Sweet Gherkins

Ingredients

• Cucumbers, 1½ to 3 inches in length, about 5 pounds
• ½ cup salt
• 8 cups sugar
• 6 cups vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice
• 8 1-inch pieces stick cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fennel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. First day morning: Wash cucumbers thoroughly; drain.
2. 6-8 hours later, drain; cover with fresh boiling water.
3. Repeat on the morning of the second day.
4. In the afternoon, add the salt with fresh boiling water.
5. Third day morning: Drain; prick cucumbers in several places with a table fork.
6. Make a syrup of 3 cups sugar and 3 cups vinegar; add turmeric and spices. Heat to boiling and pour over cucumbers. (Cucumbers will be partially covered at this point.)
7. Afternoon: Drain syrup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 2 cups of the vinegar to the syrup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.
8. Fourth day morning: Drain syrup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 1 cup of the vinegar to the syrup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.
9. Afternoon: Drain syrup into pan; add the remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla to the syrup. Heat to boiling.
10. Pack pickles into jars and cover with boiling syrup to ½ inch from the top of the jar.
11. Process for 5 minutes in boiling water. Makes 7-8 pints.