Sweet Gherkins Recipes

SWEET GHERKINS

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers, blossom, ends removed. Use the littlest ones you can find!
• FIRST DAY:
• In the afternoon, place cucumbers in large bowl and cover with boiling water; let stand 6 hours or overnight.
• SECOND DAY:.
• In the morning, drain cucumbers and cover with fresh boiling water. Let stand 6 hours.
• In the afternoon, drain cucumbers; add salt; cover with fresh boiling water.
• THIRD DAY:.
• In the morning, drain cucumbers; prick with fork. Combine 3 cups of the sugar, 3 cups of the vinegar, herbs, and spices (except vanilla extract) in a pan. Heat to the boiling point and pour over cucumbers.
• In the afternoon, drain syrup mixture into a large pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 2 more cups of the vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over cucumbers. Cover and let stand.
• FOURTH DAY:.
• In the morning, drain syrup mixture into a large pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 1 cup of the vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.
• In the afternoon, prepare jars. Drain syrup mixture off pickles into large pan; add remaining 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract (if using) to syrup; heat to boiling. Pack pickles into clean, hot jars. cover with hot syrup leaving 1/2 inch head space; seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

EASY SWEET GHERKINS

Steps:

• Let gherkins stand in medium brine overnight (4 tbsp salt to every cup of water); drain. Wash in cold water; drain. Tie spices in bag and add to the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil and pour over gherkins. Put into crock. Stir 1 tbsp sugar into them each morning for 8 days until desired sweetness is reached.

SWEET GHERKINS

Steps:

• Brine cukes: dissolve ½ cup salt in 2 quarts water, pour the solution over cukes, and let stand for 24 hours in a cool place. Drain. Put the cukes in a clean crock. Dissolve 1 cup of the sugar in the vinegar and add spices tied in a bag. Bring the vinegar to a boil. Pour the boiling hot syrup over the cukes. Next day, drain off syrup and add 1 cup sugar, bring to a rolling boil. Pour the boiling hot syrup over the cukes. Repeat the next day adding the last cup of sugar. Next day, drain the syrup from the pickles and pack the pickles into scalded jars. Heat the syrup to a rolling boil and fill the jars. Remove air bubbles. Add more syrup if necessary. 1/8" head space. 10 minutes boiling water bath.

SWEET GHERKIN PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4-inch of stem attached. Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water.
• Six to 8 hours later, drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt.
• On the second day, drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt.
• On the third day, drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork.
• Combine and bring to boil 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups sugar, turmeric, and spices. Pour over cucumbers.
• Six to 8 hours later, DRAIN AND SAVE the pickling syrup.
• Add another 2 cups each of sugar and vinegar to the pickling syrup and reheat to boil. Pour over pickles.
• On the fourth day, drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. DRAIN AND SAVE pickling syrup 6 to 8 hours later.
• Add 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla to the pickling syrup and heat to boiling.
• Fill sterile pint jars with pickles and cover with hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
• Adjust lids and process as below, or use the low temperature pasteurization treatment (see link provided above).