Nine Day Sweet-sour Pickles

Total Time: 216 hrs Preparation Time: 216 hrs

Ingredients

• 9 lbs cucumbers
• salt
• alum (the size of a walnut)
• vinegar (diluted with an equal part of water)
• 6 cups vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 6 cups sugar
• 1 ounce cinnamon stick
• 1 ounce whole allspice

Recipe

• 1 split cucumbers once, lengthwise and soak for three days in salt water strong enough to float an egg (1 part salt to 9 parts water).
• 2 soak for three days in clear water, changing water each morning.
• 3 drain.
• 4 add drained cucumbers and alum to diluted vinegar and simmer for two hours (do not boil).
• 5 heat vinegar, water, sugar, and spices to the boiling point.
• 6 drain the cucumbers, place in a large crock and pour hot vinegar solution on them while cucumbers are still hot.
• 7 place a lid on the crock to retain heat.
• 8 keep pickles covered with vinegar and they will keep perfectly.
• 9 these pickles may be placed in fruit jars before covering with vinegar.
• 10 let stand three days before using.