Sweet Chunk Pickles

Ingredients

1/2 bushel cukes

salt

1 tsp alum per quart

1 part vinegar / 2 parts water

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1 gallon vinegar

1 qt water

26 c sugar

pickling spice

cinnamon sticks

whole cloves

mixed spices, etc

Directions

Wash 1/2 bushel cukes and put in salt water brine that will float an egg. Let stand 3 days. Drain brine and cover cukes with clear cold water. Let stand 3 days. Drain and cut cukes in 1 inch long chunks. To each quart of cukes add 1 tsp. alum. Mix 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. Pour over cukes, with alum and place jar in a warm place for 1 or 2 days. Drain. Make a syrup of 4 quarts vinegar, 1 quart water and 26 cups sugar. Add pickling spice, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, mixed spices, etc. or whatever spice you choose. Boil syrup and spices and pour over pickles. Let stand 3 days. Reheat syrup. Fill jars with chunk pickles. Pour hot syrup over pickles and seal.

Notes

I got this recipe from Wilma Robertson years ago. We ate lots of these.