6 quart basket of small cucumbers
1 1/2 cups of pickling salt (coarse salt that is not iodized)
6 quarts (24 cups) of boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoons Alum
3 quarts (12 cups) of boiling water
2 1/4 quarts (9 cups) of white vinegar
10 1/2 cups of white sugar
1/4 cup celery seed
1/2 cup of mixed pickling spice
1 tablespoon green food coloring

Merle has been making these pickles for many years, and we have always looked forward to late summer, when she would present everyone in the family with a jar of her bright green sweet pickles. They are summer in a jar!

Buy nice fresh cukes in mid-summer. "6 quart basket" is a guideline - that is something like 10 pounds of cukes, but its not an exact science; a couple of pounds either way is going to be OK Use very small cucumbers like gherkins and leave them whole, or use the ones that are 3 or 4 inches long and slice then into about 1/2 inch pieces Clean your pickling container thoroughly, inside and out. Be sure to rinse away any traces of soap or cleaning products. Merle uses an old fashioned crock for pickling. A crock is an earthenware container. You can use any container that will hold a couple of gallons. I wouldn't use plastic or aluminum because of the risk of the container itself contaminating the fluids.

Add the pickling salt to the 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally to ensure all of the salt dissolves. Pour it over the sliced cukes. Put a plate or a dish that will fit inside the crock on top of the cukes. The purpose is to submerge all of the cukes in the brine. Merle puts a canning jar full of water on top of the plate to weigh it down.

Leave it for 3 days. You can stir it daily, or not. Skim off anything that floats to the surface.

Drain the cukes though a colander into a big pot and re-boil the brine. Pour it hot over the cukes again, and replace your plate on top.

Leave it for 3 more days. Again you can stir it or not, and remove anything that floats

Drain the cukes through a colander and this time discard the brine. Rinse the cukes well under cold water. Dissolve the Alum in 3 quarts of boiling water and pour it over the cukes. Alum is used in pickling recipes as a preservative to maintain fruit and vegetable crispness.

Leave it until the next day.

Drain the cukes through a colander and rinse well under cold water. Discard the Alum solution.

Make up the syrup for the pickles by combining in your big stove top pot the vinegar, sugar, celery seed and the green food coloring. (The food coloring is for show - it leaves the pickles a bright green that is very attractive). The pickles will be just as good without it, but they will be a dull green).

Put the pickling spices in a cheesecloth bag and drop it in the pot and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve and mix everything Pour it over the cukes, replace the plate on top.

Leave it until the next day.

Drain the cukes through a colander into your stovetop pot, and bring the syrup with the cheesecloth bag to a boil again Pour it over the cukes.

Leave it until the next day.

Day 9! Canning day! Drain the cukes through a colander into your stovetop pot. Prepare your canning jars and lids. I use 500ml jars - about 16oz jars. I find 250ml (8oz) too small, and 1L (Quart) jars much too big. Fill each jar with cukes - don't cram them in because you want room for the syrup. Bring the syrup to a boil Discard the pickling spice in the cheesecloth. Ladle some of the syrup into each jar and seal each immediately.

Store in a cool dry place, and be sure to give a jar to every one of your relatives, who will "relish" them!!

Submitted by: Merle's son in law, Dave