14 Day Pickles are my favorite. The best sweet pickle I’ve ever eaten. The recipe I use is from The Deer Hunter’s family-it’s been passed down through the generations. We make them every year-I couldn’t imagine potato salad or tuna fish without the addition of 14 day pickles-they’re that good-sweet and really crisp.
When the signs return to the right place-I’ll be making a run of 14 day pickles. The process is long-14 days-but not hard. I thought some of you might be interested in making them with me. The day I’ll be starting-is August 10th-when the signs will be in the head. The ingredients needed:
3 gallon crock
3 dozen small cucumbers
1 pint of salt (not iodized)
water
Alum (you can find it with the spices in the grocery store)
Prepared Horse Radish
3 pints of Apple Cider Vinegar
5 quarts of sugar
Cinnamon Sticks-6 to 8
2 tablespoons of whole cloves
2 tablespoons of celery seeds
The first step is the easiest-the cucumbers soak for a week in a brine. After that the steps take place daily. If you’re interested-I’ll start posting the process on August 10th-and post each additional step on the day I do it. If you haven’t already-you can subscribe to the Blind Pig (upper left corner under my picture) and you’ll get an email to remind you to do each step of the process.
I realize many folks today-don’t have crocks. I’ve been researching to see if you could use something else-like a food grade plastic container. Many folks do use food grade plastic containers with successful results-but since I’ve never personally used one for this recipe I can’t say for sure if it would work. Here are some links about using food grade plastic containers-I’ll let you be the judge:
http://www.pickyourown.org/pickles_oldfashionedbarrel.htm
http://farmgal.tripod.com/PicklesRelish.html
http://stason.org/TULARC/food/preserving/4-2-2-What-s-a-non-reactive-container.html
If you don’t have a crock-but would like to buy one-I suggest you look at your local hardware or feed store. Sometimes you can find them at thrift or antique stores-just remember if you buy a used one-you should make sure it doesn’t have any cracks. We’ve found out the hard way-if the crock has a hair line crack-you can’t see it-but the liquid in your pickles will find it and leak out.
If you decide to be part of the Pickle Along-I know you’ll be glad when you taste the sweet crunchy goodness of the 14 Day Pickles.
Tipper
p.s. A little after 9:00 Saturday morning-we had a 3.2 Earthquake. It was centered on the Tennessee North Carolina border. Me and the girls were in the same room-we all ran outside to see what it was-by then it was over. Seemed I felt the shaking was mostly above us-in the roof. No damages in Tennessee or North Carolina that I’m aware of. Did any of you who live near by feel it too?
Kara-I’ve never used a bucket-but have heard other folks say they work great. Good luck if you give it a try!
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
This recipe looks great! I don’t have a crock. Would a food grade 5 gallon bucket work?
Yum, those must taste really good! I don’t like commercial pickles at all.
btw, if you have a crock, you can also make crock beer (pe-u)! 🙂
My husband is from Cape Breton NS, an old scotsman. You just would not believe all the ways their local culture is like yours – music, moonshine, dance, etc. But the old timers are dieing off and much has been lost. I wish they has someone like you!
Nancy
Ready and excited.
Wish I could participate. The Captain loves sweet pickles.
But I don’t have a crock that big and my cucumber crop is almost over. I haven’t had time to plant the second planting. Maybe we can do this again next year.
I’ve never made them before. I have a churn I got from my neighbor, he said they used to made 14 day pickles in it. I have his recipe somewhere that he gave me.
Tipper: You will have some mighty good eating in 2 weeks.
This is about the same as I make them. I have a crock, too. I never heard of using plastic.
Years ago, a good friend of mine gave me her recipe for 14-Day pickles. I seem to recall she wrote down to put the covered crock on top of the barn for 10 days. All I know is they were delicious, even without setting them on the roof of the barn. That year I canned about 50 pint jars of 14-day pickles.
Thanks for sharing the recipe and how to on the pickles. I have seen the crocs in hardware stores now and then. Don’t earthquakes feel weird? We have had a couple run through Texas and it is quiet a feeling. Blessings,Kathleen
Those pickles sound like the ones my son loves. I will have to get Grandma to make him some more. Easier to get her to make them, than me!
WE had an earthquake this past year too. Our bed that we were in, was moving. Weird experience. the dishes on the wall rattled. No damage.
Good luck on those pickles.
Tipper,
Those 14 day pickles sound really good. I’m not much into pickles, but remember my mama and sister used to make bread and butter cucumber pickles. We also made alot of kraut when I was growing up. This brought back many good childhood memories growing up here in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Sheila-you do not need a lid. None of my crocks have lids. I use a plate-turned upside down to submerge the cucumbers under the liquid-placing a mason jar filled with water on top of the plateto keep it pushed down. Then I cover the crock with a towel. I do hope you get to be part of the Pickle Along.
Blind Pig The Acorn
Music, Giveaways, Mountain Folk
All at http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
Sounds yummy! I don’t have a crock or cuc’s 🙁 I’ll be on the lookout 🙂
Hi 🙂 I’m just finding your blog via In the Pantry…and I’m really going to try to get myself in line to do the 14-Day pickles…
first I have to see if my crock has a crack…of course, it doesn’t have a lid…hmmmm…is that a problem?
Yum, yum, and more yum. I wish I had the resources to do this. I love your recipes.
Well, ol’ lazy bones here was still in bed Sat. morning…had sat up and read through the night…
I would love to do the Pickle-along… not sure if I’ll have the cucumbers at that time, but I will do it if I do! I love SWEET pickles, and I got some really yummy ones from an Amish family a couple of months ago that were SOOOOOOOo good, it made me want to figure out the recipe.
Ya know I just happen to like pickles very much so if you just happen to be mailing some out you can put my name on the list.
Really though, there is nothing better than some home cooking the old fashioned way no matter what it is.
Tipper,
I did my 14 day pickles the last time the signs were right, so I won’t be following along. I canned mine last Friday. These are such good pickles. I have folks beg me for a jar.
My friend Bill’s son in law used to beg for a jar of the pickles. When I gave him a jar he poured them out on a dinner plate and sat down with a fork and ate the whole jar at one time. True story, I promise! LOL
I use them in potato salad, egg salad, deviled eggs, and a homemade sauce for fried fish.
My deviled eggs are always the hit of the “pot luck”. And the whole family loves the fish sauce!
Hope lots of folks will join the pickle along!
I’m going to try and make pickles with you. Even Casper is excited about it. 🙂 Have to find me a crock !!!
I felt the earthquake. It felt like a BIG truck driving by but that was impossible out where I live. Couldn’t figure out what it was until I listened to the news. Never thought I would experience one in my lifetime. You never know.