Two Week Sweet Pickles Recipe

A treasured heirloom recipe from 1974, passed down through generations! This authentic canning method yields incredibly flavorful sweet pickles, well worth the time and effort. Experience a taste of the past with this unique crock-based recipe featuring a multi-day process resulting in deliciously crisp, sweet pickles. Perfect for preserving summer's bounty!

Prep Time 10080 mins

Cook Time 20340 mins

Calories 1337.3 kcal

Protein 37g

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The Forktionary Kitchen Team

Adapted from Food.com, then tested & standardized by Forktionary.

Ingredients for Two Week Sweet Pickles

Cucumbers
Water
Salt
Alum
Sugar
Vinegar
Allspice
Clove
Mustard Seeds
Cinnamon Stick
Celery Seeds

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How to Make Two Week Sweet Pickles

Wash 75 medium-sized cucumbers and submerge in a large container with 1 gallon of water.
Add 1 pint (2 cups) of salt to the cucumbers and water. Let stand for 7 days.
Remove cucumbers from brine and rinse thoroughly.
In a separate pot, dissolve 1 tablespoon of powdered alum in 1 gallon of boiling water.
Submerge the cucumbers in the alum solution for 24 hours.
Pour off the alum solution and rinse the cucumbers thoroughly. Place in a clean container and cover with 1 gallon of fresh, boiling water. Let stand for 24 hours.
Remove cucumbers. Split each cucumber lengthwise (if desired, optional step for better flavor absorption).
In a large saucepan, combine 6 cups sugar, 3 pints (6 cups) white vinegar, 2 tablespoons whole allspice, 2 cinnamon sticks (approximately 2 inches), and 1 tablespoon celery seed (OR 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground mustard seed, 1 tablespoon whole allspice, and 1 tablespoon whole cloves). Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Pour the boiling spice mixture over the cucumbers. Let stand for 24 hours.
Carefully pour the spice mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Repeat this process for three consecutive mornings, adding 1 cup of sugar each morning to the mixture during this process.
On the fourth morning, bring the mixture to a boil, but do not add sugar.
Repeat step 11 for three consecutive mornings, for a total of 6 days of boiling.
On the final morning, pack the pickles into sterilized canning jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Ladle the boiling hot syrup over the pickles, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the rims clean. Seal jars with lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust time based on altitude). Let cool completely.