Mantis01 vegetable garden: July 2025

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Sweet Gherkin Pickles

Directions - How to Make Sweet Gherkin Pickles

Ingredients

7 lbs cucumbers (1-1/2 inch or less)

1/2 cup canning or pickling salt

8 cups sugar

6 cups white vinegar (5 percent)

3/4 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon fennel (optional)

2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)

Step 1 - Selecting the cucumbers gherkins - 1 - 2 in

Step 2 - How many cucumbers?

It takes about 30-plus 1-inch or 15 2-inch cucumbers to fill a pint jar.

Step 3 - Get the jars and lids sanitizing

Canning jars in the dishwasher

Step 4 -Wash and cut the cukes

You will need to cut a 1/16-inch slice off the blossom end of the cucumbers and discard, but you can leave the stem end and 1/4-inch of the stem attached, or slice it off, as you prefer. Then cut large cukes into slices, cross-wise.

Step 5 - Put cucumbers in a large bowl. (Day 1)

Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water. Six to 8 hours later

Step 6 - Day 2 morning - Drain and re-fill

The next morning (or 6 to 8 hours later), drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt. If it will be sitting for longer than 8 hours, let it cool to room temp, then store in the fridge.

Step 7 - Day 3 morning - Drain and fork

On the third day, drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork and continue to step 8.

Step 8 - Combine the other ingredients in a separate pot and boil

Combine

3 cups vinegar,

3 cups sugar,

3/4 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon fennel (optional)

in a large pot and bring to boil

Note: if you need more liquid to cover the cucumbers, just make more of the above in the same proportion (like, 1.5 cups vinegar, 1.5 cups sugar, and 1/2 the amount of the spices above)

Step 9 - Pour the liquid over the cucumbers

Pour over cucumbers and let it rest for 6 to 8 hours, on the counter

Step 10 - Drain and save the liquid

Six to 8 hours later, drain and save the pickling syrup.

Step 11 - Heat the liquid from step 10

Heat the drained liquid to a boil. Add another 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of vinegar and reheat to boil.

Step 12 - Pour over the cucumbers and let the mix stand

Pour the liquid over the pickles.

Step 13 - Day 4 morning - Drain and save the liquid

On the fourth day, drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. Let it stand for 6 to 8 hours (yes, again!)

Step 14 - Day 4 afternoon - Drain, save, heat (Yep, again)

Drain and save pickling syrup 6 to 8 hours later. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla and heat to boiling.

Step 15 - Fill the jars (FINALLY!)

Fill sterile pint jars, with pickles and cover with hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. (Note: the photo shows large pickles, not gherkins - just to illustrate filling)

Step 16 - Process the sealed jars

Adjust lids and process according to one of the two methods below. The first method is easiest, but the second method yields firmer pickles:

a. Put them in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Boil them for 10 minutes

b. OR use this low-temperature pasteurization treatment:.

The following treatment results in a better product texture but must be carefully managed to avoid possible spoilage.

Place jars in a canner filled half way with warm (120º to 140ºF) water.

Then, add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars.

Heat the water enough to maintain 180 to 185ºF water temperature for 30 minutes.

Check with a candy or jelly thermometer to be certain that the water temperature is at least 180ºF during the entire 30 minutes. Temperatures higher than 185ºF may cause unnecessary softening of pickles.

Step 17 - Done

After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.

From https://pickyourown.org/sweet_pickled_gherkins_recipe.php