CRISP pickle recipe!! For ya'll that are tired of soggy pickles!

[canesisters]

Pickle makers - HELP! I've got 'stuff' that I'm not sure what to do with. :/

What do you do with the lime water? I've been dumping it on the compost pile... but at some point that is probably not a good idea....?
What do you do with batch after batch of leftover syrup after making more sweet pickles than you can probably eat before next season's cucumbers start arriving? Can I put it in the fridge and use it again on the next batch? Or do I have to start over every time?
Is there some other use for all those huge pots full of water other than dumping them (cooled) on flower beds? (don't want to douse my septic tank with gallons and gallons)
And.. what can be done about the pickle smell that seems to have soaked into every pore in the house for days after making a batch?

 

[thistlebloom]

Looks like you've gotten yourself in a real pickle Cane!

 

[baymule]

Pickle makers - HELP! I've got 'stuff' that I'm not sure what to do with. :/

What do you do with the lime water? If you have a nice lawn, it would appreciate a nice lime boost. I've been dumping it on the compost pile... but at some point that is probably not a good idea....?
What do you do with batch after batch of leftover syrup after making more sweet pickles than you can probably eat before next season's cucumbers start arriving? Can I put it in the fridge and use it again on the next batch? Yes you can use it on the next batch. Or do I have to start over every time?
Is there some other use for all those huge pots full of water other than dumping them (cooled) on flower beds? Got chickens? The vinegar water from the soaking after rinsing off the lime would be good for them. (don't want to douse my septic tank with gallons and gallons)
And.. what can be done about the pickle smell that seems to have soaked into every pore in the house for days after making a batch? Breathe deeply!

 

[canesisters]

Thanks guys.
A friend came over yesterday to pickup..... guess what... cucumbers! She walked into the house and said "Ah, you're making pickles again. Is that something you do EVERY Sunday?"

 

[baymule]

Canesisters, now that you have become the Sunday afternoon pickle expert, try the cinnamon candy recipe I posted on page one. It is yummy!

 

[MontyJ]

I just made 25 pints of these. For those that have not tried it yet, here are some pointers I discovered:

Exactly 1/2 bushel of whole cucumbers is how many you will need.

20 cups of sugar happens to be exactly 10 pounds of sugar.

The syrup is very sticky if it is spilled all over the counter...just ask Dew

It takes about 10 minutes, give or take, for the cucumber slices to become translucent after adding them to the syrup.

Make sure you have very large pots. My 8 and 12 quart enamel stockpots were plenty large enough and gave plenty of room to stir the pickles.

As with any pickles, don't breath deeply of the steam that comes out of the pots

Your sense of smell will return in time...hopefully :/

Finally, even though I don't like sweet pickles, I have to admit, these smelled really good. I will try some tomorrow and report back.