Sweet pickles are great to eat on their own or as part of a pickle plate or over a salad. They also make an excellent accompaniment to lamb, chicken, or turkey. Add them to your spicy burgers to tone down the heat or mix them up with your warm risotto for a comforting meal.
Sweet and sour pickles make a great combination. You can add them to sandwiches, or serve them as appetizers or relishes. They also make good garnishes.
You can cut the pickles in rounds or you can slice them lengthwise. Very tiny cucumbers, called gherkins, can be left as is. Just make sure to remove the top and bottom slices.
Sweet pickle ingredients
This sweet pickle recipe combines a little bit of sweet and sour. The best part about this recipe is that you can adjust its sweetness. Some people like their sweet pickles cloyingly sweet while others do not. So feel free to add some more sugar than the recipe calls for, as per your taste.
To add some heat, you can introduce some red chili peppers in the jars. Cloves are a great addition to the recipe as well.
Here is an overview of the ingredients used in this recipe:
Cucumbers are diuretic vegetables and they are good for the spleen, stomach, and large intestine. They are great blood purifiers and may help in preventing acne.
Cucumbers are rich in potassium which helps regulate blood pressure. When cucumbers are combined with celery seeds in this pickle recipe, you automatically help balance the sodium and potassium levels in the body.
Celery seeds impart a mild, slightly bitter taste to this pickle. They are also rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, and many B-vitamins. Celery seeds can assist the flow of urine through the kidneys and may help relieve the symptoms of arthritis and gout.
Mustard seeds contain glucosinolate and myrosinase both of which are thought to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Their selenium and magnesium content could benefit people with rheumatic arthritis.
Mustard seeds are known to relieve migraines and congestion. They also contain fiber which can aid in digestion and prevent constipation. Copper, iron, magnesium, and selenium in mustard seeds can prevent menopausal issues and regulate blood pressure.
Turmeric in the recipe is a powerful antioxidant. Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is now being researched for its cancer-preventive properties.
Turmeric is an important ingredient in curry powder and it can reduce inflammation, fight infections, and prevent coughs.
The flavor of turmeric is somewhere between ginger and oranges. Note that turmeric tends to stain clothes and skin, so handle it with care.
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Sweet Pickle Recipe
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Description
Pickled cucumbers made sweet.
Ingredients
- Pickling cucumbers – 5 ½ lbs
- Shallots sliced – 1 ½ lbs
- ½ cup pickling salt
- 4 ½ cups white vinegar
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp celery seeds
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers and remove blossom ends. Halve, quarter, or leave them whole, depending on their size. Coat the cucumbers and shallots evenly with salt and toss them well to distribute the salt all over. Refrigerate the cucumbers and shallots for 2-4 hours, covered. Drain the juice.
- Prepare mason jars or pint jars by heating them in water baths.
- Place the cucumbers in the prepared jars.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil.
- Pour the liquid over the cucumbers. Leave about half-inch headspace.
- Cover the jars with two-piece canning lids.
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Store the jars in a cool, dry place for at least 2-4 weeks before consuming.
- Prep Time: 4 hours (soaking time)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Fermented Food
- Method: Fermentation
The flavor of your sweet pickles will increase as the duration of standing increases. You can also eat it right away if you like! Enjoy!
What a fantastic recipe! I love your process of pickling, and the ingredients are delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the kind words Brittany 🙂