Old Fashioned 14-Day Sweet Pickles

These old-fashioned sweet pickles are preserved in a thick sugar syrup seasoned with cloves, allspice and other spices.

The pickles take 14 days until they're ready to eat. But most of the two weeks is just spent waiting, letting the cucumbers soak in various solutions of vinegar, spices, water and sugar.

Cook's Tip The most time-consuming steps are on Day 13 and 14, when you slice the cucumbers and pack them into jars.  I always try to time those steps to fall on a weekend.

Ingredients  2 gallons pickling cucumbers  3 cups pickling salt water 4 ounces alum 1¾ oz. pickling spice 1 gallon white vinegar 10 pounds sugar

Wash cucumbers well. Leave them whole and place into a large glass jar, food-safe plastic container or a pickle crock.

Next Step

Day 1

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Add 3 cups of pickling salt to 1 gallon of boiling water and pour over cucumbers. If necessary, use a plate or bowl to make sure cucumbers are completely submerged. Cover and allow the cucumbers to sit for 24 hours.

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Day 1

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Drain the cucumbers well. You will notice that they have been reduced in size, as the pickling salt has drawn the liquid out of them.

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Day 2

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Return cucumbers to container. Add 4 ounces of powdered alum to 1 gallon of boiling water.  Pour over cucumbers, cover and allow to sit for 24 hours.

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Day 2

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Drain the cucumbers. You may notice they have plumped up. Return to container and cover with clear boiling water. Allow to sit for 24 hours.

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Day 3

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Drain the cucumbers well and return containers. Fill a cheese cloth bag with pickling spices.

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Day 4

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Add the spice bag and 1 gallon of vinegar to a stockpot and bring to a simmer. Pour over cucumbers and cover, making sure they are submerged.  Let cucumbers soak for a total of 9 days, discarding spice bag after 2 or 3 days.

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Day 4

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Drain the cucumbers. Slice off the ends and discard.  Cut cucumbers into round slices, about ¼-inch thick.

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Day 13

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Place a layer of sliced cucumbers in the bottom of the jar or crock. Cover with a layer of sugar.  Continue layering sugar and cucumbers until the jar is full.

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Day 13

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The sugar will dissolve and form a syrup.  Eventually, you want to add 10 pounds of sugar to the two gallons of cucumbers.

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Day 13

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Don't add all the sugar at once as some of the bottom layers may not completely dissolve. Stir gently to help the sugar dissolve.  Keep the pickles covered .

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Day 13

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One the sugar has dissolved completely, pack the pickles into sterilized jars. Leave ½ inch of headspace and make sure the slices are covered with syrup. Wipe the jars clean before adding the lids and rings. Store jars in the refrigerator.

Day 14

Click the link below for the printable recipe card and jar labels and full instructions for making Old-Fashioned 14-Day Sweet Pickles.  

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