Linda’s Sweet Pickles
This is Linda’s favorite pickle recipe, obtained long ago from a now forgotten source in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The recipe itself, written on a recipe card, has been spilled on so many times and the ink has faded to the point that we could hardly make out the directions, which turned out to also be in a short-hand that only Linda could decipher.
But we did figure it out, and in the end were able to recreate this cherished condiment. We hope that you enjoy this recipe that came within an eyelash of extinction. Note that these are best made with tiny, pinky-finger sized cucumbers. Since we live in the city and did not have space this year in our small garden for cucumbers, we were limited to what we could buy in the local markets. It took us almost a month to find a case of 6” pickling cucumbers, and there was no way to get the tiny cukes that this recipe really wants. So we improvised by chunking the larger picking cucumbers into pieces of approximately the same volume as a tiny cuke. 6 pounds of pickling cucumbers (or gherkins or cornichons) If using pickling cucumbers, cut into 1-2 inch chunks. If using gherkins or cornichons leave whole. Make the brine by completely dissolving the salt into the water. Pack cucumbers into a 1 gallon crock. Cover with the brine. You will almost certainly have more brine than needed to cover the cucumbers; put any extra into a quart jar. Put a small plate over the top if the cucumbers and weight down with a small ziploc bag filled with clean pebbles to keep the cucumbers completely immersed in the brine. Tie off the top of the crock with a plastic bag to keep out debris and insects and let ferment for 9 days in a warm place (70-85° F).
Check each day and if the brine level falls and exposes the top cucumbers, add in enough reserved brine to keep them all submerged. 1 teaspoon alum On Day 9, drain the brine from the cucumber chunks and clean the crock. Return the cucumber chunks to the crock. Dissolve alum in water and pour over the top of the pickles. Again you will likely have more alum solution that you'll need. Place the small plate and bag of clean pebbles over the top and let soak for two days. 2 cups white wine vinegar Drain alum solution from the cucumbers on Day 11. Make syrup by dissolving sugar into the vinegar and bringing it just to a boil. Remove from heat and add in the clove and cinnamon oil. Pack jars tightly with the cucumber pieces and add in one or two bell pepper strips per pint (3-4 per quart). Cover the cucumbers with the syrup. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes to seal jars. Let rest for at least a month before eating. Archive |
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