Sweet Cucumber Pickles

By Claude

Make your own sweet pickles at home with fresh cucumbers from either your garden, local farmers market or roadside stand. You'll never buy them again, when you realize how easy and delicious homemade pickles are.

Ingredients

• PICKLING SYRUP:
• 7 pounds of small cucumbers cut in thin slices.
• 1 cup pickling lime
• Water to cover pickle slices
• Ice cubes to put in soaking water
• Canning kettle
• 12-14 pint jars with lids and screw caps
• 1/2 gallon white vinegar
• 5 pounds sugar
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice
• 2 tablespoons salt

Preparation

Step 1

Slice the cucumbers in thin slices for pickles and put into canning kettle.

Dissolve 1 cup of pickling lime into enough water to cover the cucumber. Soak for 24 hours.

Remove slices, wash well, and put into ice cold (with ice cubes) water for 3 hours.

Make the Syrup:
Mix the five ingredients for the syrup, put cucumber slices in syrup and let stand overnight.

Next day, simmer cucumber in the syrup for 45 minutes.

Put into sterilized jars and SEAL at once.

To Sterilized:
Wash jars in dishwasher with hot water setting them with the open ends up. Then pour boiling water in jars.

Put lids in a pan of boiling water.