Company Best Pickles by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Company Best Pickles

Recipe By: Simply Good Cooking Pennsylvanis Dutch Style

10 medium cucumbers
8 cups sugar
5 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons mixed pickling spice
4 cups cider vinegar

Cover whole cucumbers with boiling water. Allow to stand until next morning. Drain. Repeat procedure on next 3 mornings. On the 5th day, drain & slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Combine sugar, spice, salt & vinegar. Bring to a boil & pour over cucmbers. let stand 2 days. On 3rd day, bring to a boil & seal in hot jars.
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NOTE: These should be processed in a boiling water bath to avoid risk of contamination.

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Best Sweet Pickles

1 quart of inexpensive dill pickles ( I use store brand)
1 cup sugar

Drain juice from dill pickles. Stir pickles and sugar together. In one day it will make it's own juice. Let sit in the refrigerator for three days before serving. Pickles are uniform size and very crispy.

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Drain and slice a 32 or more oz. jar of inexpensive whole dill pickles. In pickle jar

Layer:

sliced pickle, sliced onion, some sliced garlic, granulated sugar, tabasco (or hot sauce to taste). You will use approx. 1 1/2 cups sugar. Shake a few times in the course of an hour. Refrigerate 8 hours and serve.

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Sweet Dill Pickles

This no-cook method (from MFK Fisher) makes crisp pickles because sugar draws out juice from the dills. They last for months in the refrigerator. "Zesty-type" dill pickles make an especially flavorful pickle.

Ingredients:

1 (32 to 46 ounce) jar whole non-Kosher dill pickles
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Drain pickles, discarding juice. Slice pickles. Put half of slices back into the pickle jar. Sprinkle over 1 cup of sugar. Put rest of pickles and sugar into the jar. Place the jar in a tall bowl (in case of leaks). Let stand at room temperature until sugar has dissolved and juices form, for about a half a day; turn the jar over a couple of times. Add vinegar and shake jar to mix. Push pickles down into the juice; it probably will not quite cover the pickles. Refrigerate.

Ready in a day, much better after several days, best after a week or so.

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"SWEET PICKLES"

(old fashion kind)

cucumbers
cider vinegar
sugar
crock jar (5 gallon)
salt
egg
alum
pickle spice

Make brine water (salt water) strong enough to FLOAT a raw egg in shell. Soak cucumbers in brine water for 2 weeks or 10 days. Put a clean board and rock on top of cucumbers to keep them submerged.

Cucumbers will look rotten, foam, burst open, look terrible but keep soaking.

Put cucumbers in clean alum water (guess) and soak for 24 hours.

Remove from alum water. Put in fresh alum water 2 teaspoons to 1 quart of water. Put on stove, let get hot but not boil for 2 hours. Remove and put into ice water (takes lots of ice), chill thru and thru. This is what makes pickles crisp.

Make syrup:

2 c. sugar
1 c. cider vinegar
pickling spices as desired

Let boil several minutes. Put cucumbers in syrp and boil 8 minutes. Let stand until next morning (24 hours). Pour syrup off and boil syrup again. Do this for 3 mornings, the last time put in sterilized jars and pour hot syrup over and seal. Turn jars upside down. Let cool before moving.

When cool, wash jars, dry and store in pantry.

Note: Lot of work, looks like cucumbers have spoiled but not so, keep going and enjoy delicious sweet pickles like women made 100 years ago.

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Old Virginia Pickles

4 cups cider vinegar
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
2 tbsp. whole allspice
2 tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
20-30 cucumbers, sliced into thick chunks

Combine and let come to a boil, then add cucumbers. let boil about 3 minutes then start to fill hot, sterilized jars. Fill one jar at a time, placing hot lids and rings on. Process for 10 minutes in canner.

This is a delicious, spicy sweet-sour pickle that is easy to make and they look real pretty.

