*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                           Quick Sweet Pickles

Recipe By     : USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin #539, 1994
Serving Size  : 9    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Pickles

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   8       lb           Pickling cucumbers (3 to 4")
     1/3   c            Canning or pickling salt
   4 1/2   c            Sugar
   3 1/2   c            Vinegar (5%)
   2       ts           Celery seed
   1       tb           Whole allspice
   2       tb           Mustard seed
   1       c            Pickling lime (optional) *

  * For use in variation below for making firmer pickles.
  
  May be canned as either strips or slices.
  
  Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16" off blossom end and discard, but leave
  1/4" of stem attached. Slice or cut in strips, if desired. Place in
  bowl and sprinkle with 1/3 cup salt. Cover with 2" of crushed or
  cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours. Add more ice as needed. Drain
  well.
  
  Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, allspice, and mustard seed in
  6 qt kettle. Heat to boiling.
  
  Hot Pack:
  Add cucumbers and heat slowly until vinegar solution returns to
  boil. Stir occasionally to make sure mixture heats evenly. Fill
  sterile jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. For more information see
  "Jars and Lids".
  
  Raw Pack:
  Fill jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Add hot pickling syrup, leaving
  1/2" headspace. 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".
  
  Variation For Firmer Pickles:
  Caution: Avoid inhaling lime dust while mixing the lime-water
  solution.

  Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16" off blossom end and discard, but leave
  1/4" of stem attached. Slice or strip cucumbers. Mix 1 cup pickling
  lime and 1/2 cup salt to 1 gallon water in a 2 to 3 gallon crock or
  enamel-ware container. Soak cucumber slices or strips in lime water
  solution for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from
  lime solution and rinse and resoak 1 hour in fresh cold water.
  Repeat the rinsing and resoaking 2 more times. Handle carefully
  because slices or strips will be brittle. Drain well.
  
  Storage:
  After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to
  develop ideal flavor.
  
  Variation:
  Add 2 slices of raw whole onion to each jar before filling with
  cucumbers.
  
  Table 1.
  Recommended process time for Quick Sweet Pickles in a boiling-water
  canner.
  
  Style of pack: Hot
  Jar size: Pints or Quarts
  Process time at altitudes of:
          0 - 1,000 feet --  5 minutes
      1,001 - 6,000 feet -- 10 minutes
        Above 6,000 feet -- 15 minutes
  
  Style of pack: Raw
  Jar size: Pints
  Process time at altitudes of:
          0 - 1,000 feet -- 10 minutes
      1,001 - 6,000 feet -- 15 minutes
        Above 6,000 feet -- 20 minutes
  
  Style of pack: Raw
  Jar size: Quarts
  Process time at altitudes of:
          0 - 1,000 feet -- 15 minutes
      1,001 - 6,000 feet -- 20 minutes
        Above 6,000 feet -- 25 minutes

  Yield: 9 Pints
  
  Formatted by: Karen Mintzias


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