Crisp Sweet Pickle Recipe was first seen on Grumpy's Honeybunch as Nanny's 7 Day Sweet Pickles where I am an author.
This recipe for Crisp Sweet Pickles are a crunchy dark green pickle with a sweet and tangy vinegar bite. While it does take a full 7 days to make these pickles, it involves very little work. And, are super simple to make!
These 7-day pickles are a perfect addition to your relish tray, no matter what time of year it is. They go great next to a serving of Fried Cod Fish Sticks or just as a snack on their own!
🥒 Pickling Cucumbers
My family has always processed their fruits and vegetables from their gardens. I remember my mom making my Aunt Bonnie’s Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe and how lovely the house smelled with all the vinegar, dill, and garlic in the air.
Mom didn’t make the Crisp Sweet Pickle recipe as my dad didn't care for sweet pickles. But, my Grandmother would make them, and I'm happy she did! I remember being at Nanny’s house when she had her pickles in process in a ceramic crock. The pickling process was always very interesting to me!
Pickle Making FAQ's
The best cucumber is one grown specifically for pickling. The seed packet will indicate they are specifically for pickling. I like this brand.
The biggest difference between these two sweet pickle recipes is the method used to pickle them. Crisp Sweet Pickles are not cooked on the stove top, whereas Bread and Butter Pickles are brought to a simmer then sealed, without the 7 day fermentation process.
Soaking your cucumbers in water helps to ensure their freshness and helps to improve their texture and flavor.
There is no need to refrigerate them once they have been jarred. You can place a jar in the refrigerator to make them cold before consumption and once opened I always store the jar in the refrigerator until that jar is emptied.
The syrup needs to go into the jars with the pickles, or the pickles will not be sweet. You can do this one of two ways. Drain the syrup and add it to the vinegar solution, or, add the syrup with the pickles while you are packing.
No. Fermented pickles should not be rinsed.
No, this is the fermentation you are seeing. This is a good thing.
If you are doing a hot pack (as the recipe instructs) you should not have to process in a canner. However, you can do so for 15 minutes if you wish. If the pickles do not seal with hot pack, you will need to process in the canner anyway. All pickles that have not sealed should be refrigerated.
How to make crisp sweet pickles
Please note that the following is a walk through instruction ONLY. Many people are emailing me following the brief instruction in this section. The recipe card is printable without ads, so please, I encourage you to go to the recipe card to print the recipe and follow those instructions. Tips and recommendations are added to the recipe card.
To start, wash the cucumbers, removing any dirt and debris they may have once removed from the garden. Once washed, you can trim and slice the cucumbers.
(Please refer to the recipe card for complete instructions)
You will need a gallon sized, food safe jar for fermenting the pickles. Place the cucumber slices in the jar and cover in boiling water. They will sit undisturbed for 24 hours. You can cover the pickles but they do not have to be sealed shut tight. This is mainly to protect anything from getting in the jar.
On the second day, drain the water on the cucumbers and cover them with salt and fresh boiling water. Next, on the third day, add the powdered alum to the cucumbers before adding the boiling water. The powdered alum is to help keep the pickles crisp and if it is skipped, your pickles will not be as crispy as they would be with it.
On the fourth day, drain the pickles and add the spice packet to the jar. Next, bring the cider vinegar and pour it over the cucumbers. After they are covered with vinegar, they will sit undisturbed until the seventh day!
On the last day, the pickles are drained and pickling spices are removed. Reserve the pickling vinegar to cover the pickles in the jar at the end of the process.
Transfer the pickles to a large non-reactive (no metal) mixing bowl stir in the sugar. The sugar and pickle mixture will sit undisturbed for 2 hours. During this time, the sugar will dissolve and there will be a little syrup in the bowl with the pickles.
Add the pickles with some of the syrup to the sterilized jars and cover them with vinegar solution. Cover with a sterilized seal and cap. Set the hot jars on a thick towel and cover with another towel to prevent drafts. As the pickles cool down, they will make a pop noise which means it has sealed. To test to see if the jar is sealed, touch the center of the seal. If it pops in and out, it is not sealed.
If your jar does not seal, you can either store it in the refrigerator or process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Some may feel safer processing them for 10 minutes in a hot water bath in a canner.
