Cut lengthwise in halves and pare and remove seeds and soft parts from ripe cucumbers. Cover halves with water using 2 quarts water and 4 teaspoon alum. Heat gradually to boiling point. Take off stove. Let stand in warm place 2 hours. Remove cucumber halves from alum water and chill in ice water.

Make syrup using 2 pounds sugar, 1 pint vinegar, 2 tablespoons whole cloves, 2 tablespoons stick cinnamon tied in a bag. Add cucumbers to syrup and cook 10 minutes. Remove cucumbers to stone crock and pour syrup over them leaving bag of spices in syrup. For 2 days, pour syrup off and reheat to boiling point and pour over cucumbers again. The 4th day, heat and can. (You may use 2 teaspoons each of ground spices instead of whole.)