Easy and Delicious Fermented Sweet Pickle Recipe 

Thank you very much!! These pickles really do turn out delicious. We just planted our pickling cucumbers. Hopefully we will get enough to make another couple of batches this summer!! Thanks again!! -Lea

Lol! I'd love to see the jar!! They are addictive!! Good to hear from someone from Mississippi! We put up so many of these pickles last year we had plenty to get us through the winter. We ran out last winter, so I tried not to make the same mistake this year!! Thanks!! -Lea

Thanks!! They really are tasty!! Some of the best pickles I have ever eaten!! Good luck with them if you decide to try them!! -Lea

Thank you! I just know that these taste really good and keep for a while. I don't know how long they will keep because we eat them pretty quickly. We just finished our last jar this past week. So I know that they will keep for almost a year. I can't wait for our cucumbers to start coming in again!! Thanks!! -Lea

Thank you!! They really turn out great! Getting ready to make some more this year!! -Lea

That's great!! I love it!! We live in Alan's parents old house. We have the dryer to match, avocado green!! These pickles really are delicious!! Probably some of the best I've ever had. Hope they turn out good for you!! Thanks!! -Lea

I'm so glad!! We really enjoy them! We've made about 40 quarts so far this summer. I'm glad they turned out great for you!! Thank you for letting me know!! -Lea

Thank you! These are some really good pickles. Love to eat them with meals or alone for a snack! Thanks again!! -Lea

Thank you!! We sure do like these pickles. I like our dill pickles too, but these are my favorites!! -Lea

I just went and looked at the recipe and hers was a little different as these were a 21 day pickle. You soak the pickles in the brine for 14 days, alum water for 1 day and vinager for 1 day. That was the only difference. Yes these are the best pickles I have ever eaten.

Alan's mother was born in 1928 but didn't move to Starkville until 1963. Was your grandmother still living in Starkville in the 60s? If so, what was her last name? I had to buy pickling spices as well as Alum in bulk from Amazon this year. The local stores didn't have any in stock. You are right about these pickles!! They are the best I have ever eaten!! We make them every year now!! Thank you for visiting!! -Lea

Yay!! I'm so glad you liked them!! They really are my favorite pickles. I've never had a batch turn out bad either. Pretty foolproof!! I have had batches that didn't have as much brine as I have liked and I just topped off the jars with some applecider vinegar and they were fine. The syrup didn't come out as thick, but the taste was still good. Again, I'm so glad they turned out good for you and that you liked them. Thanks for letting me know!! -Lea

Thank you so much!! We love them!! They are definitely one of our go to snack foods!! We dice them up and put them in egg salad, potato salad, and deviled eggs too. They give everything an interesting taste!! Thanks again!! -Lea

I have seen recipes like the one you are talking about. It is a huge bonus not having to heat up the kitchen over and over! I think this syrup turns out really tasty. I hope you like the way they turn out!! Let me know!! Thanks!! -Lea

The recipe says that they will keep indefinitely without sealing. Ours usually don't last more than a couple of months before we have eaten them all, lol! We've never had any trouble with spoilage. Thanks!! I hope you like them when you try it! Let us know please!! -Lea

They really are good. Probably too good, lol! We just sit and eat a bowl of them for a snack. Thanks!! -Lea

Thanks!! The pickles really do turn out fantastic. We've eaten all of ours from last year, just waiting for the cucumbers to get ready so I can make some more!! Thanks again!! -Lea

Thank you!! It really is delicious!! We made about 4 more batches this year. Thanks for watching!! -Lea

You are welcome! Thanks for watching. These pickles really are delicious and pretty difficult to mess up, lol!! Thanks!! -Lea

Thank you!! Good luck with them!! We have kept them up to a year and a half without having any problems with them. Hopefully you'll have the same results!! I'm glad you liked the way they turned out!! We really enjoy them!! -Lea

We really love them!! They have an unusual flavor, but are very tasty!! I hope you like them!! -Lea

Thank you! We really love them. Crispy and tasty! -Lea

Thank you! This recipe really does make a delicious batch. They almost taste like a bread and butter pickle. I love them! -Lea

Hi!! These pickles really are good! Very crunchy and flavorful!! Good to see another Mississippian!! Thanks!! -Lea