💭 Top Tips
- Make sure the cucumbers are not too large. A cucumber that is about 5 inches long are the perfect size. A thick cucumber is not a good choice.
- Be sure the cucumbers you use to make pickles are freshly picked and avoid using supermarket produce. Many times cucumbers bought in the supermarket have had a wax coating put on them.
- Remove the flower end of the cucumber. That part of the cucumber contains an enzyme that can cause your pickles to soften.
- There is no need to rinse the cucumbers daily. These are fermented pickles. Don't worry about the fermentation you see on them.
- Always use pickling salt for making pickles. Pickling Salt does not have the anti-caking ingredient table salt has in it. And, it has fine granules that make it break down and dissolve easier.
- I highly recommend using the alum to keep the pickle slices crispy. This is why they are called sweet crisp pickles.
- Do not discard the syrup that settles to the bottom of the pickles. I make sure to pack some into the jars when packing the pickles.
- If you prefer, add the syrup from the pickles to the vinegar solution and bring it all to a boil.
- For safety sake, do not skip the sterilization of jars. Boil the washed jars and sealing lids in hot water.
- If the jars do not seal once cooled, process in a hot water bath canner for 15 minutes.
- Any unsealed jars must be stored in the refrigerator.
Try my Aunt Bonnie's Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe!
Crisp Sweet Pickle Recipe
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Ingredients
- 10 lb small pickling cucumbers
- ¼ cup pickling salt
- 3 tablespoon alum
- 6 cups apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup pickling spice
- 4 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Day 1: Clean cucumbers and soak in ice cold water bath for 30 minutes. Drain cucumbers, trim ends, then cut into thick chunks. Pack cucumbers in a gallon sized food safe jar. Cover with boiling water. Let sit 24 hours.
- Day 2: Drain water from cucumber slices. Add salt. Pour boiling water over top of cucumbers and salt. Cover and let sit 24 hours.
- Day 3: Drain cucumbers. Add alum. Pour boiling water over cucumbers to cover. Cover and let sit 24 hours.
- Day 4: Drain cucumbers. Place pickling spice in cheesecloth tied with string to form purse. Place in jar with cucumbers. Bring cider vinegar to a boil. Pour over cucumbers.
- Day 5 and Day 6: Do nothing.
- Day 7: Drain cucumbers reserving juice. Remove cheesecloth with pickling spices and discard. Place cucumbers in large mixing bowl. Pour sugar over top of cucumbers and toss to coat. Let sit at least 2 hours.
- Heat reserved cucumber juice until scalding. Pack pickles into hot sterilized jars. Pour hot cucumber juice over top of pickles. Cover and seal.
Claudia Lamascolo
your site is beautiful Congratulations
Shelby Law Ruttan
Thank you Claudia! I am very happy with it and look forward to adding much more! Thanks for checking it out!
Brenda
Please say that you should add salt on the second day in the directions above the recipe. I was following those directions and missed adding salt. I'm now on day four. I've added vinegar and spices. What should I do?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Brenda, I will add it to the body of the post, however, the recipe card is the complete full instructions and is what should be followed. I'm sorry you missed the salt. You can still add the salt and I would do it now.
Nicole
How long after jarring the pickles do I wait to open them up again to eat?
Shelby Law Ruttan
I would wait at least a couple of weeks. If you try them, and you feel they need longer, just store the jar in the fridge and periodically test them.
Lynn
I can't find alum do I have
use this
Shelby Law Ruttan
I have never made this without alum. It is used to keep the pickles crisp. It is normally found in the spice section of the grocery store and is very common on the shelf as it is used in pickling. While you could leave it out, I can't guarantee how crisp the pickles would be as I have never made it without it.
val
I forgot the salt on day 2 & didn't notice until after I rinsed and put alum & boiling water on them on day 3. Did I wreck my batch? ????
Shelby Law Ruttan
I think the recipe is pretty forgiving, so you should be ok.
Frankie Brown
I am wondering if the pickles should not be rinsed one day from another. Starting day two and the cucs have the foamy fermentation on some. I want to rinse but wife says no. Help, do I rinse old water off every day?
Shelby Law Ruttan
The pickles should not be rinsed. You will be draining the cukes and adding salt and hot boiling water. These are a fermented pickle so its ok.
