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3rd Annual Pickle Contest - Winning Recipe
Loretta's Mo'Better 14-Day Sweet Pickles
Recipe by Bonnie Verie Galvin Hazen (Loretta Rawa's grandmother)
Made by Carol Clifford
Makes 12 pint jars
Day 1
- 4 quarts of medium to small cukes (firm with no soft spots, washed)
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1 cup canning salt
Layer pickles and salt in container.
Cover with water and mix all together with hands. If you need more than a cup of extra water, add a bit more salt. Make sure cukes are covered completely and weigh down (I use a plate).
Store in a cool place, not in refrigerator, and soak for 7 days.
Day 8
- 1/2 jar of horseradish (8-oz jar)
Drain, rinse cukes. If there is scum on the water, find and throw out the bad pickle.
Add horseradish.
Cover with boiling water and weigh down.
Day 9
Drain, but don't rinse, pickles.
Add alum and cover with boiling water and weight down.
Days 10 & 11
Drain and save alum water.
Heat water almost to boiling.
Pour over pickles and weigh down.
Day 12
- 4 lbs sugar (8 cups) + 2 more cups if using pint jars
- 2 pints white vinegar (4 cups) + 1 more cup if using pint jars
- 1 oz celery seed
- 1 oz cinnamon stick
- 1 oz whole allspice
Make syrup of ingredients above and let boil 2-3 minutes.
Pour off alum water, cut pickles to size you like.
Pour boiling syrup over pickles and weigh down.
Day 13
Reheat syrup to boil and pour over pickles. Weigh down.
Once past this step you can wait to can or store in fridge.
Day 14
Use the canning instructions on the box of jars for hot water canning.
Put pickles in jars. Heat syrup to boil and pour into jars to within about a half inch of top.
Stir a wooden spoon around jar to get out any air. Wipe around rim of jars with clean cloth.
Put hot lids on jars and screw seal rings to finger strength. Use canning instructions.
Let jars sit for 24 hours to cool. After 24 hours, if lids are not solid or if you can remove lids easily with fingers you should save in refrigerator and eat soon.
The best part about this was hearing Loretta's stories about making pickles. Her grandmother lived on a farm and didn't have much money, so they saved all year to buy the spices for the pickles, because they were so expensive. And they had to get them mail order since you couldn't just buy them at the store.
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