Sweet Pickles Recipe

Virginia chunk sweet pickles in a jar and a pickle outside of the jar on a white plate with a fork in a pickle.

5 from 40 votes

This old-fashioned Sweet Pickles Recipe uses fresh pickling cucumbers, repeated salt brines, and a gradually sweetened vinegar syrup. The jars are processed in a boiling-water canner for crisp, tangy pickles that can be safely stored in the pantry. Makes approximately 5 to 9 pints.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Brining and Curing Time:14

Total Time14 50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pickles, Side, Side Dish

Servings:

Calories: 84kcal

Author: Erica Walker

Equipment

1-gallon food-safe container
Food-safe cover and weight
Large saucepan
Colander
Pint or quart canning jars with lids
Boiling-water canner with rack
Canning funnel
jar lifter
cheesecloth
Kitchen twine

Ingredients

4 pounds pickling cucumbers 2 to 5 inches long
3/4 cup canning salt or pickling salt
6 quarts water divided
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
5 1/2 cups granulated sugar divided
4 cups white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (commercially bottled with 5% acidity)

Instructions

Begin the salt brine on Day 1. Wash the cucumbers. Cut a ¹⁄₁₆-inch slice from the blossom end of each cucumber and discard it, leaving approximately ¼ inch of stem attached. Place the whole cucumbers in a clean, food-safe one-gallon container. Combine ¼ cup canning salt with 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling brine over the cucumbers. Add a suitable cover and weight to keep the cucumbers 1 to 2 inches below the brine. Cover the container with a clean towel and keep it at approximately 70 degrees F.
Replace the brine on Days 3 and 5. Drain and discard the salt water. Rinse the cucumbers. Briefly boil the cover and weight to sanitize them, then return the cucumbers to the container. Combine ¼ cup canning salt with 2 quarts fresh water and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling brine over the cucumbers and replace the cover, weight, and clean towel. Repeat the entire process on Day 5 using the remaining ¼ cup salt and 2 quarts water.
Cut the cucumbers and add the vinegar syrup on Day 7. Drain and discard the salt water. Rinse the cucumbers. Briefly boil the container, cover, and weight to sanitize them. Cut the cucumbers crosswise into thick, even slices approximately 1 inch wide, then return the large pieces to the container. Place the celery seed and pickling spices in a small cheesecloth bag. Combine 2 cups sugar and 4 cups vinegar in a saucepan. Add the spice bag and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the hot syrup over the cucumbers. Replace the cover, weight, and clean towel.
Add sugar on Days 8 through 13. Each day, drain the syrup and spice bag into a saucepan and reserve them. Add ½ cup sugar and bring the syrup to a boil. Remove and rinse the cucumber pieces. Briefly boil the container, cover, and weight to sanitize them. Return the cucumbers to the container and pour the boiling syrup and spice bag over them. Replace the cover, weight, and towel. Repeat this process once each day for six days, adding ½ cup sugar each day.
Fill the jars on Day 14. Prepare a boiling-water canner. Drain the syrup into a saucepan. Pack the cucumber pieces into sterile pint jars or clean quart jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Add the final ½ cup sugar to the syrup and bring it to a boil. Remove and discard the spice bag. Pour the hot syrup over the cucumbers, maintaining ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust the headspace if needed, wipe the jar rims, and apply two-piece canning lids.
Process the jars. Place the jars in the boiling-water canner and process them using the time listed for your jar size and elevation (see notes below). After processing, turn off the heat and remove the jars according to safe water bath canning instructions. Let the jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals before storing.

Notes

Boiling-Water Processing Times

Pint jars

0 to 1,000 feet: 5 minutes
1,001 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes

Quart jars

0 to 1,000 feet: 10 minutes
1,001 to 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Above 6,000 feet: 20 minutes

Recipe Notes

This recipe follows the NCHFP 14-Day Sweet Pickles ingredient amounts, curing schedule, headspace, and processing times.
The tested directions allow the cucumbers to be canned whole, in strips, or in slices.
For large chunk-style pickles, cut the cucumbers crosswise into thick, even slices approximately 1 inch wide.
Keep the pieces as uniform as possible.
Leave the cucumbers whole until Day 7.
Use exactly 4 pounds of fresh pickling cucumbers that are 2 to 5 inches long.
Begin brining within 24 hours of harvesting when possible.
Remove ¹⁄₁₆ inch from each blossom end to help prevent soft pickles.
Leave approximately ¼ inch of stem attached.
Use canning or pickling salt, not reduced-sodium salt or salt substitutes.
Use commercially bottled vinegar labeled as having 5% acidity.
Do not change the cucumber, salt, vinegar, water, or sugar proportions.
Alum is not needed or included in this recipe.
Use a clean, food-grade one-gallon container.
Keep the cucumbers 1 to 2 inches below the brine or syrup.
Maintain a curing temperature near 70 degrees F.
Sanitize the container, cover, and weight on the days specified.
Tie the whole spices in a clean cheesecloth bag for easy removal.
Add only ½ cup sugar on each of Days 8 through 13.
Add the final ½ cup sugar on Day 14.
Use sterile pint jars or clean quart jars.
Leave ½ inch of headspace in both pint and quart jars.
Adjust the processing time for your elevation.
Let processed jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
Store sealed jars in a cool, dark, dry place.
Use within one year for the best quality.
Refrigerate after opening.
Discard pickles that become slimy, moldy, unusually soft, or develop an unpleasant odor.

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