Eight-Day Icicle Pickles

Ingredients

• 10 pounds cucumbers with peel - ends trimmed , halved, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 2 cups pickling salt
• 16 cups water
• 16 cups water
• 1.5 teaspoons alum
• 16 cups water
• 16 cups water
• 12 cups white sugar
• 6 cups white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 1 tablespoon green food coloring
• 8 1-quart canning jars with lids and rings

Instructions

1. 1

   Day 1: Place cucumbers into a large (10-quart) jar or pickle crock; set aside. Add pickling salt to a large pot; stir in 16 cups water or enough to cover cucumbers. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until salt is dissolved. Pour boiling salt mixture over cucumbers, then cover the crock with a lid or dinner plate.

2. 2

   Days 2 and 3: Stir pickles and brine once each day. Cover the crock each time.

3. 3

   Day 4: Pour off brine. Bring 16 cups water to a boil in a medium pot; pour over pickles. Cover.

4. 4

   Day 5: Pour off water from pickles. Add alum to a medium pot; pour in 16 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir until alum is completely dissolved. Pour boiling water-alum mixture over pickles. Cover.

5. 5

   Day 6: Pour off water-alum mixture from pickles. Combine 16 cups water, sugar, vinegar, pickling spice, and food coloring in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then pour over pickles. Cover.

6. 6

   Day 7: Pour off syrup from pickles, but retain syrup and transfer to a large pot. Bring to a boil and pour over pickles. Cover.

7. 7

   Day 8: Pour off and retain syrup again, transferring to a medium pot. Reboil syrup over medium heat. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack pickles into the hot, sterilized jars and pour in boiling syrup, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with the lids and screw on the rings.

8. 8

   Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.

9. 9

   Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.