Island Dreamer: Sweet Pickle Relish

For years I have been making sweet pickles. Not the way my Moma did I found my own recipe and have stuck to it pretty much over the years. Moma used to soak her cucumbers for 7 days in lime. That was way too long for me to have to worry about them. However her pickles were good, nice and crisp, just the right sweetness and perfect color. They were great chopped in potato salad or tuna salad or just out of the jar on a corn beef sandwich. Memories come in the strangest packages.

My Aunt Hazel used to make a sweet pickle that she did not cut the cucumbers in slices to soak them but would soak them whole in large jars for about a week, then rinse them and slice and soak in vinegar and sugar for a few more days then put them on the stove to cook then put them into the jars to seal. They were good, a little too sweet, but good.

I stumbled across the method I am using now out of necessity. We had a garden with lots of cucumber plants and I didn't want to let them go to waste. Right about the time they were to come off the vine, I had hand surgery and was in a cast for 6 weeks. That made holding onto those long round green things a little tricky to make perfect pickle slices. So I decided to cut them in larger slices, soak them in the lime and then use the food processor to cut them into perfect relish size pieces. Voila the birth of my Sweet Pickle Relish. Relish the thought a cucumber would go to waste. You see by using this method even if they get too big you can still use them. No worry about trying to get too large slices into the canning jar.

So how to make Sweet Pickle Relish. First you get a good friend like Tenna Collier that has their garden in earlier than yours, to have her husband, Steve call and say that he's stopping by with some cucumbers. That's what happened this year. Of course in a few weeks I'll have cucumbers coming off in bucket loads. Anyway back to my recipe.

Sweet Pickle Relish

6-7 lbs sliced pickling cucumbers, with skins on

2 gal water

1 c pickling lime

In large non metal container mix lime and water, add cucumbers soak for 24 hours stirring ofter. Careful not to break cucumbers.

After 24 hours, place following in a large pot cook;

12 c white vinegar

7 1/2 lbs sugar

1 T pickling spice put in tea ball

1 T salt,few drops of green food coloring

Cook vinegar,sugar,pickling spices,salt and several drops of food coloring over med/high heat until sugar dissolves, about 30-40 min drain,soak 4 times in cold water 15 minutes each, rinse well after each washing, drain well. Fix medium shredding disk to food processor, process until all are shredded, add to pot, stir well, bring to boil, stirring often, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Process canning jars,lids & rings,according to box labels. Place relish in jars leave about 1/4 inch space from top. Put lids and rings on jars. Place jars on cooling rack or counter to cool. Listen for pop of lid, means it's sealed. Store in cool place, not in fridge.

Have your cucumbers washed and ready to slice. Of course I had more than recipe called for so I made 1 1/2 recipe for this batch.

Having everything ready for the pickling process is important. Don't start this if you don't have enough jars or lids or tops. Get your stuff early. Pickling spices and lime can sell out quickly so stock up on them so when you are ready you don't have to wait for a shipment or run from store to store. Sugar well it takes a bunch so pick up that 10 pound bag so you'll be ready when the cucumbers come. And vinegar, I use white vinegar, go ahead a get a jug or two to have on hand. It's also good to use in you rinse cycle of your wash to get the soap our so it won't go to waste.

Pickling Spice can be hard to find, cheaper sold in bulk in some stores.

You'll need a container to soak you cucumbers in. I used to use one of those large plastic jars pretzels come in. I even had mine marked as to cucumber level and water level. However sometimes I have more than enough to fill that jar so then I use a cooler. I like a cooler that the top is not attached so it's easier to pour the liquid out when you are finished soaking them. If you have a husband that keeps his coolers clean or one that will wash on for you that's great, just make sure it squeaky clean.

Next a place to slice your cucumbers with cutting board and good sharp knife in hand. I try to sit up so it's easy to cut and drop the cucumbers into cooler with as few steps as possible. Take into mind if you don't have anyone to help you move the cooler to an out of the way place don't add your liquid to the cooler until you have moved it. They have to soak for 24 hours so you want the cooler out of the way.