By: Adapted from www.food52.com
These yummy, sweet, tangy pickles take a little bit of work over the course of a week to prepare. They do not need to be processed in boiling water, but are shelf stable and will keep for 1 year.
Time: Preparation 6 hours
Serving: 3 Persons
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb cucumbers
- 1 T kosher salt
- 2.5 t alum
- 4 c apple cider vinegar
- 1 T pickling spice
- 1 c sugar
Preparation
Day 1: Place the cucumbers in a large bowl, cover with cold water and a tray full of ice cubes. Let sit in the ice water for 30 minutes, then drain the cucumbers and scrub well to remove any stubborn dirt. Pare the ends off the cucumbers, then slice into 1/2-inch rounds. Pack into a half-gallon jar. Cover with boiling water, then cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
Day 2: Drain the water. Bring a quart of water to a boil, then remove from heat, add the salt, and stir to dissolve. Pour the salt water over the cucumber slices. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
Day 3: Drain the water. Bring a quart of water to a boil, stir in the alum, then pour the alum water over the cucumber slices. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
Day 4: Drain the water. Place pickling spices on a square of cheesecloth to make a sachet and place in the jar of cucumber slices. Bring the apple cider vinegar to a boil, and pour over the pickles. Cover and let the pickles brine until day 7.
Day 7: Drain the pickles, reserving 1/2 cup of the vinegar. Discard the spice sachet. Transfer the pickles to a large bowl, and sprinkle with sugar. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover and set aside for 1 hour. Pack the pickles into pint jars, dividing all the sugar and syrup amongst the jars. Screw lids on the jars, and store in a cool, dark cupboard. For a few days, flip the jars over every day – the sugar will draw liquid out of the cucumbers.
Before serving, refrigerate for several hours for nice, cold pickles.
