Grandma’s Spicy Sweet Pickles recipe is a cherished heirloom that spans nearly a century, handed down through generations for its delightful blend of sweet and spicy flavors. These pickles are a testament to traditional preserving techniques and are surprisingly easy to make, requiring just a bit of patience and care over a week-long process.
Ingredients:
- 4 cucumbers, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
- 1/3 cup salt
- 1 quart white vinegar
- 1 cup sugar (initial addition)
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon alum
- 5 cups sugar (added incrementally over 5 days)
Nutritional Information (per batch):
- Calories: 5195.2
- Fat: 6.9g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 37781.8mg
- Carbohydrates: 1281.2g
- Fiber: 11.5g
- Sugars: 1233.9g
- Protein: 15.8g
Instructions:
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Prepare Cucumbers: Begin by slicing the cucumbers into thin, 1/8 inch rounds. Place them in a large container.
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Brine Preparation: Sprinkle the 1/3 cup of salt over the cucumbers, ensuring they are evenly coated. Pour enough boiling water over the cucumbers to completely cover them. Stir gently to dissolve the salt. Let this mixture stand for 8 hours or overnight.
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Drain and Rinse: After the brining period, drain the cucumbers thoroughly and discard the brine.
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Prepare Vinegar Mixture: In a saucepan, combine the white vinegar, 1 cup of sugar, celery seed, mustard seeds, and alum. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved.
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Combine Ingredients: Place the drained cucumbers into a large glass jar, plastic bucket with a lid, or a stoneware crock. Pour the boiling vinegar mixture over the cucumbers, ensuring they are fully submerged.
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Marinate Daily: Cover the container and let it stand. For the next 5 days, once a day, stir in an additional cup of sugar. It’s important not to reheat the vinegar mixture when adding the sugar.
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Final Steps: By the end of the 5th day, your pickles will be ready. They can be stored in a covered jar; however, do not seal the jars tightly. These pickles can keep indefinitely and tend to improve in flavor with time.
Cook’s Tips:
- Ensure the cucumbers are sliced evenly to ensure consistent pickling.
- Use high-quality vinegar for best results in flavor and preservation.
- Stirring in sugar daily helps develop the sweet flavor gradually without compromising texture.
Conclusion:
Grandma’s Spicy Sweet Pickles are not just a recipe; they are a connection to culinary heritage, offering a taste of tradition with every crunchy, sweet-sour bite. Perfect for adding to sandwiches, serving alongside a charcuterie board, or enjoying straight from the jar, these pickles embody the essence of homemade goodness that gets better with age.
