Dill Pickles & Sweet Pickles

Ingredients

All Pickle Ingredients
• Pickles
• Vinegar
• Pickling Salt
Sweet Pickle Additional Ingredients
• Powdered or Granulated Alum
• Sugar
• Pickling Spice
• Celery Seed
Dill Pickle Additional Ingredients
• Dill

Instructions

1. Dill pickles:
2. Boil 3 c water, 1 c vinegar, and 1/4 c pickling salt. Place one dill in the bottom of the jar. Add cucumbers and place one dill on top. Ladle hot brine on top (do not drip - it is acidic).
3. Sweet pickles:
4. Boil 2 c pickling salt to 1 gal water. Pour over sliced cucumbers that have been placed in a plastic or ceramic container. Let sit in a cool area (basement) for one week.
5. After one week, there may get mold on top - just ladle that off and drain the cucumbers.
6. Next 3 days make a boiling hot solution of 1 gallon water and 1 tablespoon powdered alum (or 2 Tablespoons granulated alum)-Drain each day and pour fresh solution over pickles every day.
7. 4th day—drain and start making final solution of 6 cups vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 1/3 cup pickling spice, and 1 Tablespoon celery seed (I tie spices in cheesecloth) --bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers—start adding green food coloring to mixture at this time.
8. 5th day-drain into kettle and add 2 cups sugar-bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers-can add more food coloring if you wish.
9. 6th day-drain and add 1 cup sugar-bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers which have been packed into sterilized jars and seal. (could add more food coloring here also)
10. Enjoy! Not as difficult as it sounds-just takes about 2 weeks.