How to Prepare Grandma\’s Sweet Pickles

Instructions

• 1

  Thoroughly wash the vegetables under running water and drain it all. Now, using a sharp kitchen knife, cut the red peppers diagonally into half and discard the stems and seeds. Also peel the skin off the cucumbers with a peeler.
• 2

  Chop both the vegetables into small bits using a chopper or food processor. You should have three cups of chopped red peppers and six cups of chopped cucumber. Make sure the chopped cucumbers do not produce any liquid.
• 3

  Also peel and chop Vidalia or sweet onions in the food processor to get six cups of the chopped vegetable.
• 4

  Take a large bowl or crock and combine all the chopped vegetables in it.
• 5

  Sprinkle pickling salt over the vegetables and add ice cold water to the bowl, enough to cover the chopped veggies completely. Cover the bowl and let it stand at room temperature for at least two hours.
• 6

  After two hours, run the mixture through the sieve to drain the liquid into the sink. After that, rinse the vegetables thoroughly with fresh cold water and drain again.
• 7

  While your vegetables are draining, take a large kettle and combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric powder, mustard seeds and celery seeds in it, and bring to boil on low heat.
• 8

  Once the mixture starts bowling, add the vegetables and turn the heat to medium high.
• 9

  Cook the mixture uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes or until any excess liquid has evaporated, while stirring constantly.
• 10

  Thoroughly wash and scald your storage jars and ladle the cooked mixture into them as soon as you remove it from the heat. Make sure you leave a ¼ inch headspace in each jar.
• 11

  Run a plastic knife inside the jars containing the sweet pickle to remove any air bubbles and seal them with hot lids and screw bands.
• 12

  Air-tight the jars and process them in a boiling water bath canner for 10 to 15 minutes before putting them out on racks to cool.