Preparation / Directions:
Cut washed cucumbers into 3/4 to 1" chunks. Tiny cucumbers may be used whole, medium sized cut into chunks, and great big ones can be peeled, quartered, seeded, and cut into pieces (like watermelon pickles). Soak for three days and nights in salt brine (use pickling salt and cold water) that will float an egg (stir salt into water until a washed, raw egg will float in brine). Cover cucumbers with a plate to keep them under the brine. 4th Morning: Drain off brine and cover with fresh water. 5th Morning: Same. 5th Evening: Same. (One of these times, measure the water to find out how much it takes to cover the cucumbers.) 6th Day: Make a solution of half water and half vinegar and 1 level Tablespoon of powdered alum per 8 cups of liquid. Boil and pour hot over cucumbers. 7th Day: Make syrup of 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water-vinegar solution. Place 1/2 cup mixed pickling spices and 1/4 cup celery seed per 8 cups liquid in a cloth bag (a piece of clean, well-rinsed cloth, or doubled cheesecloth, wrapped around the spices, and tied with white thread). Put the bag in the syrup and boil for 5 minutes. Pour syrup over cucumbers, discarding spices. Each morning, pour off syrup, add 1 cup of sugar per 8 cups of liquid, bring to a boil, and pour over cucumbers until they are as sweet as desired. Then pack into jars (my mom would sort the types of cut pickles as she packed them). The jars must be well washed, rinsed, checked for nicks in the rims, and then boiled for 10 minutes before packing. The lids and rims must also be sterilized in boiling water. Heat syrup to boiling and pour over the pickles in the jars, to within 1/2" of the top. Seal the jars and process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes.
My mom's final comments, "these pickles are a lot of work, but make the world's best pickles!" I whole-heartedly agree!!! Thanks
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