When I was growing up, the only pickles Granny ever made were Bread and Butter Pickles. After The Deer Hunter and I were married his mother, Miss Cindy, introduced me to 14 Day Pickles-let’s just say in my opinion they put the smack down on Bread and Butter Pickles.
Granny never uses crocks in any of her canning. She cans everything in the jars-including kraut-which she has to leave on the porch because it has been known to explode.
The Deer Hunter’s family use crocks to make kraut, pickled beans/corn, and pickles. Papaw (the Deer Hunter’s Dad) said when he was growing up they left the kraut or pickled beans and corn in the crock instead of canning it. His mother would send someone to “dip” some out when she needed it.
This is the original 14 Day Pickle Recipe that belonged to Miss Cindy’s grandmother Dollie. I’m glad Miss Cindy had the foresight to laminated the page to preserve it. The Deer Hunter and I are the 4th generation of his family to use the recipe.
14 days seems like a lot of time to put into a run of pickles, but you don’t actually have to do something on each of the days, and it is so worth the small amount of time it takes. The pickles are crunchy and sweet. Perfect with soup beans and cornbread. The Deer Hunter makes the best potato salad I’ve ever tasted and I believe 14 Day Pickles are the key to his perfection.
Days 1-7: Wash 3 dozen small cucumbers. Do not peel. Place in crock. Cover with brine-1 pint of salt (do not use iodized) and 1 gallon of cold water. Let stand one week. Weight cucumbers to keep them submerged by using a plate, a ziplock bag of water, or other.
On day 7 day pour off brine. Cover with boiling water that has cooled slightly. Let stand overnight.
Day 8: Drain. Cut in small pieces. Cover with boiling water containing Alum-lump size of walnut (2 tablespoons) and Horse Radish-root size of carrot cut in pieces (2 tablespoons of prepared horse radish may be substituted) that has cooled slightly. Let stand overnight.
Day 9: Pour off brine. Cover with boiling water that has cooled slightly. Let stand overnight.
Day 10: Drain well. Make syrup of *3 pints of apple cider vinegar, *5 quarts sugar, *3 or 4 sticks of cinnamon, *2 tablespoons whole cloves, *2 tablespoons celery seed. Bring all the ingredients to a boil, cool slightly, and pour over pickles. Let stand overnight.
Day 11: Drain syrup from pickles. Bring to a boil, cool slightly, and pour over pickles. Let stand overnight.
Day 12: Drain syrup from pickles. Bring to a boil, cool slightly, and pour over pickles. Let stand overnight.
Day 13: Drain syrup from pickles. Bring to a boil, cool slightly, and pour over pickles. Let stand overnight.
Day 14: Bring pickle syrup mixture to a boil; remove cinnamon sticks; pack in hot jars, and seal. We use the open kettle method of canning to seal the jars-meaning the pickles are hot, the jars are hot, and as they cool the jars seal themselves. If you’re not comfortable with this method, water bath jars for 10 minutes.
If you’ve got some extra cucumbers and 14 days to spare-I hope you’ll give the 14 Day Pickles a try. I know you’ll be glad you did.
Tipper
Aren’t these the best pickles in the world–so crisp and sweet! Most folks who try them want more.
I used to use them in a fish sauce with sour cream, wonderful.
I’ve never made dill pickles that I liked. Do you suppose Egghead would share the family recipe with us?
Yum! Are yours done? Do you do this every year?
Tipper I have a recipe for dill pickles from my husband’s grandmother that is hand written as well. I use this recipe every year for the best pickles I have tasted. In fact my youngest sister who never like dill pickles will eat an entire jar of these, garlic cloves and all in one day.
I can’t wait to try this. The old recipes are some of the very best I think. Wow!
Tipper: A great recipe for sure, a lot of works makes for excellent pickles I’m sure. I really like the old recipe photo.
every post of yours I read makes me say WOW.
I love bread and butter pickles. These sound super delicious. Thanks for sharing that family recipe. Pappy
These sound wonderful. Tipper. I think my cukes are done, but maybe I’ll come by some through a neighbor and give your recipe a try.
I LOVE THIS BLOG! where else would I find great recipes like this?
My family are big fans of pickles! Thanks for sharing…very nice!
Wow! Do those pickles ever sound heavenly~ Even though I’m not a canner, I may have to give those a shot!
What a wonderful recipe! I just love to visit here and I love the music! Have a good weekend. blessings, Kathleen
Thanks, I’m going to try this.
Thanks for the lesson on making pickles. That is some amazing recipe!
I am thinking about exploding kraut now…Sounds like another good one!
I have to admire you Tipper for all the work that goes into making these.
I canned green beans and am going to try some tomatoes – I don’t think I’m ready for pickles.
Great informative post!
I don’t have any cucumbers! Now I wish I did. . . my grandparents made pickles when I was growing up – good memories. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your secrets!
Wow Tipper those look terrific! What a fun project to take on, how I would love to do this.
That still sounds like a lot of work but I imagine it’s worth every minute if they are better than bread & butter pickles because I can’t think of anything better than a bread & butter pickle.
thank you for sharing your family recipe!
we made blackberry/wild plum jam today, so I am in the mood for a 14 day pickle experiment.
will let you know how it goes . . .
Another reason I love this blog. I won’t have extra cucumbers. What I have are enormous. I don’t have a crock. But I just love reading about this.
Never been a big fan of pickles myself, but my sisters and brothers love them. My sister B’s boyfriend even takes the pickle juice from jars, puts onions in them and lets them sit on a shelf for a long time. Something he learned from his Granny in NC. I’ll have to give him your recipe. xxoo
Tipper,
The 14-day pickles sound delicious. I wish I had more time and I would try them. With all the renovations going on, I won ‘t be canning this year. I love to can. The preserves save a lot of money over the winter months.
Mom and Grandma made 9-day pickles and they were good too. Mom makes icicle pickles now and our family has always used crocks. Mom used to store hers in the crock and we would just go and get them as we needed them. It saves a lot of work putting them in jars, especially if you are low on them. They are expensive.
Take care and thanks for dropping by my Writing Nook. I always enjoy visiting with you.
Blessings,
Mary
I don’t think I have ever had homemade pickles. Yours sound delicious!!
Oooooooooooo yummy pickles! I love making pickles! Our cucumbers didn’t do very well this year. 🙁 Good thing we still have some pickles from last year, eh?
Blessings!
Lacy
I love homemade pickles and I think I need to give this recipe a try. How wonderful that you have the original recipe. I still have all of my grandmother’s recipe cards and wouldn’t take anything in the world for them.
I tried pickles one time. Didn’t turn out well. I may have to try this one. Next year though. Since my garden isn’t well.
I grew up with these too. Your blog reminds me of my roots and the music reminds me of the music I heard in the country churches I grew up in in ne MS.
Oh man! Pickles! Love ’em! We still have jars and jars from our old house in Dodge City, KS…like 3 years old. But you know, a good pickle never really goes bad… 🙂
Must be pretty good to trump Granny’s B&B recipe!
Do you realize how much my mouth is watering right now!!??!! I love pickles and I might have to be adventurous and try this one day. I love the picture of the old recipe. That is so special. Love your posts!!
I wish I had made pickles with my grandmother before she died. Bread and butter were her specialty. And y favorite. But she make them all.
Hey, BTW, I figured out the e-mail problem. I added an extra letter in my address when I signed in. Oops. : o Problem fixed.