Sweet gherkin pickles

Yield: 6 Pints

Ingredients:

7 lb Cucumbers -- (1-1/2 inch or less)
1/2 c Canning or pickling salt
8 c Sugar
6 c Vinegar (5 percent)
3/4 ts Turmeric
2 ts Celery seeds
2 ts Whole mixed pickling spice
2 Cinnamon sticks
1/2 ts Fennel (optional)
2 ts Vanilla (optional)

Instructions:

Yield: 6 to 7 pints Procedure: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard but leave 1/4-inch of stem attached. Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water. Six to 8 hours later and on the second day drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt. On the third day drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork. Combine and bring to boil 3 cups vinegar 3 cups sugar turmeric and spices. Pour over cucumbers. Six to 8 hours later drain and save the pickling syrup. Add another 2 cups each of sugar and vinegar and reheat to boil. Pour over pickles. On the fourth day drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. Drain and save pickling syrup 6 to 8 hours later. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla and heat to boiling. Fill sterile pint jars with pickles and cover with hot syrup leaving 1/2-inch headspace. For more information on sterilizing jars see "Jars and Lids". Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 or use the low-temperature pasteurization treatment. (For more information see Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment .) Table 1. Recommended process time for Sweet Gherkin Pickles in a boiling-water canner. Style of Pack: Raw. Jar Size: Pints. Process Time at Altitudes of 0 - 1 000 ft: 5 min. 1 001 - 6 000 ft: 10 min. Above 6 000 ft: 15 min. ======================================================= === * USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994) * Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias