Ripe Cucumber Pickles from Aunt Florence

This is a recipe that uses those overgrown and yellow cucumbers that always seem to hide under the leaves. They are a sweet and spicy (not hot) pickle that goes well as a condiment with peas or beans. I also like to use them for an unusual chicken salad. I included the originally called for 10 and 15 cent size boxes just out of nostalgia. I remember helping my Aunt Florence make these when I was a child. Wish she was here to help me make them now.

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8 pints

Ingredients

7 lbs. ripe (yellow and large) cucumbers that have been peeled, seeded and sliced into chunks
2 cups pickling lime
10 cent box of alum (I use 1/2 of 3.75 oz bottle)
15 cent box of ginger (I use 0.8 oz bottle)
4 pints of vinegar
5 lbs of sugar
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. celery seeds

Directions

Mix lime in 2 gallons of water. Soak prepared cucumbers in this mixture 24 hours. Wash 3 times.

Mix alum with 2 gallons of water and soak cucumbers for 24 hours. Wash one time.

Mix ginger in 2 gallons of water. Soak cucumbers for 6 hours.

Place drained cucumbers in mixture of vinegar, sugar, allspice, cloves and celery seeds. Let stand about 3 hours.

Simmer slow for 1 hour and process in boiling water bath pints for 15 minutes.

Categories: Appetizers & Snacks, Boiling Water Bath, BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff, Canning, Condiments, Other Condiments

Submitted by: judydee on September 20, 2013