Photo: Emeril's Homemade Sweet and Spicy Pickles Recipe
NOTE: When selecting cucumbers for pickling, there are a few things to remember. For crisp pickles, choose ripe, pickling cucumbers, which are shorter and chunkier than regular eating cucumbers, which tend to be longer and smoother. Ripe pickling cucumbers are darker green, firm, and not "bloated." They should have plenty of spiny bumps on the outer surface. Overripe cucumbers make mushy pickles. They tend to have yellow or white streaks or spots and their surfaces are smoother. Choose pickles that have not been coated in wax, as the pickling brine cannot penetrate through the wax. The fresher the cucumbers, the crisper the pickles will be. For best results, try picking your own cucumbers from a local farm or farmers' market.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 2 cups sliced onions
- 1/2 cup pickling salt
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 4 whole cloves
- 10 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
- 24 dried cayenne peppers
- 2 teaspoons 100 percent Natural Pickle Crisp, optional
Directions
Place cucumbers, onions, pickling salt, and water in a large, non-reactive bowl. Cover and allow cucumbers to soak for 2 hours. Drain the water from the onions and cucumbers through a colander and rinse well for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Combine the vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, cloves, garlic, and peppers in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add the cucumbers and onions. Bring to a simmer and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Fill each of the hot sterilized pint-size preserving jars with the pickle mixture, dividing them evenly, and enough of the liquid to come within 1/2-inch of the top. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Natural Pickle Crisp to each jar, if desired. With a clean damp towel, wipe the rim and fit with a hot lid. Screw on the metal ring just until the point of resistance is met. Process the jars in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes.
Using tongs, remove the jars, place on a towel, and let cool. Test the seals by allowing the jars to stand at room temperature overnight or until the lids pop. Tighten the rings and store in a cool dry place. Let the pickles age for at least 2 weeks before using.
* Sterilizing Jars
Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
Tips:
Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two-piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum-seal when processed.
To sterilize jars before filling with jams, pickles or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
Use tongs when handling hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.
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By Cookermama1
Marana, AZ
on November 26, 2012
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Oh. My. Goodness! These are the most delicious tasting pickles ever. I followed the recipe with two exceptions: (1 I couldn't find the dried Cayenne peppers called for, so used dried chile arboles (red chiles - probably the same thing; (2 besides mincing some of the garlic, I added a bunch more and left them whole. I also could not find the Pickle Crisp, so did without and they came out just fine. The whole garlic that sits next to those pickles imparts the most wonderful garlicy flavor to the pickles and the garlic themselves are divine!
By smithjc8_2006163
Ridgecrest, CA
on November 09, 2012
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My whole family love this receipe. I make several batches and give out at Christmas time. I add extra peppers, onions, & garlic. Love these, they are worth the work.
By mizjprice_7768283
portland, OR
on August 29, 2012
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It's time I added a review for this recipe, considering I'm about to make my 7th batch in two weeks! They have been a hit among all of my peers. Not too spicy, not too sweet...a perfect combination of flavor. I'm growing two cucumber plants in my garden and I'm not a fan of dill - so I am thrilled to have found this recipe. I've never preserved or pickled before - this is very easy!
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