This recipe for 14-day sweet pickles makes about 14 pint jars. The recipe outlines all the steps taken over the 14 days, then shows how to process the pickles in a water bath.
How 14-Day Sweet Pickles Got Their Name
Fourteen-Day Sweet Pickles are sometimes called icicle pickles or sweet pickles. Some sources suggest the name icicle pickles may come from the shape of cucumbers cut lengthwise into long wedges that resemble icicles. Others suggest they are as crunchy as an icicle.
A Vintage Recipe
This is a vintage fermentation pickle recipe that takes 14 days to make. These pickles are sweet and spicy, but should not be confused with bread-and-butter pickles, which have a subtle sweet flavor. These pickles are undoubtedly sweet, with a complex, spiced flavor. The original recipe was passed down from a family member and written on one side of an index card. I have taken that recipe and detailed the instructions with photos to walk you through all the steps. If you are familiar with food preservation, you will enjoy this delicious recipe.
Equipment Needed for 14-Day Sweet Pickles
For this recipe, you will need the following equipment:
- A large pot called a canner with a rack so your jars are elevated from the bottom of the pot during the water bath.
- A jar lifter, as shown above, with the red lifts to get the jars out of hot water.
- Tongs (shown) or a magnetic lid lifter (not shown) to retrieve the lids from hot simmering water.
- Canning jars with lids and rings.
- A crock for fermenting the pickles (shown in pictures later).
Pickles for 14-Day Sweet Pickles
Most important of all, you will need pickling cucumbers. One common variety is called Kirby. Other pickling cucumbers include Boston Pickling, Bush, Calypso, and Picklebush. There are many other pickling cucumbers, and the easiest way to find them is to go to a produce store or farmers’ market and see which kinds are available in your area. However, do not use waxed cucumbers or burpless ones in this recipe.
Preparing Cucumbers for 14-Day Sweet Pickles
First, wash the cucumbers with a vegetable brush and cut off both ends. For home preservation, cut off the blossom end (shown above) because it contains enzymes that can make your pickles soft. The other end is the stem end. There is nothing wrong with leaving it intact, but it is more aesthetically pleasing to remove it.
Cut the cucumbers into slices, strips, or cubes. The cucumber’s size dictates how I cut it. For large cucumbers, I usually cut them lengthwise into 4 strips, then slice them into cubes. If I’m short on time, I leave them cut lengthwise into strips. For smaller cucumbers, I slice them as shown above.
Roughly measure the cucumbers into a large measuring cup. This recipe calls for 2 gallons (7.58 liters) of cut cucumbers, which yields about 12-16 pint jars of pickles. You can cut the recipe in half or by one-fourth to make a smaller batch.
The Crock for 14-Day Pickling Cucumbers
A crock is an earthenware jar that comes in different sizes and is also called a fermenting jar or stoneware jar. Use a 2-gallon crock to make this recipe. You can use a smaller crock if you are reducing the recipe. The 2 on this crock indicates it holds 2 gallons. In places outside the U.S., crocks are measured in liters and come in different shapes.
Place the cucumbers into the crock.
Salt for 14-Day Sweet Pickles
Next, add pickling salt. Do not use ordinary table salt. Pickling salt, also called preserving salt, does not have iodine or additives that can turn the water cloudy or make the pickles turn dark. I measure the salt in a pint pickling jar, but a measuring cup works just as well.
Add the salt to the cucumbers in the crock. Boil the water (amount listed in the recipe) and pour it over the cucumbers.
After adding the boiling water, stir the cucumbers to dissolve the salt. You can also place the salt in the boiling water to dissolve it. I have done it both ways.
Submerge the Cucumbers
Keep the cucumbers underneath the water level. Sometimes I add a small salad plate that fits inside the crock to help push the cucumbers down.
Cover the Crock
Place a covering on top of the crock, even if you use the small plate inside. You can place a dinner plate, plastic wrap, or a lid (if your crock has one) on top. This will keep out flying insects, dust, and other debris.
Stir the Cucumbers for 7 Days
For the next seven days, stir the cucumbers. You must stir them every single day. to prevent A film from forming on the top. The above picture shows the cucumbers after just one day in the salted water. See how the salt has started the preservation process, and some of the cucumbers are turning olive green. Bubbles will form, and stirring ensures that the cucumbers are all exposed to the salted water and not packed too tightly to preserve.
Drain the Cucumbers after 7 Days
It is now time to drain and discard the salted water. Be careful, the crock is heavy! I have found the best way to drain them is to use a slotted spoon or skimmer to dip out all the cucumbers and place them into a large bowl. Then pour out the water.
