27.6.10

Mowmow’s sweet pickles

     Recently a friend shared some of her sweet pickles. They were good, the kids ask for more each time they eat them. I am thankful for the sweet gift. But there is no better pickle in the world than my Mowmow’s sweet pickles! She copied the recipe from a newspaper years ago, so this is not her original, but it is the recipe she has used for years. (Except for the little while that she made sweet pickles from store bought dills, also good, but not this good.)

     Last week, the same friend who shared her pickles also shared a BIG box full of cucumbers from the wealth of her garden. From that, I started my first attempt at making Mowmow’s sweet pickles on my own. Step one: pack whole cucumbers in gallon jars. I didn’t have a gallon jar, but I remembered Mitch’s large glass jar we fill with change. Joseph helped me empty it into a smaller jar, not a difficult task as it wasn’t near full. Money is so dirty; think of all the hands that touch it. We had actually cleaned all we had a few months ago before counting it for a schoolwork task after inspired by a friend’s blog. But still, the idea of all of the germs in that jar, ugh. So it got scalded and scrubbed and then scrubbed some more, then filled with cucumbers. When Mitch saw it later, filled with cucumbers in their salt water soak, he reminded me that he got that big jar from my Pappow!


     

     Mowmow’s Ice Cucumber Pickles


Pack whole cucumbers in gallon jars. Cover with salt water 1 ½ c. salt to 1 gallon water. (Weight down top so water level is above all cucumbers and none are sticking out of the top.)


Wash cucumbers and slice into the size pieces you like. Soak overnight in 4 Tbsp. alum and enough water to cover. Wash and drain.

Make syrup of 2 quarts sugar, 1 quart white vinegar, 12 whole cloves, and 2 sticks cinnamon. Bring cucumbers and syrup to boil and let stand 2 days and nights.

Pack cucumbers in jars. Bring syrup to boil and pour over cucumbers and seal.

     My big girl and I helped Mowmow with the last step in her most recent batch of pickles last week. This is the pot of deliciousness:

 

(She used pickling spices in this batch.)
Mowmow recommended we let them sit for at least 3 weeks before opening a jar, to fully develop the taste.

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