Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600130
10/13/97

### SWEET GHERKIN PICKLES

    7
    lb. cucumbers (1-1/2 inch or less)

    1/2
    cup canning or pickling salt

    8
    cups sugar

    6
    cups vinegar (5% acidity)

    3/4
    tsp. turmeric

    2
    tsp. celery seeds

    2
    tsp. whole mixed pickling spice

    2
    cinnamon sticks

    1/2
    tsp. fennel (optional)

    2
    tsp. 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  (on the  second day)

    drain
     and  cover  with  fresh  boiling water.  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 to  the  syrup and  heat to boiling.  Pour

    over
    pickles.  On the fourth day, drain and save syrup.  Add

    another
    2 cups sugar  and  1 cup vinegar to the syrup.  Heat

    to
    boiling and pour over  pickles.  Drain and  save pickling

    syrup
    6 to 8 hours later.   Add 1 cup sugar and  2 teaspoons

    vanilla
    to the syrup and heat to boiling.  Fill  hot sterile

    pint
     jars with  pickles  and  cover with hot syrup, leaving

    1/2-inch
    headspace.  Adjust lids  and  process as  below, or

    use
     the  low-temperature   pasteurization  treatment  ( see

    directions
    following boiling water canner processing times).

               RECOMMENDED PROCESS TIMES FOR SWEET GHERKIN

                  PICKLES IN A BOILING-WATER CANNER

                      Process Time at Altitudes of

    Style

    of
             Jar    0-          1001-       6001-

    Pack
           Size   1000 ft.    6000 ft.    8000 ft.

    Raw
            Pints  5 min.      10 min.     15 min.

    Low-Temperature
    Pasteurization Treatment for Processing

    CAUTION:
     USE ONLY WHEN RECIPE INDICATES.

      The  following  treatment  results  in a  better  product

    texture,
    but must  be  carefully  managed to avoid  possible

    spoilage.
     Place jars  in a canner filled half way with warm

    (120
    to 140  degrees Fahrenheit) water.  Then, add hot water

    to
    a level 1  inch above  jars.  Heat  the water enough   to

    maintain
    180 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature for

    30
    minutes.  Check with a candy or jelly thermometer  to  be

    certain
    that the water temperature is  at least  180 degrees

    Fahrenheit
     during  the  entire  30  minutes.   Temperatures

    higher
     than 185 degrees Fahrenheit  may  cause  unnecessary

    softening
     of pickles.

    STERILIZATION
    OF EMPTY JARS

      To sterilize empty jars, place them right side up  on the

    rack
    in  a boiling-water  canner.  Fill  the canner and jars

    with
    hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the

    jars.
     Boil 10 minutes at altitudes  of less than 1000 feet.

    At
     higher  elevations, boil 1  additional  minute  for each

    additional
     1000  feet  elevation.  Remove  and   drain  hot

    sterilized
    jars one at a time as filled.

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