Sydney
Should the vinegar cover the pickles? Mine does not- trying to decide if I need to add more
Shelby Law Ruttan
Yes, you can add more vinegar to cover the pickles.
SteveLyons
I tried the pickles the day after jarring and they were awful. Just tasted like ACV. Will they get better if I wait or should I just dump them all?
Shelby Law Ruttan
I would never recommend opening a jar the day after they were made. The pickles need time to sit - at least 3 weeks. All 7 day pickle recipes have the vinegar in them, some recipes use white vinegar, others use ACV, I prefer the later. You don't mention if you made sure to use the syrup from the cucumbers, but that is one of the most important steps and is mentioned more than once in my post. There are 4 cups of sugar in this entire recipe, so they should be sweet from the sugar and tangy from the vinegar. I hope this explanation helped. Free freel to email me should you have any other questions.
John Graham
I do not like the taste of vinegar. Is it possible to cut way down on the amount of vinegar called for in this recipe?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi John, I don't recommend it. First off, you will need the vinegar solution as the brine to cover the pickles when you can them. If you cut it down, you won't have enough brine. This recipe does call for apple cider vinegar, which is not as strong as white vinegar. Also, I don't feel the vinegar is strong in this recipe. The sugar really tones down the pucker effect of vinegar. The vinegar is needed for the pickling process. How much you use probably wouldn't affect how it tasted anyway as the cucumbers will absorb all the flavors they are being pickled with. Good luck!
John Graham
Thanks Shelby. I will stick to the recipe and I'm sure it will turn out great.
Kathryn
If you use white vinegar, is it an even substitution?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Kathryn, yes, you can substitute white vinegar evenly.
Kandice
Not sure if this is a dumb question or not but on days 1-6 should the jars be covered with the lid?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Kandice, not a dumb question! You probably missed the section where I addressed covering the jar. I do recommend covering the container, but it does not have to be an airtight seal.
Melanie Parnell
Can you alter this to make sour pickles? Or just sweet?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Melanie, I'm not sure how it would work to leave out the sweetener. I would probably try to find a different pickle recipe. I do link to a Garlic Dill Pickle recipe in this post that is on my other website. It is a family favorite. You might like that one better than this one if you don't want a sweet pickle.
Pam
You mention that you have a link to a Garlic Dill Pickle recipe in this post but I cannot find it. Would you put in a comment here to make it more obvious for me?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Pam, you can find the link to the recipe just above the recipe card in this post and at the beginning of the post. It's called Aunt Bonnie's Garlic Dill Pickle. I also emailed the link to you. Thanks! Shelby
Pam
Thanks Shelby! I totally missed it!
Shelby Law Ruttan
Your welcome!
Nicole
My grandmother always made a 7 or 14 day pickle worh regular size cucumbers and scraped out the seeds. Would those work in this recipe? I think her recipe has died with her.
Shelby Law Ruttan
I won't say you couldn't try it, but generally, smaller cucumbers are used because larger cucumbers tend to be softer. If you do try it I would love to know how it worked for you.
Kimberly
So no hot water bath after they are in the jars?
Shelby Law Ruttan
No hot water bath. These pickles are packed these in hot sterile jars with hot syrup. We do not hot water bath these pickles.
Kathryn
My mother-in-law seemed to have a recipe where she made a solution with the sugar and vinegar and used that for canning. Have you ever tried that method rather than covering the pickles with sugar in a bowl? How do you ensure the sugar is even between the jars of pickles?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Kathryn, the sugar dissolves over the two hour time frame and becomes a syrup. The syrup is poured over top of the pickles in the jar, then stored in the fridge. I have brought the syrup to a boil and poured it over the pickles in the hot sterile jars then covered. Often times the jars will seal when doing so and I will store them on the pantry shelf.
Donna Thomas
What is the shelf life of this recipe since there is no water bath ?
Shelby Law Ruttan
These are hot packed. They should be good as long as your jar has a seal. If the jar does not seal, they should be refrigerated.
Janet Cook
Hi Shelby!
I put my cukes down yesterday, then realized I only have "Pickle Crisp", not alum. Will I be able to make a substitution with this?
