Sweet Gherkins

Photo: flickr user Photos o' Randomness

Ingredients

5 quarts cucumbers - (1 ½" to 3" long)

cup pure granulated salt

8 cups sugar

6 cups vinegar, 5%% acidity

teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice

8 pieces cinnamon stick - (ea 1" long)

teaspoon fennel (optional)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preparation

First Day:Morning - Wash cucumbers thoroughly; scrub with vegetable brush. Drain cucumbers; place in large container and cover with boiling water.

Afternoon (6 to 8 hours later) - Drain; cover with fresh, boiling water.

Second Day:Morning - Drain; cover with fresh, boiling water.

Afternoon - Drain; add salt; cover with fresh, boiling water.

Third Day:Morning - Drain; prick cucumbers in several places with table fork. Make syrup of 3 cups of the sugar and 3 cups of the vinegar; add turmeric and spices. Heat to boiling and pour over cucumbers. (Cucumbers will be partially covered at this point.)

Afternoon - Drain syrup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 2 cups of the vinegar to syrup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.

Fourth Day:Morning - Drain syrup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 1 cup of the vinegar to syrup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.

Afternoon - Drain syrup into pan; add remaining 1 cup sugar and the vanilla to syrup; heat to boiling. Pack pickles into clean, hot pint jars and cover with boiling syrup to 1/2-inch of top of jar. Adjust jar lids.

Process for 5 minutes in boiling water (start to count processing time as soon as water returns to boiling). Remove jars. Set jars upright, several inches apart, on a wire rack to cool.

This recipe yields 7 to 8 pints.

Yield: 7 to 8 pints