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.