Janet
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Janet, I think you probably can use pickle crisp. I have no experience with it myself but I have done a bit of research on it and think it should work fine. You should read what your container tells you about how to use it in pickles. I think it will tell you to put a certain amount per jar in the pickles. If that is the case, I would add it when the pickles are added to the jar on the last day. Shelby
JAN
On day 7 what do you do with the sugar syrup after you pack the pickles in the jar? Do you pour it into the jars with the pickles or do you add it to the brine and boil?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Jan, I apologize that portion of the instruction was not clear. On the last day, after the pickles have been soaking for a couple of hours, the sugar should be dissolved. The syrup will be poured over top of the pickles once they are packed into the jars. If you run out of liquid, some of the reserved vinegar liquid can be poured over top to completely cover. These pickles are stored in the fridge and will not need the syrup to be heated. However, if your more comfortable doing so, you can heat the syrup and pour it over the pickles. After discussing this with my Aunt, who has made this recipes for years, she indicated that she stores them on shelves after hotpacking and has done so for years.
Amber
This is still not clear, do you add the sugar to the vinegar and boil or just boil the sugar? So they will not can and seal for storage? Thank you.
Shelby Law Ruttan
The vinegar is reserved and the sugar is stirred into the pickles. They need to set for two hours and in that time, the sugar will dissolve. There will not be a lot of liquid on the pickles but they are wet enough to dissolve the sugar. The pickles with the a little bit of the sugar liquid is packed into a sterilized hot jar and boiling vinegar solution is poured over them. Then place the sterilized seal and lid on the pickles. I always place mine on the counter with a towel over top to prevent drafts from hitting a hot jar. You should hear them pop and seal as they cool down. Anything that does not seal needs to be refrigerated or process in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. I hope this helps. I will update my post to try and make sure it is clearer. Please feel free to email me if you have any other questions. Thank you. Shelby
Mar
Wonder if you don’t have a gallon jar can I use a big glass bowl?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Mar, as long as your bowl is at least 1 gallon in size and can be covered.
Judy
I made pickles with your recipe. The juice is very strong taste of vinegar it actually takes your breath away! What can I do to make these pickles so we can eat them?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Judy, pickles are made with vinegar, so they will have that vinegar aroma an flavor. However, these pickles have sugar in them also that cuts the vinegar. You did not mention exactly what you did when you made the recipe, but if you missed adding the sugar or even cut the sugar down or replaced it with a sweetener, that would definitely have an effect on the flavor of the pickles.
GeorgAnn M Vohsen
Do you have another sweet pickle recipe that doesn’t take 7 days?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi GeorgAnn, not at this time, but I will have in a few weeks time.
Darlene
When you say to cover the jar (on the first day) do you seal the jar tight with a lid? Or is it lightly covered where it can breathe?
Thanks
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Darlene, in step one you are to cover the cukes with boiling water. it is not necessary to cover and seal the jar tight. I cover with a towel or the lid to prevent anything from getting into the jar. Thank you!
Gayle
Can I use pickle crisp in place of alum?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Gayle, I have not used pickle crisp myself so I do not know how it would work. The alum I am recommending in this post is Potassium Alum which is made for pickling.
Gayle
Thanks. I put my cucumbers in yesterday. I will need to buy alum today. I have some that is in the little white spice jar that I used a couple of yrs ago for dill pickles, but it is probably lost its strength by now. Is that the same alum you are talking about?
Shelby Law Ruttan
The alum might still be fine that you have. The alum I have is more than a couple years old. I only use it for pickling and it still has worked fine for me. That part is up to you though. The alum I use is McCormick. I have linked to it in the blog post. Good luck!
Brian Williams
I poured the 6 cups of vinegar over the pickles. But they are not covered by the liquid? Is that normal? I only have 7lbs of cucs.
Shelby Law Ruttan
You can add more vinegar to cover the cucumbers.
Lea Ann Smullin
Help!!! I thought I picked up Alum but apparently grabbed Apple Pie Spice. What and how much of something can I replace it with
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Lea Ann, I personally have never used a substitute. I did a search to see what you could use in its place and there really isn't anything I can find. Since it is going through a fermentation process, the pickles can become soft and alum is used to help keep the pickle crisp. I can't think of anything you could have on hand to replace it in pickling. The internet offers up Calcium Chloride, which is probably an ingredient many people don't have in their home as well. I recommend getting the alum if you can do so. Shelby
Kimberly Wagemann
Do you use table salt or pickeling salt?