Add the Alum
After you discard the salted water, add the alum to the top of the cucumbers, then pour in boiling water. Alum is a white powder used to crisp cucumbers. It is a one-day process.
After adding boiling water to the cucumbers, stir until the alum dissolves and is evenly distributed throughout the water. Let the cucumbers sit in alum water for 24 hours.
Add Pickling Spice to 14-Day Sweet Pickles
Drain the alum water and discard it after 24 hours. Then, add the pickling spice.
You can sprinkle the pickling spice over the pickles, or add it to a square of cheesecloth.
Cut an 8 x 8-inch (approximately) square of cheesecloth. Add the pickling spice, and then gather the 4 corners of the cheesecloth and tie them together.
This sack keeps the spice together. When you use the pickle syrup (from the canned pickles) in recipes like chicken salad and potato salad, you won’t have to strain out the pickling spice before using it. However, I have had the sack to come untied before and spill out, so either way is fine. Once the pickling spice sack is ready, place it on top of the cucumbers in the crock.
Add the Sugar and Vinegar
Heat the sugar and vinegar amounts listed in the recipe. (This recipe uses a lot of sugar, but the end taste is worth the expense.) When it is boiling, pour it over the cucumbers. Reheat the sugar and vinegar mixture every day for 5 days, then pour it over the cucumbers.
Can the 14-Day Sweet Pickles
After 5 days, you are ready to process the pickles in a water bath. Here are the steps to follow:
- Heat water in the canner to a simmer. You will need enough water to completely cover the canning jars, but not so much that when the jars are added, they displace the water and it overflows over the sides of the pan. Be sure to add the canner lid when heating the water, as it helps it reach a simmer more quickly.
- Wash the jars, then place them in an oven set to 350°F. Leave them there for 15 minutes to sterilize. See the notes below for an alternative sterilization method.
- In a saucepan of water, place the washed lids and rings. Heat for 10 minutes or to 180°F. Simmer the lids but do not boil them.
- Pour the syrup into a large pan and bring it to a boil.
- Pack the pickles into the sterilized jars. Using a funnel, pour the boiling syrup over the pickles, leaving 1/2 inch from the top of the jars.
Clean the Jar Rim
Once a jar is filled with pickles and syrup, use a wet paper towel or a clean wet cloth to wipe the rim of the jar to remove any syrup that might be on it.
Retrieve the Simmering Lids and Rings
A good way to simmer the lids and rings is to place the lid in the ring, then set it upside down in the water. You can remove it with tongs as shown above. Be sure to pour off the water before placing it on your jars. Also, there are magnetic sticks for retrieving jar lids out of simmering water, but this way works just as well.
Add Lids to 14-Day Sweet Pickles
Place the lids and rings on the cleaned rim of the jars and tighten the ring, being careful not to overtighten.
Add the Jars to the Canner
Using the canning jar lifter, place the jars on the canner rack at the bottom of the canner, which is full of simmering water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then, remove the jars and place them on a cooling rack or towel to cool. (For high altitudes, you may need to adjust the water bath time. Click here for a time chart.) Make sure you leave space around each jar so air can circulate and cool it. You will hear a “pop” when the jars seal, and the center of each jar will no longer be raised.
After the jars are cool, write the date on the jar lids with a marker.
Click here for a boiling water processing time chart for high altitudes.
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14-Day Sweet Pickles
Equipment
- (1) 8×8-inch double-folded food-grade cheesecloth
- (1) 2-gallon crock
- 16 pint canning jars (or equivalent size jars of your choice)
- 1 water bath canner (deep enough to hold pint jars)
- tongs
- jar lifter
Ingredients
- 2 gallons fresh pickling cucumbers
- 1 gallon water
- 2 cups pickling salt
- 2 tablespoons alum
- 16 cups sugar
- 2 quarts white vinegar
- 1.5- ounce jar pickling spices
Instructions
Days 1-7
- Wash and then trim off 1/4 inch off both ends of cucumbers. Then cut into cubes, slices, or strips and place them into the crock. Pour pickling salt over the cucumbers.
- In a large pan bring 1 gallon of water to a boil. Pour boiling water over cucumbers. Stir.
- Cover the crock with a dinner plate. If necessary, place a smaller plate in the crock to push down the cucumbers so they are all covered with the salted water.
- Let the cucumbers sit in the crock for 7 days. Stir each day.
