The cucumbers are ready which means it's time to make pickles. Crystallized Pickles are a sweet pickle that are perfect for things like Tuna Salad. You'll find them on many southern tables throughout the year. They're also good to eat straight out of the jar.
For those who think that pickles are something you buy in the grocery store, this may be a shock. Lots of people still make pickles the old-fashioned way. Why? Because nothing in the store comes close to the flavor of a home-canned pickle.
I should warn you that canning pickles takes a long time. Try four days. And I strongly recommend that you time it out right or you might be canning pickles at midnight. Of course, if you're a late night person that might be what you'd prefer.
Either way, these pickles are worth the effort.
Crystallized Pickles
First Day: Wash and slice 7 lbs. of cucumbers. Discard the ends of the cucumbers. How thick you slice the cucumbers depends on your personal taste. I prefer to slice them about 1/4-inch thick. Soak the cucumbers in
two gallons of water with
three cups of lime for 24 hours. In the Deep South, lime is found in most non-chain grocery stores. Do not confuse this lime with the citrus lime you get in the fruit and vegetable section. The powdered lime you need is found in a container in the canning section of the grocery store.
During the 24 hours, be sure to stir the pickles frequently. The lime settles to the bottom of the pan and you want to stir it so that the lime circulates over the cucumbers. In our family, the general rule is that if you walk by the pan, you stir it.
Second Day: Wash the cucumbers thoroughly. Place in
two gallons of water and soak for 24 hours.
Third Day: Rinse cucumbers and again place in
two gallons of water. Add
4 oz. powdered allum. McCormick's makes powdered allum. Remember to stir throughout the 24 hours.
Fourth Day: Thoroughly wash cucumbers so that none of the powdered allum remains. Place cucumbers in
two gallons of water with
2 oz. ground ginger for six hours.
Wash cucumbers. Separately, stir together
3 quarts vinegar,
5 lbs sugar and
1.5 oz. pickling spice. Again, McCormick's makes pickling spice. Place mixture on the stove and bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers. Cover container with tin foil. Let stand four hours.
Uncover pan and put container on the stove. Cook one hour. Stir frequently and keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over. Put pickles in
jars. The jars should be sterilized. We use Ball (a brand name) jars. Put
seals (also by Ball) on the jars and tighten the ring securely.
Set jars aside and cover them with a kitchen towel. You will hear a "pop" as the jars seal. For those of you uninitiated, the "pop" is literally a sound the seals make. When the jars are sealed, you can store them in the cabinet until you're ready for the pickles. Be sure to place opened jars in the refrigerator.
