Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600130
08/03/99

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. In the afternoon, or 6-8 hours later, drain, add
1/4 Cup salt and cover with boiling water. Place cucumbers
in large Container and cover with boiling water. Six to 8
hours later (On the second day) drain, add 1/4 cup salt 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 head space.
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.

Go To Top of File        Michigan State University Extension Home Page        Main Page for this Data Base        Food, Nutrition and Health AOE
This information is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. This information becomes public property upon publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise a commercial product or company. This file was generated from data base 01 on 05/29/03. Data base 01 was last revised on 08/03/99. For more information about this data base or its contents please contact wrublec@msue.msu.edu . Please read our disclaimer for important information about using our site.