Stone Jar Pickles Recipes

STONE JAR PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers and inspect them carefully to make sure the skins are not pierced or have any cuts in them. Place into a large crock (I don't have a crock so I use a clean 5 gallon bucket).
• Combine 2 cups of canning salt with 1 gallon of cold water and stir until the salt is dissolved. Pour salt brine on the cucumbers. Repeat until cucumbers are completely covered with salt brine (in the bucket I use, it takes about 2.5 gallons of salt brine to cover well).
• Place a dinner plate on top of the cucumbers followed by a heavy weight so that the cucumbers remain submerged. Get creative! I use a dinner plate followed by a heavy bowl, followed by a plastic cover and then pressed a board over the top and weighted it down with a jug of juice). The objective is to keep the cucumbers submerged, and I like to keep the whole thing covered to keep dust and cat hair out of the bucket.
• Soak the cucumbers for 21 days, periodically checking it for any mold or scum that might float to the top. Skim any of that off. About midway through the soaking process, dissolve another cup of canning salt into a few cups of water and pour into the brine.
• After 21 days in the salt brine, remove the cucumbers and wash them in cold water. Pour the salt brine out of the bucket and wash and dry it out.
• Cut the cucumbers however you desire. I prefer to slice them, however, they can be cut into chunks or spears. (note here that the cucumbers are not going to smell good at all, and if you have used large cucumbers they will likely be hollow after the soak. Press on, they're okay!).
• Put the cut up cucumbers into the clean bucket, cover with water and let soak for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, drain the water off the cucumbers.
• Combine 7 tablespoons alum with one gallon of cold water and stir until the alum is dissolved. Pour over the cut cucumbers. Then add enough water to make sure cukes are completely covered. Swish them around a little and then let soak for 6 hours.
• After 6 hours, drain the alum water off the cucumbers. Give the cut cumbers a rinse and drain well. Return cucumbers to the bucket.
• Bring 1.5 gallons of vinegar to a boil and pour over the cucumbers. Let sit for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, drain the vinegar off the cucumbers. Layer the cucumbers with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, mustard seed and celery seed until all the sugar, spices and cukes are layered. Then using your hands, gently stir it all together.
• Let the cucumbers cure in the sugar and spices for 3 days, stirring once each day. The pickles are now done! You can now transfer the pickles into clean and sterile jars and put lids on them. These pickles do not require sealing in a water bath. You can leave them in the crock if you like.

EIGHT-DAY ICICLE PICKLES

Steps:

• Day 1: Place the cucumbers into a large (10-quart) jar or pickle crock. Stir the pickling salt and 16 cups of water (or as needed to cover the cucumbers) into a large pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Pour the boiling salt mixture over the cucumbers, and cover the crock with a cover or dinner plate.
• Days 2 and 3: Stir the pickles and brine once each day. Cover the crock each time.
• Day 4: Pour off the brine. Bring 16 more cups of water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 5: Pour off the water from the pickles again, and bring alum and 16 cups of water to a boil. Stir until the alum is completely dissolved. Pour the boiling water-alum mixture over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 6: In a large pot, boil 16 more cups of water with the sugar, pickling spice, vinegar, and food coloring. Pour the water-alum mixture from the pickles and discard, and pour the boiling sugar mixture over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 7: Pour off the syrup from the pickles, but retain the syrup. Transfer the syrup into a large pot, bring to a boil again, and pour over the pickles. Cover.
• Day 8: Pour off and retain the syrup again, and transfer into a large pot. Reboil the syrup over medium heat. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the pickles into the hot, sterilized jars, and pour the boiling syrup in, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• 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 the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• 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.

DILL PICKLES-(ONE JAR AT A TIME)

Steps:

• Place heads of dill and garlic in hot sterilized quart jar. Fill with small cucumbers to within 1 inch of top.
• Brine: Combine water, venegar and salt in saucepan.
• Bring to a boil.
• Pour over cucumbers to within 1/4 inch of top with boiling vinegar.
• Seal.
• Makes one quart.