Crystal Pickles

Pickling cucumbers, washed (leave whole with stems on)

Water

Canning salt

Alum or Pickle Crisp

9 cups sugar

2-1/2 cups white vinegar

Box of cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon whole cloves

Cheesecloth

Wash pickles with stems on. Place in a stone crock, and soak with a mixture of 1 cups of canning salt per 1 gallon of water. Use enough to cover cucumbers completely. Weight down cucumbers so they are beneath the water mixture, and cover crock with a towel to prevent anything from getting in the crock.

Let cucumbers set for 1 week, but check daily to make sure none of the cucumbers are above the water level. Spoon off any scum, if any, from top of the water.

On Day 7, drain and wash the cucumbers. They will be lighter in color. Rinse out the crock.

Place the cucumbers back in the crock. Cover them with boiling water. Again weight down the cucumbers, cover crock with a towel, and let them set 24 hours.

On Day 8, drain cucumbers, and cut into 1-inch chunks.

Place chunks back in the crock, and cover cucumber chunks with boiling water that has 1 tablespoon of either alum or Pickle Crisp per gallon of water. Weight down cucumber chunks; cover crock with a towel, and let set 24 hours.

On Day 9, drain cucumber chunks. In a large stockpot, make a syrup of the white vinegar and sugar. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Use the cheesecloth to make a spice bag, and add the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves to the spice bag. Add spice bag to the syrup mixture, and heat through. Remove spice bag and reserve. Pour hot syrup over cucumber chunks in crock. Weight down cucumbers so everything is beneath the syrup. Cover with a towel, and let set 24 hours.

On Day 10, drain the cucumber chunks over a large stockpot, reserving the syrup. Place cucumber chunks back in the crock. Add spice bag to the syrup, and heat until hot. Remove spice bag and reserve. Pour hot syrup over cucumber chunks in crock. Weight down, again making sure chunks are below the syrup. Cover with a towel, and let set 24 hours.

Days 11 and 12: Repeat same process from Day 10.

On Day 13, again drain syrup from the crock into a large stockpot. Add spice bag, and heat until hot. Tightly pack cucumber chunks into prepared pint jars. Add hot syrup to each jar, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rims, and add lids and rings, adjusting until just finger tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (not a rolling boil – that will shrivel the pickles – just barely boiling). After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Let stand 5 minutes before removing jars to a towel on the counter. Let jars sit for 12 hours before testing for seal. Remove rings, wipe down jars, and store in a cool dark place.

Visit Canning and Cooking Iowa Style’s profile on Pinterest.