Vegetable Recipe Challenge- Day 15-Pickles

There are a lot of steps for this pickle and it’s worth the process you just need to follow the directions. Don’t give up or be intimidated! Pickles are worth it in every way. I’ve only been canning a few years but it’s worth the time researching and putting into each jar of food. As long as you follow directions and take it one step at a time, you will be on the right track!

4 pounds Pickling cucumbers
1 cup pickling or canning salt
8 cups water
4 1/2 tsp pickling spice
5 cups sugar
5 cups white vinegar

– After you clean the cucumbers cut them lengthwise into quarters. Set them aside in a large container, or steel pan. Bring the pickling salt and water to a boil over medium heat until the salt dissolved. Ladle this mixture over the cucumbers making sure they are all submerged. Just make sure your pan is big enough to hold all he cucumbers.
-You need to weight the cucumbers down so I normally fill a large bowl up with water and place this on top. -Let is stand for a week this way. Every day remove any scum that has formed.
-Drain the cucumbers after a week and discard brine. Rinse cucumbers in cold water. Return to your containers. Cover with boiling water and let it stand for a full 24 hours.
 Still with me? Let’s keep going!
– Drain cucumbers again and drain all liquid. Rinse the container and place cucumbers back into it. Make a spice bag out of your pickling spices. In a large stainless steel saucepan combine sugar vinegar and spice bag/ Bring to boil and stir till sugar is dissolved. Ladle this over he cucumbers. Cover and let stand for 24hours.
-Drain once again but reserve the liquid and spice bag. Rinse container out again, return cucumbers. In another sauce pan bring liquid and spice bag to boil , once again ladling over cucumbers.

Repeat this the next 3 days.
  I did warn you about the steps. Didn’t believe me did you? Let’s move on!

We are to the canning stage! Prepare your jars. Remove spice bag and discard. Drain your cucumbers and reserve the liquid again. Bring it to a boil . Pack cucumbers into jars and fill with liquid. Leave a 1/2 inch head space. Remove any air bubbles, adjust for head space if needed before placing lid and screw band on. This is a water bath method in which you will boil (process) the jars.
Place jars in a canner making sure they are covered with liquid. You will process for 10 minutes. Remove and repeat with remaining jars until finished. Set aside and do not touch for a full 24hrs. Halfway through this though check to make sure the tops are sealed. if they are not probably sealed you must eat them.
 Eat them fast!
Just joking, just repeat the boiling process after you’ve changed lids. Or you may set them in teh fridge and eat them. 🙂 This was giving to me by a friend but the recipe was from her Ball Canning book, not sure which Volume.