Canning Sweet Pickles

Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600134
10/13/97

Canning Sweet Pickles


GUIDE 6:24                                                  
QUICK SWEET PICKLES                                         

May be canned as either strips or slices.                   

8 lbs of 3- to 4-inch pickling cucumbers                    
1/3 cup canning or pickling salt                            
4-1/2 cups sugar                                            
3-1/2 cups vinegar (5%)                                     
2 tsp celery seed                                           
1 tbsp whole allspice                                       
2 tbsp mustard seed                                         
1 cup pickling lime (optional - for use in variation        
below for making firmer pickles)                            

YIELD:  About 7 to 9 pints                                  

PROCEDURE:  Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16 inch off blossom       
end and discard, but leave 1/4 inch of stem attached.       
Slice or cut in strips, if desired. Place n bowl and        
sprinkle with cup salt. Cover with 2 inches of crushed      
or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours. Add more ice as     
needed. Drain well.                                         

Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, allspice, and          
mustard seed in 6-quart kettle. Heat to boiling.            

Hot pack -- Add cucumbers and heat slowly until vinegar     
solution returns to boil. Stir occasionally to make sure    
mixture heats evenly. Fill sterile jars, leaving 1/2-       
inch headspace.                                             

Raw pack -- Fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Add      
hot pickling syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust      
lids and process as below or use the low temperature        
pasteurization treatment described on page 5.               

Variation for firmer pickles. Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/6-      
inch off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4-inch of     
stem attached. Slice of strip cucumbers. Mix 1 cup          
pickling lime and 1/2 cup salt to 1 gallon water in a 2-    
to 3-gallon crock or enamelware container. CAUTION:         
Avoid inhaling lime dust while mixing the lime-water        
solution. Soak cucumber slices or strips in lime water      
solution for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.         
Remove from lime solution and rinse and resoak 1 hour in    
fresh cold water. Repeat the rinsing and resoaking two      
more times. Handle carefully because slices or strips       
will be brittle. Drain well.                                

Recommended process time for QUICK SWEET PICKLES            
in a boiling-water canner                                   

                     Process Time at Altitudes of           

Style      Jar       0-          1,001-       Above         
of Pack    Size      1,000 ft    6,000 ft     6,000 ft      

Hot        Pints or  5 min       10           15            
           Quarts                                           

Raw        Pints     10 min      15           20            
           Quarts    15          20           25            

STORAGE:  After processing and cooling, jars should be      
stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.                

VARIATION:  Add 2 slices of raw whole onion to each jar     
before filling with cucumbers.                              


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