• 8 lbs cucumbers (1-1/2-2 1/2 inch or less)
• 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• 8 cups sugar
• 6 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp celery seeds
• ½ teas whole allspice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp whole mixed pickling spice (see recipe below)
• Yield: 7 to 8 pints

Procedure: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end of cucumber and discard, but don’t remove the stem end.

Step 1. Place cucumbers in large stainless steel or glass bowl or crock. In a large saucepan, combine ¼ cup salt and 6 quarts water. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve salt. Pour over cucumbers. Cover and let stand in a cool place for 8-12 hours.

Step 2. Drain cucumbers and discard brine, rinse container, return cucumbers. In a large saucepan, combine ¼ cup salt and 6 quarts water. Pour over cucumbers. Cover and let stand in a cool place for 8-12 hours.

Step 3: Drain cucumbers and discard brine, rinse container. Using a toothpick prick each cucumber in several places and return to your clean container.
Tie celery seed, pickling spice, cinnamon sticks and allspice in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag. Combine in large saucepan, 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups sugar, add turmeric and spice bag. Bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers place a plate over cucumbers to hold cucumbers down, cover and let stand for 8 to 12 hours.

Pickling Spice Recipe

• 2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons dill seeds
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
• 4 to 10 dried bay leaves, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves (optional)

Instructions

• Combine all whole and crumbled spices in a small bowl.
• Mix well until evenly distributed.
• Store the blend in a clean, airtight glass jar in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
• Use 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the spice mix per quart of pickles or vegetables, typically tied in a small cheesecloth or spice bag during brining

Step 4: Drain cucumbers and save the pickling syrup, rinse container, return cucumbers to container. Add pickling syrup to large saucepan and add another 2 cups each, of sugar and vinegar and reheat to boil. Pour over cucumbers place a plate over cucumbers to hold cucumbers down, cover and let stand for 8 to 12 hours.

Step 5: Drain cucumbers and save the pickling syrup, rinse container, return cucumbers to container. Add pickling syrup to large saucepan and add another 2 cups each, of sugar and vinegar and reheat to boil. Pour over cucumbers place a plate over cucumbers to hold cucumbers down, cover and let stand for 8 to 12 hours.

Step 6:

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids. Fill canner with enough water to cover jars by at least 1 inch of water. Place wire rack on the top edge of the canner and place jars upside down on the rack cover with lid. Heat water until boiling and jars are hot. Place the lids and rings in bowl and cover with hot boiling water.
2. Drain cucumbers through colander to remove spices, save pickling syrup.
3. Add syrup to large saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar and heat to boiling. Fill sterile hot pint jars, with pickles and cover with hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe rims with moistened paper towel. Adjust lids, lightly tighten rings and process for 10 minutes in hot water canner. Turn off heat, remove lid, wait 5 minutes. Remove from canner and let cool.

Note: I made half a batch of pickles using 4lbs of cucumbers and half of all ingredients.