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Best Ever Sweet Pickles

Source of Recipe

From "Taste of Home American Summer Cookbook"


Recipe Introduction

"When I was a kid, I always looked forward to the homemade jams and jellies my granny made from her farm-grown berries. Our urban backyard doesn't have room for a berry patch, but we do have a trellis for growing cucumbers. I like to pack away jars of these sweet pickles every summer, hoping they'll last the winter — but they are always gone too soon."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 9 cups sliced pickling cucumbers
â—¦ 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
â—¦ ¼ cup canning salt
â—¦ 1 cup sugar
â—¦ 1 cup water
â—¦ 1 cup white vinegar
â—¦ ½ cup cider vinegar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons mustard seed
â—¦ 1 teaspoon celery seed
â—¦ ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
â—¦ 4 bay leaves
â—¦ 12 cloves garlic, crushed


Recipe

In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion, and canning salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand for 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly.

In a Dutch oven, combine sugar, water, vinegars, mustard seed, celery seed, and peppercorns. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about four to five minutes or until heated through.

Carefully ladle the hot mixture into four hot wide-mouth 1-pint jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Add 3 garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf to each jar. Remove the air bubbles and, if necessary, adjust headspace by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.

Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Makes 4 pints