Crystal Sweet Pickles
Submitted by EmilyG
Crock-made crystal sweet pickles brined for 2 weeks, then dressed in a cinnamon and clove vinegar syrup over 5 days. A labor of love from grandma’s kitchen that yields jars of glass-clear, spiced pickles.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
24 hrsCOOK
0 minREADY
5 daysThis is grandma’s pickle recipe, the one that takes nearly three weeks from start to finish and tastes like nothing you can buy in a store.
Dill-sized cucumbers sit in a salt brine crock for two full weeks. After an overnight alum soak for crispness, they meet a sweet vinegar dressing spiced with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves.
Here’s where the magic happens: for four consecutive mornings, you drain off the dressing, bring it back to a boil, and pour it over the pickles again. Each round pushes the syrup deeper into the slices.
On the fifth day, everything gets canned hot and sealed.
Kitchen Tips
- A stoneware crock is traditional and ideal for the 2-week brine; a food-safe bucket works too
- The daily reboil-and-pour routine is what makes these pickles crystal clear and deeply flavored
- Cut cucumbers into slices, chunks, or chips depending on how you like to serve them
- Make sure jars are sterilized and seals are tight for safe shelf storage
Ingredients
Directions
Wash cucumbers and put in brine, 1 part salt, 9 parts water.
Let stand 2 weeks. Drain and wash cut in slices, chunks or chips.
Put in cold water to cover with 1 tablespoon alum.
Let stand overnight.
Next morning, drain and wash.
Then pour the following dressing over pickles.
Bring to boil the vinegar, sugar and spices.
Let stand 24 hours. For the next 4 mornings, repour off the dressing and bring to boil and pour back on pickles.
On 5th day bring dressing to boil and can pickles in jars and pour hot dressing over pickles and seal.
These pickles are made in a crock.
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