SWEET-SOUR PICKLES

This recipe is so old I don't remember anything except is was always around. I never made these pickles myself. My family was small and did not use as many pickles as my mother and grandmother did. 

cucumbers, small or sliced 

2 cups vinegar 

1 cup water 

1 cup sugar 

few mixed pickling spices tied in a bag  

Put cucumbers in a large bowl or a crock, sprinkle with the salt. Cover with boiling water and let set overnight. Next day, drain the water off. Boil the vinegar, water, sugar, and pickling spices. Drop the cucumbers into the hot mixture and bring back to a boil. Fill jars and seal.

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HOMEMADE SWEET LIME PICKLES

 Some of these old recipes are sadly lacking in directions. The housewife back then knew what to do. 

This is a perfect example.

Slice 7 pounds of cucumbers and soak in 2 gallons of water. Add 2 cups of lime. leave in this for 24 hours. Wash well and soak in water for 3 more hours. 

Cover with this solution: 2 qt. vinegar 9 c. sugar 1 tbsp. salt 2 tsp. whole cloves 2 tsp. celery seed 1 tsp. mixed spices Let stand overnight in this solution. Bring to a boil and can.

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BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES WITH BELL PEPPERS

As a child in Southern Indiana, we had big gardens and grew lots of cucumbers, peppers, and other vegetables. We canned them and ate them all through the winter. This is one of our canning recipes.

4 qts sliced cucumbers
6 medium onions, diced
3 garlic cloves
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cups white vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp celery seed

Put the cucumbers, onions, garlic, and bell peppers in a large pan or bowl and cover with ice. Let stand for three hours. Drain all the water from the vegetables and pack the vegetables into hot, sterilized quart or pint jars, leaving room for the liquid.

In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mustard seed, and celery seed. Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the mixture over the vegetables leaving some air space at the top of each jar. Seal with hot sterile lids.

Before storing check to be sure jars have sealed. Top should have a slight indention and as the jars cool that should have made popping sounds. Any jars that haven't sealed should be refrigerated and used first.

File photo used for reference.

MOM'S REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

This recipe is from my late mother.

7 med cucumbers, scrubbed and sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced and separated
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup salt

Mix the above ingredients together, cover with water, let stand for 2 hours.

1 cup vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp celery seed

In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, and celery seed to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to cool.

Drain the cucumber mixture, rinse and drain again. Put the cucumber mixture into containers and pour the cooled syrup over them. Refrigerate.

 

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GREEN TOMATO RELISH

This recipe is from an old PTA recipe book.

1 peck (8-qts) green tomatoes
6 green bell peppers
6 red bell peppers
7 large carrots, chopped (cooked separately)
10 onions
3 stalks celery
2 tbsp mixed pickling spice, tied in a cloth bag
5 cups vinegar
5 cups sugar

Cut or grind coarsely all vegetables, except the carrots, and put in salt water brine overnight. (To make the brine use 1/4 cup salt to 1 quart water.) The next day, drain or squeeze out the brine, add carrots which have been chopped or coarsely grind while raw and then cooked. Cook vinegar, sugar and spices together; bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and cook 10 minutes. Put into clean hot canning jars and seal while hot.

Note: File Photo for reference only.

Not this exact recipe.

SWEET PICKLE STICKS

I got this recipe in the 1970s from one of my best friends when I was a young housewife in Southern Indiana. These pickles are great!

Wash and cut into sticks enough cucumbers for 7 quarts.

Pour boiling water over the cucumbers and let sit overnight.

The next day, drain the cucumbers and pack into clean canning jars.

Combine the following ingredients in a large saucepan and boil for 5 minutes:

7 cups cider vinegar

6 3/4 cups sugar

6 tbsp salt

3 tbsp celery seed

3 tbsp mustard seed

6 tsp tumeric

Green food coloring, optional

Pour the hot mixture over the cucumbers in the jars. Have jar lids boiling in water. Seal the jars with the hot lids. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes to seal well.