Shelby Law Ruttan
I always use pickling salt for canning pickles.
Allison Guenther
I was wondering how many jars this recipe makes. And what size jars?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Allision, you should get approximately 5 quarts of pickles.
Benita
I’m currently trying this recipe but find that 10 pounds of cucumbers is way too many for a gallon crock. It seems to me that about five ponds is enough. Do I still use the same amount of other ingredients?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Benita, I didn't have a problem with them fitting. If you are having difficulty, then I would move to a bigger sized crock rather than changing the amount of ingredients.
Florence
I have the same issue Benita. What did you end up doing? I’m still cutting up the small pickling cucs. I hope your turned out yummy!
Kelly Resnick
During the 7 day process, do you have to use a glass container? Can it be metal or plastic?
Shelby Law Ruttan
You need to use a non reactive container, so I would not use metal. Plastic or a ceramic crock should be ok.
Marilyn
I ruined mine! I did not see to pour the syrup on in time. Can I open them and add syrup I made? (I already discarded the syrup.)It was a 1/2 batch which was about 3/4 quart syrup. I grew the cucumbers!!!!
Shelby Law Ruttan
Marilyn, I would try to save them and add syrup, I just would keep them in the fridge after you do so for safety sake. I hope it works out for you, I am sorry that happened to you!
Marilyn
I mean I did not pour the syrup on at all!
Marilyn
I am beside myself!
Marilyn
Not to worry. I just unsealed them and re-coated with slightly less sugar and I will re-can them. I added cinnamon sticks. It should be fabulous!
Regina
I'm very confused I used 10lbs of sliced cucumbers I feel very certain I will have more than 5 quarts when done. What have I done wrong and what should I do? Please help I've finished my second day and would hate to loose this whole batch. This is my first attempt and I'm feeling a little lost.
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Regina, If you think you followed the recipe correctly, then you will be fine. I don't think you will lose your whole batch. You are only on day two and the cucumbers will shrink up some also as they sit. They are 95% water so they will release water and shrink. Let me know how they turned out. I think you should be fine. Shelby
Lili
So I used table salt instead of pickling salt. And after I boiled 6 cups of vinegar it doesn’t cover my pickles. Only about half. Now what?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Lili, table salt will give it a salty flavor, but, it will not do what pickling salt does which is to help keep them crisp and give them flavor. It will still be ok to eat, but just be aware that your end result will not be the same. If you used the alum, your pickles will probably still be crisp. I've never used table salt in this recipe myself. 6 cups of vinegar should have covered the pickles, but if it didn't, I would just add more boiling vinegar to cover them. Shelby
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Lili, my apologies, I first thought this comment was on a dill pickle recipe I have - the table salt will probably be ok, but if you were to make it again, I would highly recommend the pickling salt as it is made for pickling.
Allison
Hi! I am on day 4 and I am boiling the apple cider vinegar now. I have a question. I remember my great grandmothers pickles having the spices in them. Will this happen with using the cheesecloth. And 1/4 cup of spices doesn't seem like a lot. I am sure you know what you are talking about... but just making sure!
Shelby Law Ruttan
Yes, the spice flavor should still be there. The flavor will to soak in over the time it is in the pickle mixture. However, if you desire, leaving the spices in won't hurt, just remove the cheesecloth 🙂 Shelby
Allison
Ok. Hang on a minute. I just saw where are you are supposed to use pickling salt and used regular salt. Now what? And I boiled 6 cups of vinegar and it isn’t covering my pickles. What should I do?
Shelby Law Ruttan
I don't think using regular salt will hurt, but pickling salt is made for pickling and I highly recommend using it if you make these again. If you don't have enough vinegar, it is ok to add more boiling vinegar to cover. Shelby
Debbie Stadler
I have my great grand mother’s recipe for 7 day pickles. It is very similar to your recipe except that the cucumbers are left whole for three days. On the 4th day the ends are removed, cut in half lengthwise and alum added. Today is day four for our pickles. We cut the cucumbers and found that many had become hollow. They were fresh picked, solid cucumbers to begin with. Can you tell us why this happened? Once in a great while this would happen to my great grandma. My mom and I cannot remember her explanation. Thanks for your help.
