Sweet Chunk Pickles Food

BEST EVER SWEET PICKLES

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly., In a Dutch oven, combine sugar, water, vinegars, mustard seed, celery seed and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until heated through., Carefully ladle hot mixture into 4 hot wide-mouth 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add 3 garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf to each jar. Remove 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.

VIRGINIA CHUNK SWEET PICKLES

Steps:

• Make brine with 2 cups salt and one gallon of water. Boil mixture and pour over cucumbers while still boiling hot. Weigh down cucumbers to keep them under the brine (don't let them float to the top). Let stand for one week. In hot weather, skim daily.
• Drain and cut cucumbers into chunks.
• For the next 3 mornings make a boiling hot solution of one gallon water and one tablespoon alum powder and pour over the pickles. Make this fresh hot bath each day for three mornings (draining each day and giving a new solution each day).
• On the fourth morning, drain and discard alum water.
• Heat 6 cups vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 1/3 cup pickling spice, and 1 tablespoon celery seed to boiling and pour over the pickles-- allow to sit overnight.
• On the fifth morning drain this liquid off, reserving it, and add to it 2 cups more sugar, heat again to boiling point and pour over the pickles.
• On the sixth morning drain liquid, reserving it again, add one more cup of sugar, and heat to boiling.
• At this time, pack pickles into sterilized canning jars and fill within 1/2-inch of top of jar with the boiling liquid, seal at once.
• If you are wanting to can and store for long-term, process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

SWEET CHUNK PICKLES

Steps:

• Drain pickles and cut into chunks or thick slices.
• Combine sugar, vinegar and spices in small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Put pickles and garlic in jar and add sugar mixture.
• Cover, cool and refrigerate.
• Flavor develops over a week, but they get better and better after a couple of hours cooling time.

SWEET CHUNK PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash and dry cucumbers. Put cucumbers in a clean pickling container. Add salt and 1/2 cup vinegar to 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil; cool. Pour over cucumbers. Weight cucumbers under brine. Cover and let stand 2 weeks in a cool place. Drain, discarding brine, and cut cucumbers into 1-inch chunks. Cover with cold water; let stand 24 hours. Rinse well and drain. Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag; add to remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; pour over cucumbers. Let stand 24 hours. Drain, reserving pickling liquid. Bring pickling liquid to a boil and pour over pickles. Let stand 24 hours. Repeat the last step three times. Pack pickles into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Remove spice bag. Bring pickling liquid to a boil. Pour hot liquid over pickles, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps. Process pints and quarts 15 minutes in boiling water bath.

OLD FASHIONED SWEET NINE DAY PICKLES

Steps:

• STEP ONE: Cut cucumbers in 1/2 inch pieces or a little larger and place in a crock or large glass container. Bring the soaking brine to a boil, pour over cut cucumbers, cover with a clean cloth and weigh down with a plate. Cover crock with a clean tea towel.
• Let stand three days.
• STEP TWO: Drain, put back in crock and cover with fresh water. There is no salt added to this.
• Let stand two days.
• STEP THREE: Drain and place back in crock.
• Bring the pickle solution with the alum to a boil and simmer two minutes pour over.
• Stand overnight.
• STEP FOUR: Drain and place back in crock. Make Sweet Pickle brine, bring to a boil and pour over. For three days drain this syrup into a large pot and bring to a boil. Pour back over the cucumber slices. The third day once again bring the syrup to a boil. Put pickles into sterilized jars, pour hot brine over and seal.
• I often replace some of the cucumber pieces with cauliflower chunks, making for a mixed sweet pickle.
• Makes about eight pints.

SWEET-AND-SOUR QUICK PICKLES

Steps:

• Stuff the cucumbers and dill into a 1-quart glass or plastic jar with a tight-fitting lid.
• In another 1-quart jar, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and mustard. Close the jar and shake vigorously until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the cucumbers, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) or up to 1 month.

SUMMERTIME SWEET PICKLES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan at medium-high heat, combine cider vinegar, salt, sugar, tumeric and mustard seed. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice cucumbers and onion. Loosely pack the vegetables in a 1-quart canning jar or other similarly sized container. Pour hot liquid over the vegetables in the container. Refrigerate for 24 hours and enjoy! Keep refrigerated.

SWEET CHUNK ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• Place the zucchini into one gallon water in a large bowl. Stir in the pickling lime, and let stand for 24 hours. Drain and rinse the zucchini a few times, then cover with a fresh gallon water. Let stand for 3 hours, then drain.
• Heat the vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, and salt in a large pot over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the drained zucchini. Cover and rest the zucchini for 24 hours. Bring the zucchini mixture to a simmer over medium heat for 35 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Sterilize about 10 pint-sized jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Divide and pack the zucchini mixture evenly into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings. Store in the refrigerator.