Step 1. Wash cucumbers and pack in glass gallon jar, whole. Pour 1 cup plain table salt in jar and fill with cold water. Put top on jar and let set for 7 days. Shake jar occasionally. DO NOT uncover.

Step 2. Pour salt water off cucumbers and wash them really well. Slice cucumbers, DO NOT PEEL. Put them back in jar. Put 2 tablespoons of alum, pickling kind, on top of cucumbers and fill jar with cold water. Put top on jar and let set 48 hours. Do not remove top.

Step 3. Pour alum water off cucumbers. Wash them. Put them back in jar and cover with white vinegar. Let set overnight with top on.

Step 4. Drain vinegar off and throw it away. Take 5 pounds sugar minus 2 cups, and place a layer of sugar and layer of cucumbers back in jar. When jar is full, put only 2 small drops of "oil of cloves" in top of jar and put top back on jar. (Use medicine dropper for oil of cloves; if more than 2 drops are used, pickles will be bitter.)

Step 5. Set pickles aside and when syrup covers cucumbers and sugar is dissolved, they are ready to eat. Syrup will be crystal clear. Use pickle out of jar, just be sure to keep top on jar. Do not put gallon jar in refrigerator. As you take pickles out of jar to serve, if you like, you can put serving dish in refrigerator. (NO COOKING.)