Day 8
- Drain off the water and discard it. Leave the cucumbers in the crock. Add the alum to the cucumbers.
- In a large pot, heat to boiling 1 gallon of (fresh) water.
- Pour water over the pickles and alum. Stir to dissolve the alum. Cover and let stand for 24 hours.
Days 9-13
- Drain off the alum water from the crock leaving the cucumbers.
- In a large pot, add the vinegar and sugar. Stir until the sugar starts dissolving. Then heat the mixture until it boils.
- While the sugar water is coming up to boil, cut a large (about 8×8 inches or 20 cm) double-folded square of cheesecloth. Pour the jar of pickling spice into the middle of the cheesecake cloth. Gather up the four corners and pull tight and then tie a knot with the cheesecake cloth. Add this spice packet to the cucumbers in the crock.
- Then pour the boiling sugar syrup over the cucumbers in the crock. Cover the crock, again using a smaller plate if necessary to push the cucumbers underneath the syrup level. The cucumbers will sit in the syrup for 5 days.
- Each day pour the sugar syrup into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Then pour the boiling syrup back over the cucumbers and cover.
Day 14
- Fill a canner with a rack with enough water to cover the tops of the jars. Remember that when the canning jars are added, the water in the canner will rise. Add the canner lid and heat the water to a simmer.
- Prepare pint or half-pint canning jars by washing and then placing them in an oven set to 350°F to sanitize. Drain the water off the jars, but do not dry them. Heat for at least 15 minutes. The heat will sterilize the jars and also prepare them for canning.
- In a medium pan, add washed lids and rings, then fill with enough water to fully cover them. Heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil.
- Pour the crock syrup liquid into a large pot and heat to a boil.
- Remove jars two at a time from the oven and pack with pickles. Use a spoon to help pack the pickles in. Using a funnel or a glass measuring cup with a spout, pour in enough boiling syrup to completely cover pickles, leaving a 1/2-inch air space at the top of the jar. Do not fill the jars to the top.
- With a wet, clean cloth or paper towel, wipe the jar tops to remove any liquid. Using tongs, retrieve a lid and ring from the simmering water and place them on the jar. Tighten with a towel. Do not overtighten.
- Repeat until all jars are filled. Then place the jars on the rack in the canner and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the processed jars from the canner and set them on a rack or towel, spacing them far enough apart to allow air to circulate so they will cool. Jars will self-seal as they cool. When sealed, the center will self-flatten and stay flattened if you press on it. Do not press on the lid centers before they seal.
- Write the date and "Icicle Pickles" on the jar lids. They will last for a year or more.
Notes
Miscellaneous Information
- You must stir the cucumbers every day as stated in the recipe. This will keep a film from forming on the top of the salted water.
- Alum can be placed either in the crock on top of the cucumbers or in the water and brought to a boil. Just make sure you stir it to help it dissolve.
- This recipe makes about 14 pint-sized jars. You can also use other sizes of canning jars. You can cut this recipe in half.
- Only use real pickling salt. Other salts have additives that shouldn’t be used in food preservation.
- Only use real canning jars. Other jars may not be heat-resistant or suitable for food storage.
- Only use new canning lids. Previously used lids will not seal again.
- It is okay to use rings again as long as they are not rusted from previous use.
- The best way to drain the water from the crock is to use a large slotted spoon or skimmer to lift the cucumbers and place them in a large bowl. Once the cucumbers are removed, pour the liquid from the crock. Place the cucumbers back in the crock and pour out any liquid from the bowl.
- Jars can also be sterilized by boiling in the canner for 10 minutes. For a high-altitude chart for water bath times, click here.
- Occasionally, the jars do not seal. If only a jar or two, place them in the refrigerator and use within 2 months.
- Sometimes the jars seal, but later become unsealed. If you find an unsealed stored jar, throw it out. There is no way to know how long it has been unsealed. It is better to err on the side of caution because food poisoning can occur.
Troubleshooting
- If pink foam forms on the cucumbers during fermentation, discard them.
- If the cucumbers smell unpleasant at any time during the 14-day process, discard them. They should smell briny from the salted water, but there should not be any unpleasant smells. Unusual smells that develop may indicate that unwanted bacteria are growing.
- If a moldy fuzz appears on the top of the salted water and cucumbers, discard them.
- If the cucumbers turn soft or slimy during fermentation, discard them.
- Over time, pickles can become soft. Use them within a year of preservation.
- Cloudy pickles can be caused by using salt with additives. Only use canning salt.