickles. Every summer my father in law (Melvin)would plant cucumbers and Teen would make crunchy sweet pickles. She has taught me to make pickles but I still can not make pickles as good as hers but mine are still quite tasty.





Here is the information she has given me on making pickles and this is how I make my crunchy sweet pickles



Choose pickles that are grown for pickling

Pickling cucumbers are not smooth green like salad cukes they have a prickly skin. Last year my husband planted salad cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. I used both in my pickles and the salad cukes did not get as crunchy as the pickling cukes did. This year no salad cukes in my pickles.

Sweet Pickles are best when sliced into rounds and not spears

Do not peel cukes just wash thoroughly and slice by hand about 1/8" thick

Soak cucumbers in a large plastic food grade container or glass container (no metal please) with pickling lime mixture
I use Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime. This is a food grade lime.

mix 1 cup of lime to 2 gallons of cold water in the plastic container and add cucumbers

let cucumbers soak in mixture for 2 hours or overnight

Next remove cucumbers from lime water and discard lime water

Rinse cucumbers in fresh cold water 3 times

Soak cucumbers in fresh ice water for 3 hours

Mix the following items together in a non reactive pan ( I use my enamel canning pot) If you use an aluminum pot the pickles will turn black or a dark color as they age in the jars.

8 cups white vinegar
8 cups sugar
1/2 jar pickling spice (McCormick brand is best)

Bring to a boil and add cucumbers (be sure to drain off all water) to vinegar mixture

Bring back to a boil and turn off heat
Let sit in vinegar mixture for 5 to 6 hours or can be left overnight

Bring pickles back to a boil

Pack pickles in sterilized jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 to 15 minutes

Pickles are ready to eat or can be stored for 2 years or longer. Be sure lids sealed by removing ring and checking each seal -- dry the jar around the seal and replace the ring