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BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

8 lb Cucumbers
2 lb White onions
1/2 c Salt
1 qt Vinegar
2 c Sugar
2 t Celery seed
2 t Turmeric
1 t Dry mustard

Cut the unpeeled cucumbers and peeled onions in slices about 1/8-inch thick. Arrange in layers in a large kettle, sprinkling each layer with salt. Let stand for 3 hours, then drain and rinse. Bring other ingredients to a boil and add cucumbers and onions, then bring to a boil again for 5 minutes. Pack in hot, clean jars and seal.

Makes 7 - 8 pints.

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CRISP BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

4 qt Thinly Sliced Cucumbers
8 Med. White Onions *
1/2 c Pickling Salt
5 c Sugar
1 1/2 t Tumeric
1 t Celery Seed
2 T Mustard Seed
5 c Cider Vinegar

* Onions should be peeled and thinly sliced.

Mix the cucumbers and onions with the salt and 2 quarts of cracked ice and let them stand, covered with a weighted lid, for 3 hours. Drain thoroughly and put the vegetables in a large kettle. Add the sugar, spices and vinegar and bring almost to a boil, stirring often with a wooden spoon, but do not boil. Pack the pickles into hot jars and seal.

Makes 7 - 8 pints.

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GRANDMA'S SWEET PICKLES

360 small pickling cucumbers
2/3 cup salt
1/2 gallon cider vinegar
4 tsp mustard
4 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup mixed spice
1 piece ginger root
3 pounds sugar

Put salt on cucumbers. Add boiling water to cover. Let stand overnight. Remove from brine and wipe each cucumber dry. Replace in crock. Cover cucumbers with ingredients, except for the 3 pounds of sugar. Pour vinegar over them Let stand in a cool place.

Each morning add a handful of sugar to the mixture until all sugar is used.

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SWEET COUNTRY CHUNKS

30 med. cucumbers
25 cups sugar
6 tbsp. whole mixed pickling spice
5 tbsp. rock salt
12 cups cider vinegar

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Pour over cukes and let stand over night.

2. Next morning, drain. Cover with boiling water and let stand overnight again. Repeat until 4th morning.

3. On the fourth morning, drain and slice in 1/2 inch pieces.

4. Combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and pour over diced cucumbers.

5. Let stand 2 days.

6. On the 6th day (3rd of this soaking), bring mixture to a boil, adding a few drops of green food coloring. Pack into hot sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in canner.

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14-day sweet pickles

4 pounds Of pickling cucumbers*; (2- to 5-inch)
3/4 cup Canning or pickling salt; (Separated in thirds)
2 teaspoons Celery seed
2 tablespoons Mixed pickling spices
5 1/2 cups Sugar
4 cups Vinegar; (5 percent)

*(If packed whole, use cucumbers of uniform size)

 

Can be canned whole, in strips, or in slices. Yield: About 5 to 9 pints

 

Procedure:

 

Wash cucumbers.

 

Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4-inch of stem attached.

 

Place whole cucumbers in suitable 1-gallon container.

 

Add 1/4 cup canning or pickling salt to 2 quarts water and bring to a boil.

 

Pour over cucumbers. Add suitable cover and weight. Place clean towel over container and keep the temperature at about 70 degrees F.

 

On the third and fifth days, drain salt water and discard.

 

Rinse cucumbers and rescald cover and weight.

 

Return cucumbers to container.

 

Add 1/4 cup salt to 2 quarts fresh water and boil.

 

Pour over cucumbers.

 

Replace cover and weight, and re-cover with clean towel.

 

On the seventh day, drain salt water and discard.

 

Rinse cucumbers and rescald containers, cover, and weight.

 

Slice or strip cucumbers, if desired, and return to container.

 

Place celery seed and pickling spices in small cheesecloth bag.

 

Combine 2 cups sugar and 4 cups vinegar in a saucepan.

 

Add spice bag, bring to a boil and pour pickling solution over cucumbers.

 

Add cover and weight, and re-cover with clean towel.

 

On each of the next six days, drain syrup and spice bag and save.

 

Add 1/2 cup sugar each day and bring to a boil in a saucepan.

 

Remove cucumbers and rinse.

 

Scald container, cover, and weight daily.

 

Return cucumbers to container, add boiled syrup, cover, weight, and re-cover with towel.

