Recipe #19: Icicle Pickle

The source of this one is clear: my grandmother, Mary Dorita Bradley Bryson. Recipe hand written on stationery from my grandfather's garage.

To see it larger, click on it.

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1 peck (two 6 quart baskets) cucumbers cut into strips.

Soak in brine for 5 days (salt and water that will float an egg)

Drain off the brine and cover the cucumbers with boiling water, let stand  for 24 hours

Drain again and cover with fresh boiling water

Add alum the size of a walnut, and let stand for a further 24 hours

Prepare the syrup:
2 1/2 quarts of white wine vinegar
6 pounds of white sugar

Make a spice bag of mixed spice and place in the syrup

Bring syrup to a boil

Drain the cucumbers and pour the syrup over them

Pour off the syrup and heat it to the boiling point for 4 mornings

Add green food colouring on the first and second boil.

On the fifth morning pour off the syrup and bring to a boil

Place pickles in jars and cover with boiling syrup.

Place lids on jars, let stand to cool.

Enjoy.