Christmas Pickles

Ingredients

 * 8 pint canning jars

Soaking solution

 * 9 large cucumbers, (8 to 10)
 * 2 cups pickling lime
 * 2 gal water

Boiling solution

 * 1 cup vinegar
 * 1 bottle red food coloring (Shilling's is prettiest)
 * 1 tbsp alum

Syrup

 * 2 cups vinegar
 * 10 cups sugar, (5 pounds)
 * 2 cups water
 * 14 oz red hots, (12 – 14 oz.)
 * 8 cinnamon sticks, l per jar
 * 2 tsp salt

Directions

 * 1) Peel and remove seeds from 8 to 10 large cucumbers.
 * 2) Seeds can be removed with an apple corer.
 * 3) Slice into ½ to ¾ inch wide rings.
 * 4) Soak overnight in lime and water in a porcelain container (use non-aluminum).
 * 5) Wash, drain; soak in clear water and covered with ice cubes for 3 hours.
 * 6) Drain.
 * 7) Put in large pot.
 * 8) Cover with water and other ingredients for the boiling solution.
 * 9) Boil for 1 hour; then drain.
 * 10) Make syrup and bring to boil to dissolve sugar.
 * 11) Use one cinnamon stick for each jar you think you will have.
 * 12) Pour syrup over cucumbers and let stand overnight.
 * 13) Drain syrup from cucumbers into separate pan and bring to a boil.
 * 14) Pour back over cucumbers.
 * 15) After cool, cover with saran wrap.
 * 16) Repeat step 5 for 3 days.
 * 17) On the fourth morning, heat syrup again.
 * 18) While heating, pack cucumbers in sterilized pint jars (larger jars can be used) with cinnamon stick.
 * 19) Pour heated juice into jars to fill up almost to top.
 * 20) If you don't have enough, make more juice of water and red food coloring.
 * 21) Seal jars.
 * 22) Putting in water bath is optional.