CLIPART FOR REFERENCE

BELL PEPPER RELISH

This is an old Hoosier recipe.

18 bell peppers (use a mixture of red and green), chopped
1 large head of cabbage, shredded
2 tbsp celery seed
2 tsp mustard seed
2 tsp salt
2 cups white vinegar
1 quart apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a large saucepan or stockpot and bring to a boil; let stand for 20 minutes. Seal in sterilized jars. Make sure jars seal or place in refrigerator.

 Note: Photo used for reference only.

Not this exact recipe.

WATERMELON PICKLES

This recipe was from an old homemaker's magazine my mom received monthly in the mail when I was a kid. She subscribed to the magazine for the crocheting patterns but we often got good recipes, too. We never made these pickles, so I have no recommendation for or against. Readers, did you ever have watermelon pickles?

rind of one large watermelon
1 tbsp powdered alum
7 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1/4 tsp oil of cloves
1/2 tsp oil of cinnamon

Using a potato peeler, peel the watermelon rind leaving a trace of pink on the inside for color. Cut the rind into pieces; let stand overnight in cold water with the alum. Drain well the next morning.

Bring the sugar, vinegar, oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon to a boil. Add the watermelon rind and bring to a boil again. Set aside until the next morning.

Next morning bring the mixture to a boil again; set aside.

Third morning, bring the mixture to a boil; seal in hot sterilized jars. Makes about 7 pints of pickles.

hgtv photo

HOMEMADE PEPPER RELISH

This recipe is an old recipe from Southern Indiana.

12 red bell peppers
12 green bell peppers
12 large white onions
1 qt vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 oz mustard seed

Grind red and green peppers and onions together. Cover with boiling water and let stand 15 minutes; drain. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, mix the vinegar, sugar, and mustard seed together. Add the drained vegetables to the sugar mixture; bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Put relish into hot pint jars and seal with rings and inserts that have been boiled in hot water. Make sure jars seal. If a jar doesn't seal, refrigerate it.

 John Landis Clipart

OLD INDIANA AMISH CORN RELISH RECIPE

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. celery seed
2 Tbs. green pepper, minced
2 Tbs. onion, minced
2 cups cooked corn

In sauce pan, combine sugar, salt, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, tumeric, mustard and celery seed. Bring to a boil and cook several minutes. Add vegetables and simmer 10-15 minutes. Seal in sterilized jars.

AUNT NORMA'S DILL PICKLES

My husband's aunt gave me this recipe over 40 years ago when I raised my own cucumbers and made our pickles. This makes some of the best dill pickles ever.

ICEBOX CUCUMBER PICKLES

This recipe from Thomasville, Georgia reminds me of the refrigerator pickles my late mother made when I was young. These are good to have in your refrigerator any time of year.

2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup canning and pickling salt
3/4 tsp celery seeds
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
12 medium-size cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices

Cook the sugar, vinegar, salt, celery seeds, mustard seeds and turmeric ub a large saucepan over high heat; stir occasionally. Cook approximately 3 minutes until the mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved but do not boil.

Place the cucumbers and onions in a 4-quart airtight plastic (that can take some heat) or glass container. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and onions.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving or may refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Note: File Photo

TEXAS CHRISTMAS PICKLES

This is an old recipe I cut out of the Ft. Worth Star Telegram when we moved to Texas back in the early 1980s.  At the beginning of the article Dorothy Owen states that she cut it out of the same newspaper years ago.  I have no idea how old it is, but it must be an old recipe.  Click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading.

HOMEMADE ONION RELISH

2 lbs onions, peeled and sliced into thick slices
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Use the oil to brush the onion slices then place the onions on a grill or in a large skillet in a single layer.  Cook onions over low heat for about 15 minutes until they start to get tender and golden in color.  Turn, browning both sides.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Chop the cooled onions and set aside.

Place the vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan and heat, stirring, over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the vinegar over the onions.  Sprinkle with the cayenne pepper; stir.

Serve warm.  Refrigerate leftovers.

file photo for reference