Grandma Lavonnes Christmas Pickles Recipes

SPICY CHRISTMAS PICKLES (NO COOK)

Steps:

• Drain pickles and rinse gallon jar.
• Slice pickles into 3/4" or 1" rounds, drain again.
• Into jar layer sliced pickles, peeled garlic, and sugar; add NO liquid.
• Pour on the whole bottle of tabasco sauce, NOTE: I have used the 2oz size when I wanted a less spicy pickle and I think tabasco is the only brand of hot sauce to use in this recipe.
• Add bottle of red OR green food coloring if desired.
• Cap jar and shake.
• Store in icebox and shake it daily to mix the ingredients and dissolve the sugar.
• In about a week you will have brightly colored,spicy pickles!
• Note: as these marinate over the week they shrink, so the yield will be less than a gallon.

CHRISTMAS RED PICKLES

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers, halve lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the cucumber into 1/4 inch half circles, and place into a glass or ceramic crock. Dissolve the pickling lime in about 1 quart of room temperature water, pour over the cucumbers, then add additional water until the cucumbers are covered by 1/2 inch. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours.
• Drain the cucumbers and rinse well with cold water. Place into a large stockpot, and cover with cold water. Allow to stand for 3 hours, then drain and rinse again.
• Return the cucumbers to the pot, add the food coloring, alum, 1 cup vinegar, and enough water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 2 hours. Once the cucumbers have cooked for 2 hours, drain and allow to cool a bit before placing into the glass or ceramic jar.
• Stir together sugar, 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups water, cinnamon red hot candies, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar and candies dissolve. Pour this mixture over the warm cucumbers, cover, and let stand overnight.
• Pack pickles into pint jars, and process in a hot water bath for 15 to 20 minutes. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal.

EIGHT-DAY ICICLE PICKLES

Steps:

• Day 1: Place the cucumbers into a large (10-quart) jar or pickle crock. Stir the pickling salt and 16 cups of water (or as needed to cover the cucumbers) into a large pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Pour the boiling salt mixture over the cucumbers, and cover the crock with a cover or dinner plate.
• Days 2 and 3: Stir the pickles and brine once each day. Cover the crock each time.
• Day 4: Pour off the brine. Bring 16 more cups of water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 5: Pour off the water from the pickles again, and bring alum and 16 cups of water to a boil. Stir until the alum is completely dissolved. Pour the boiling water-alum mixture over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 6: In a large pot, boil 16 more cups of water with the sugar, pickling spice, vinegar, and food coloring. Pour the water-alum mixture from the pickles and discard, and pour the boiling sugar mixture over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 7: Pour off the syrup from the pickles, but retain the syrup. Transfer the syrup into a large pot, bring to a boil again, and pour over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 8: Pour off and retain the syrup again, and transfer into a large pot. Reboil the syrup over medium heat. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the pickles into the hot, sterilized jars, and pour the boiling syrup in, 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.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

GRANDMA'S DILL PICKLES (TASTE OF HOME RECIPE)

Steps:

• In a dutch oven bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil; boil for 10 minutes.
• Pack cucumbers into quart jars within 1/2 inch of top.
• Place one dill head, two garlic cloves and two peppers in each jar.
• Ladle boiling liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
• Place lids and screw on bands fingertip tight.
• Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

GRANDMA LAVONNE'S CHRISTMAS PICKLES

Steps:

• Day 1: Wash cucumbers and place in a crock.
• Cover with boiling water 2 times a day for 2 days.
• Day 3: Rinse in warm water. Cut into 1/2 inch chunks and cover with boiling water. Add alum.
• Day 4: Drain, rinse and cover with boiling syrup: Vinegar, sugar, spices food coloring (If using red, add cinnamon sticks).
• Cover with this syrup for four days. Reboil two times a day.
• Day 8: Pack chunks into canning jars, cover with boiling syrup and seal. Pickles are ready to eat now. Extra syrup may be saved and added to another batch.