The last several weeks at “The Farm” has had it’s challenges.  It has rained almost every day, sometimes, all day.  This has limited the projects that we can complete outside, and has led to some ‘down time’.  

I have to admit, down time in the middle of the summer, isn’t always a bad thing.  It usually gives us a chance to catch up on some inside projects that mostly go neglected until the winter months.

This week I used that time to go through some recipes that had been given to me when my Grandmother passed away in November.  

I enjoyed seeing her handwriting and her side notes jotted down on the side of each card.  As I was going through them, most called for an extraordinary amount of white sugar, white flour and oleo.  

As a side note, I asked the kids if they had ever heard the term ‘oleo’ and they looked at me as if I was making up a new texting acronym.  Oh, how have the times changed…..

I did run across a recipe for sweet pickles that caught my interest. Now, to be honest, I am not a fan of sweet pickles, but Jim loves them.

I hesitated to make them before because of the amount of white sugar that every recipe I had required.  However, when I came across my Grandmother’s recipe for sweet pickles that required no white sugar and only sweetened with honey, I knew I had to give them a try.  

And boy, I am glad I did!  Move over dill pickles…..time to make room in the canning pantry for sweet pickles!

Canned Sweet Pickle Recipe

Ingredients:

**These are the ingredients exactly how listed on my Grandmother’s recipe card – I have added her handwritten notes in parenthesis.

• 4 quarts cucumbers, medium-size, sliced (about 6 pounds)
• 1 1/2 cups onions, sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves (diced)
• 1/3 cup salt (I used Kosher salt, not pickling salt)
• 2 quarts ice cubes or ice chips (crushed ice)
• 2 cups honey.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 3 cups white vinegar

Instructions:

1. Wash cucumbers thoroughly and scrub with a vegetable brush. Drain on rack. Slice unpeeled cucumbers into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices; discard ends. Add onions and garlic.
2. Add salt and mix thoroughly, cover with ice cubes or ice chips and let stand three hours. Drain thoroughly and remove garlic.
3. Combine honey, spices (in a spice bag), and vinegar. Heat just until boiling. Add drained cucumber and onion slices and simmer for 5 minutes. DO NOT BOIL.

   

4. Pack hot pickles (and juice) loosely in clean, hot pint jars, leaving a half-inch head space.
5. Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.
6. Remove and let cool.

Enjoy!!!

Mary and Jim

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