Homemade sweet and spicy pickles recipe comes with plenty of flavor from ketchup, garlic, tabasco and fresh herbs from your garden. They are perfect for snacking or as a side dish to just about any meal and offer garden-fresh flavor.
Ingredients
Canned Cucumbers
10poundscucumbers* (approximately), well rinsed with ends trimmed
1/2tablespoonpeppercorns, (5 per jar)
18garlic cloves (3 per jar)
fresh herbs (grape leaves, black currant leaves, cherry tree leaves), chopped
Sterilize Jars: Wash all jars and lids with warm soapy water. Sterilize the lids fully submerged in water for 4-5 minutes after the water starts boiling; carefully pat dry lids with paper towel. Preheat the oven to a 215°F and place jars upside down onto oven racks. Dry jars for 20 minutes or until completely dry.
Make the Brine: In a large pot, combine and stir: 6 cups water, 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup ketchup and 1 tablespoon tabasco sauce. Bring to a boil, remove from heat making sure salt and sugar have dissolved.
Fill the Jars: Wash and cut off both ends of the cucumbers. Fill the bottom of each jar with pickling spices (fresh chopped herbs, 3 garlic cloves and 5 black peppercorns per jar). Tightly pack jars with whole or sliced cucumbers to the top. Slowly pour the pickling brine into jars over cucumbers up to the rim (leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top) and cover with lids, but do not seal the jars. A 1/4 measuring cup works great for pouring pickling brine.
Process the Jars: Line a kitchen towel or a microfiber towel at the bottom of the pot if not using rack. It is very important that the bottom of jars are not touching directly the pot or jars will crack when heated. Place packed jars into the canning pot and fill with warm water, about 2 inches below jars. Cover with lid, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and process/boil jars for about 15 minutes or as soon as cucumbers turn light green.
Seal the Jars: Carefully remove jars one by one from the water using jar lifter and tightly close lids (use kitchen towel or rubber oven mitt for best results). Flip the jars upside down and cover them with bath towels or blankets as soon as you flip them over (the more layers the better). Allow them to sit at room temperature undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. Store pickles in a cool place.
Notes
Cucumbers: The amount of cucumbers needed is based on whether you are canning whole cucumbers or sliced. Tightly packed jars will require less pickling brine, but the cucumbers will still marinate properly. You will end up with less or more than 6 (32oz) jars - it all depends on what size you cut the cucumbers and how tightly you pack the jars.
Pickling Brine: You can make the brine a day ahead, cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature when ready to use.
Trim: Trimming cucumber ends is mandatory. The ends carry a ripening enzyme that promotes softening even after they’re pickled.
Cut to Fill: Pack jars tightly, cutting cucumbers into smaller pieces to fit. You may need to cut some of the larger cucumbers into half, rounds or wedges to fill in the empty spaces in each jar. All sizes work great in this recipe.
Over-processing: If you keep cucumbers for too long in the water bath, they will become soft. They will continue cooking once out, underneath the blanket of towels.
Storing Cucumbers: When canned properly and stored in a cool place, homemade pickles can keep for up to 1 year at room temperature. Once you break the seal, make sure to store them in the refrigerator for up to a month.