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Debbie, the most common reason for hollow pickles in your case (where they are fresh picked solid cucumbers to start) is improper curing and brine strength. And, since your cucumbers are left whole to start, they could have been too large for the brine to penetrate through the core properly. I hope this helped. Shelby
Mary
My 10 lbs of sliced pickles filled two one gallon jar. Do I double the rest of the ingredients the rest of the way though the recipe?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Mary, I weigh my pickles whole (before slicing). Not sure if that's how you did it since you said 10 lbs of sliced pickles. I would increase the ingredients. I am making these right now as well and this time the vinegar did not cover the pickle slices. I think it's because my slices are bigger this time, so I just added enough boiled vinegar to cover them. When it comes to the sugar, I intend to use the same amount and not increase it. The pickles will still be sweet. I would recommend that you do not increase the sugar, but you can taste the syrup before you seal to see if you think it is sweet enough for you and adjust accordingly. Good luck!
Dana
If I put my pickles in all 5 quart jars do I add the 1/4 cup salt to each jar??? Same way with the Alum and spices??? If I have 1 big container that holds them all would I five times it??? Thank you
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Dana, I am a little confused. The cucumbers should be in one large container until Day 7 when they are jarred and sealed. The salt is added on day two to the cucumber slices. Check out the recipe card instruction for full details and tips. (it can be printed with no ads)
Marybeth Renn
Do you have a recipe for pickling spice? Also, my grandmother made sweet pickled green beans. I'd love to make them, but I can't find a recipe. Any ideas how to adapt one? This is my first foray into pickles. I can tomatoes, sauce and other stuff and make jams, so I'm not an inexperienced cook. I like to follow a recipe the first time before I get creative. Lol
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Marybeth, I don't have a recipe for pickling spice but Taste of Home has one that looks very similar to the one I purchased. I experimented some with green beans last year and I think just adding some sweetener to the vinegar solution would be vine. I have a Dilly Bean recipe under Harvest/canning. That is one I played around with and added sugar and red pepper flakes to last year, I just never blogged about it. Sorry if I'm not a lot more help! My friend Tara who writes Noshing with the Nolands has a lot of pickling and canning recipes on her blog, you might find something over there also.
Denise
When I fill the gallon jar with boiling water do I place the jar in refrigerator and keep placing it therefor the next 7 days after each step
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Denise, there is no need to refrigerate.
Pam
I made these pickles last month and loved the flavor but the alum left a significant “pucker” to the pickles. Is it possible to get by with any less alum and still get the crispness of the pickle?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Pam, maybe try 2 tablespoons. I haven't done this myself but it is something I would try if I felt there was too much pucker for my taste. Let me know how it goes for you if you try! Shelby
Julie Stern
I have been looking for a sweet pickle receipe and am glad you have this one. A few things -- mine also needed two (1) gallon jars. I bought the pickling cucumbers at the market and then weighed them and they were about 1 1/3 lbs. Some were definitely bigger which may account for the amount, but just to be sure, I should increase the vinegar by 100% but not the sugar - correct? Also, I, too don't have pickle salt - will the tast /texture be the same with regular Morton salt? I do have the alum.
Thank you!
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Julie, my apologies for not seeing this before today. I'm a little lost, the pickling cucumbers weight only 1 1/3 pounds? The recipe calls for 10 pounds. Did you mean 11 pounds? I made these this year and I reduced the amount of sugar which make them more sweet and sour. You can increase the vinegar to however much it takes to completely cover the cucumbers when packing into the jars. Just make sure you are adding the syrup as well when packing the jar. I don't recommend using anything other than pickling salt. It is made for pickling and helps keep the pickles firm along with the alum. I hope it all works out for you and that I am not too late responding. ˜Shelby
Karen anger
Ran out of vinegar liquid to pour over canned pickles. Can I make more.
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Karen, yes, you can add more boiling vinegar to cover the pickles.