 

On the 14th day, drain syrup into saucepan.

 

Fill sterile pint jars (for more information see "Jars and Lids") or clean quart jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

 

Add 1/2 cup sugar to syrup and bring to boil.

 

Remove spice bag.

 

Pour hot syrup over cucumbers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

 

Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 or use low-temperature pasteurization treatment.

 

(For more information see "Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment".)

 

Table 1. Recommended process time for 14-day Sweet Pickles in a boiling-water canner.

 

Style of Pack: Raw. Jar Size: Pints.

 

Process Time at Altitudes of 0 - 1,000 ft: 5 min.

 

Style of Pack: Raw. Jar Size: Quarts.

 

Process Time at Altitudes of 0 ~ 1,000 ft: 10 min.

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Crispy Hamburger Pickles

1 gallon cucumbers thinly sliced
1 pt. vinegar
1 gal. cold water
1 pt. water
1 cup salt
6 cup sugar
1 gal. boiling water
1 Tbsp. celery seed
1 Tbsp. alum
1 Tbsp. whole allspice
1 Tbsp. cinnamon ; ( or 3 sticks)

Cover cucumbers with cold water and salt; let set 3-5 days (I put in refrigerator). Drain and wash in clear water 3 times. Now put in boiling water and alum; boil for 10 min. Drain and wash again.

Combine vinegar, 1 pt. water and sugar. Put spices in bag, drop into syrup mixture. add cucumbers and boil for 10 min. put in jars, seal & process in a water bath 10 min.

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Cucumber Chunks

5 pounds 3 to 4 inch cucumbers; cut into 1 inch slices
1 1/2 cups canning salt
4 quarts plus 3 cups water; divided
2 quarts plus 1 cup vinegar; divided
4 to 5 cups sugar; divided
2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices

Put cucumber slices in a clean pickling container. Dissolve salt in 4 quarts water. Pour Salt water mixture over cucumber slices. Weigh cucumbers under brine. Cover container and let stand 36 hours in a cool place. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Discard brine. Pour 1 quart vinegar over cucumbers; add water to cover. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain, discard liquid. Combine 2 cups sugar, 5 cups vinegar and 3 cups water. Tie spices in a spice bag; add to vinegar mixture. Simmer 10 minutes. Pour pickling liquid over cucumbers; cover and let stand 24 hours. Drain, reserving pickling liquid; add remaining 2 to 3 cups sugar to pickling liquid according to taste; bring to a boil; pour over cucumbers. Cover; let stand 24 hours. Remove spice bag and pickles. Bring pickling liquid to a boil. Pack pickles into hot jars, leaving 1/4th inch headspace. Ladle hot liquid over pickles, leaving 1/4th inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust twp-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Yield: about 8 pints.

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OPEN JAR PICKLES

9 lbs medium sized cucumbers
1 Tbsp. alum
1 pt. cider vinegar
1 pt. water

Syrup:

3 lbs sugar
6 cups cider vinegar
1 oz. cinnamon sticks
1/2 oz. whole allspice

* Make salt brine to cover cucumbers, using 1 cup salt to 1 gallon water. Let stand for 3 days, then drain.

* Soak cucumbers in cold water for the next 3 days, changing water each day.

* Drain & slice cukes. Boil for 2 hours in the water, vinegar and alum. Green food coloring may be added.

* Drain and pack in (odd) jars. Combine syrup ingredients, boil 5 minutes and pour over pickles.

* Screw on lids. These pickles need not be sealed and will keep indefinitely.

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Quick & Easy Sweet Pickles

Ingredients:

* One jar whole dill pickles (no garlic variety)
* 3/4 cup cider vinegar
* 1 1/2 cups Splenda

Drain pickles well, rinse in cool water and drain again. Cover with cool water a second time and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove from water and drain well. Cut each pickle into 1/4" chunks and place back in cleaned pickle jar.

Combine vinegar and Splenda in saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from stovetop and cool 5 minutes. Pour over pickles in jar and seal tight. Allow pickles to refrigerate a minimum of 48 hours.

Approximately 2 carbs per whole pickle.

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