Obnoxious heat and humidity aside, this is the most wonderful time of the year (second to the Christmas season, of course) with the fresh produce and seasonal recipes that we make. My mom's refrigerator pickles are on the top of the list of items to stock up on in the summer. Mom, my sister and I make huge buckets every year, then store them in the refrigerator to enjoy for months.
After our move, I'm down a refrigerator and don't really want a bucket taking up quite that much real estate. Using the same recipe as refrigerator pickles, canning the pickles seemed like the best option.
Canning scares me a little bit. Mom to the rescue, she set me up for the year and here's how we (she) did it:
Mom's Sweet Pickles ~ canned
recipe by Mom
printer friendly version
1 gallon sliced cucumbers, more if needed to fill jars
1 large onion, sliced, quartered
6 cups sugar
6 cups vinegar
2/3 cup salt
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp mustard seed
Divide sliced cucumbers between about 5 quart-sized jars. Really pack the cucumbers in tightly. They shrink after hot liquid is added. {Follow proper canning protocol for sterilizing jars and lids.}
Divide sliced onion among jars.
Simmer remaining ingredients until sugar is fully dissolved, about 10 minutes.
When water bath is boiling, fill jars with simmering sugar-vinegar liquid. Clean jar tops with a clean cloth. Place lids and rings on jars, tightly, but not as tight as you can get it. Place jars in water bath with about an inch of water over the tops. Boil in water bath for 10 minutes (only starting timer once water has reached a full boil with jars in water). Carefully remove jars from water without tipping. Place on drying rack undisturbed for 24-48 hours. Remove rings and store in a cool, dry place.
Try these home preserving favorites:
Click {HERE} to see where I share my recipes.
Do these end up crunchier like the refrigerator pickles or softer like regular canned pickles? I was wondering because it looks like you don't bring the liquid up to as much of a boil or process as long as a lot of recipes I've seen. We're loving some refrigerator pickles we've recently tried but are running out of spare refrigerator space.
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