Here's a recipe for a great sweet and hot pickles that I recently tried with great success.
The whole process takes 9 days and requires just a few minutes every day to get it going. Spices to taste, specially the amount of hot peppers to be used.
- 10lb young cucumbers
- 3lb carrots, sliced in 1/4" strips
- 1 gal apple cider vinegar
- 7.5lb sugar
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 5 habanero peppers
- 20 cloves
- 2 table spoons minced garlic
- 2 table spoons Alum
- 4 cups non-iodized salt
- water
- large pot to boil up to 2 gallons of water
- large air tight bucket to fit at least 3 gallons.
- large spoon and colander
- 18 to 24 count of 16oz mason jars
Day 1 - Chop cucumbers 1/2" thick, meanwhile boil 2 gallons of water with salt and steam cook the carrots to "al dente". Add cucumbers and cooked carrots to sanitized bucket and pour boiling salty water on top. Cover with a towel until warm and seal bucket. Leave at room temp (70F) till next 2 days.
Day 3 - Strain water out, boil new 2 gallons of water (no salt) and pour hot in bucket, repeat closing process as before.
Day 4 - Strain water out, boil new 2 gallons of water with Alum and pour hot in bucket, repeat closing process as before.
Day 5 - Strain water out, boil new 2 gallons of water (no salt) and pour hot in bucket, repeat closing process as before.
Day 6 - Strain water out. Boil the vinegar with 4.5lb sugar, cinnamon, chopped peppers, cloves and garlic. Pour hot in bucket with veggies. Repeat closing process as before.
Day 7 - Strain out and collect all liquid, boil it adding 1lb of sugar and pour hot in bucket, repeat closing process as before
Day 8 - repeat day 7
Day 9 - Canning day, sanitize all mason jars. Repeat day 7 but while liquid boils, fill the jars with veggies and fill it with boiling liquid, leaving 1/4in head space.Close lid tight and place jars into boiling water for 10min. Let it cool completely before storing.