Julie Lichtenberg
I am on Day 3 and need to add alum. I had a little over 9.3 lbs, but cut up, they packed two full gallon jars....should I double alum? What about the rest of the ingredients (cider vinegar, sugar, pickling spice)
Shelby Law Ruttan
I wouldn't double the alum. I'm not sure how some are getting more than 1 gallon jar of pickles. I these again a few weeks ago myself and didn't have that amount. As far as the rest of the ingredients go, the vinegar I would be sure to boil just enough to make sure you can cover the pickles in the jar as that is added after the cucumbers are added. If I had 2 gallons I would probably consider increasing sugar and spice, but I decreased my sugar this year and like them better as they are more sweet and sour. Hope it all works out well for you! ˜Shelby
Cassandra
How long can you store the finished sealed pickles? Would you store in the refrigerator or can you place in pantry, a dark cool place? Thank you
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Cassandra, I would store up to 1 year and I store in my pantry
, however if any do not seal, they would have to be stored in the fridge.
john howard finch
question can i make the pickles in a metal contaner ?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi John, no, I do not recommend a metal container.
JOHN FINCH
what if i can't find alum? doest it matter?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi John, I highly recommend using alum, it does help to make the pickles super crispy. If you leave it out, you may not have the same results I have. There is a link in the recipe card for where you can buy alum (the ingredient name itself is clickable).
Sandra Harrelson
I forgot to soak them in ice for 30 minutes but the cucumbers were cold when I poured boiling water over them, does it matter?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Sandra, I think they will be ok. Let me know if they didn't turn out though. I apologize for the delayed response. I was in the process of moving and have not had internet!
Michael hatland
could you use dill and make a sweet dill pickle
Shelby Law Ruttan
You can always try! I can't tell you how it would taste, but I don't see why you couldn't use dill.
Michael hatland
can you use china Jade Cukes ?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Michael, I have no experience with China Jade Cukes so I can't really answer the question. I did a quick research and did not find it recommended for pickling. I highly recommend using only the pickling cucumbers.
Patricia Rose
WOW! Your site is busy! Im growing my own cucumbers and I'm just about ready to start! I had this recipe years ago from an aunt, I lost it and its been years since I made these! BUT" It seems to me she used Green food coloring, I know that's probably an option, But I think I'll try it. About when should I add a little food color? I did years ago and they were fine!
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Patricia, I would add the food coloring to the vinegar solution when it is brought to a boil to cover the pickles in the jar. Shelby
Rose
Oh My, I just read through all the comments and see you specified Potassium Alum and the bottle I had in my cupboard is Ammonium Alum. I am on Day 7 waiting for the sugar to dissolve and I'm wondering if they are safe to eat?!
Shelby Law Ruttan
Potassium Alum is naturally occuring salt and does not contain aluminum. Without seeing the Alum you purchased I cannot tell you if it is something I would use. Check the back of the packaging. My package indicates to use it for pickling.
Mary Hartman
is that 3 tablespoons of alum?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Yes, it is 3 tablespoons of alum.
Ash
What do I do if there isn’t enough liquid to fill the jars in the last step.
Shelby Law Ruttan
There should be enough liquid at the end if you reserved the liquid that covered the pickles as stated in the instructions. If thought this was going to happen, I would add another quart of vinegar to the solution then boil.
Guin
I'm a very forgetful person and when it came to the 2 days of leaving them alone...I forgot about them completely 🙈 how many days after the 7th day are they still ok to finish up?
I think we're on day 9 or 10. 😕
Thank you for any help!
Shelby Law Ruttan
Guin, I would say you are ok to proceed, but I wouldn't forget for longer! 🙂
Tonya
I tried this recipe several weeks ago and finally opened the jar and they were TERRIBLE! By far the worst pickles ever! they looked excellent! They were crispy but they had a straight up vinegar taste! no sweet at all and I followed the directions to a T! Sad that my entire batch of homegrown cucumbers are now a waste.
Shelby Law Ruttan
If these were not sweet, then I am assuming you did not use the sugar syrup as directed in the end. There is not way there is no sweetness if you use sugar.
Monica
On day three you strain and and water, etc. do you reuse the day two water? If not, what happens to the salt?
Shelby Law Ruttan
The cucumber slices will have absorbed salt during the sitting time. You do not need to add more salt.