Thank again!! You are very kind!! -Lea

I am so sorry I am just now seeing this! I teach kindergarten and everything has been crazy this year with learning new virtual platforms and everything else. I haven't kept up with the comments. I apologize!! Our recipe is a little different from yours. I will answer your questions the best I can from our experience with our recipe! 1. "Cover with cloth wash out as pickles get scum on." Do you think that means to wash out the cloth? I would think that this means to wash the cloth. We let ours soak for 7 days in pickle urns or 'fermentation crocks' with stone lids made to fit. A thick scum forms on top of the liquid. We scoop this off at the end of the 7 days. I would imagine if you were using a cloth it would accumulate on the cloth so washing out the cloth makes sense. 2. Would you be washing the pickles after the 10 days before cutting? We rinse ours off before the next step. Not a serious wash, but dump them in the sink and use the sprayer attachment to rinse them off. 3. "Drain and add alum for second day." Does that mean to discard the water from the previous day and put fresh water and alum in? I would think that if it says drain first I would drain off all liquid and add a fresh alum and water mix. 4. Does the spice bag get discarded after boiling for 5 minutes? or do you put the spice bag in with the cucumber/vinegar mixture? We don't boil ours, but my husband and I both looked at this and decided it sounds like the recipe wants you to discard the spice mixture. We don't, we layer the spices in with the cucumbers and sugar, but we don't boil anything so it's hard to compare. 5. " Pour off each morning and add 2 cups of sugar for the next 3 mornings." I interpret this to mean drain but keep the liquid and add more sugar and put back over the pickles. What do you think? Would you boil it again or leave it cold? I would interpret it as pour off the vinegar mixture and discard it then add sugar to the cucumbers for the next few days. in our recipe we just let the cucumbers soak in vinegar for 6 hours then drain and discard that liquid. We then add the sugar and let the cucumbers sit in the sugar. They create their own syrup from just sitting in the sugar. I stir them occasionally and this seems to help all the sugar dissolve. But we don't let the cucumbers sit in the vinegar for much more than 6 hours. 6. Sounds like she didn't seal or water bath them either. I actually didn't know you could do it without processing in a steam or water bath. We don't seal or water bath ours either. The fermentation process where they sit in the salt water mixture for 7 to 10 days makes them shelf stable. I am so, so sorry for getting back to you so late. I'm sure you are already finished with you pickles. I hope they turned out well!! This truly is one of the tastiest pickle recipes I have ever eaten!! Thanks, and sorry again!! -Lea

That's pretty fun!! Nice to hear from a fellow Starkvillian!! These pickles are really good, we make them every year!! Thanks!! -Lea

We don't have a crock dill pickle recipe! Sorry! I make dill pickles, but I don't do them in the crocks. We are going to experiment with that next summer. We like the sweet pickles made in the crocks so much we'd like to find a good dill recipe too. When we hit on one we like we will share it! Thanks!! -Lea

You just keep adding sugar on top till it makes enough syrup.

I am so sorry I haven't answered you comment sooner! I have been trying to finish up a degree, and it took a lot more time than I anticipated, lol!! You could add more sugar to make more syrup, and if you don't need a lot of extra liquid I have added apple cider vinegar to the jars to cover the pickles. I bet your sugar solution idea should work well!! I guess you've already done it, how did it work? Thanks again, and sorry about not getting back to you sooner!! -Lea

They are great! They aren't water bathed, pressure canned, or anything. Not heated in any way. They are supposed to keep indefinitely from the fermentation process. Ours usually don't last more than about two months before we have them all eaten, lol! Thanks!! -Lea

Most of it isn't hard work, lol! It's just a waiting game. It feels like forever until they are ready. -Lea

I don't know, we have considered the same thing. We have been thinking about trying the same recipe but using dill spices and no sugar next year. I don't know how it would work, but might be worth trying a small batch. Let us know how it works if you try it!! Thanks!! -Lea

We ordered them online from "Ohio Stoneware". We ordered the crocks, lids, and weights all at the same time about two years ago. We have been very pleased with them! Thanks!! -Lea

I've thought about trying that next year! I think it should work. Please let me know how they turn out!! -Lea

Good luck with the recipe! Our cucumbers have just started making this year. I'm getting ready to start making some more pickles this year!! Thank you about the shirt!! My brother coaches his son's youth basketball team and he designed the shirts for them. I liked the design, so he had one made for me at the same time. I love the design and the team name!! Thanks again!! -Lea

Thank you!! I need to do that!! We keep experimenting with our dill pickles. I do a little something different every year. We haven't hit on one we love as much as the sweet pickle recipe. I tried something new already this year. I have to wait eight weeks before I can try them and see if I like them, lol!! Great to see another Mississippian!! Thanks again!! -Lea

Would love the dill pickle recipe! Not from Mississippi lol upstate New Yorker here. ☺️

They really are good!! I hope you enjoy them! We've never intentionally let them sit longer than the 6 hours. Maybe an hour or two here and there, but no big test or anything. I don't know how it would affect the taste. I like the vinegar taste, so I can't imagine it being bad. We're really huge Mississippi State Fans. We had a good friend who was the tennis coach here but he played at the University of Kentucky. He gave us the shirt. He coaches at Arkansas now. We love MSU, but root for all SEC teams (except Ole Miss). Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 so I'm 4 days into the salt soak and my actual croc weights came in. I replaced what I had in there and checked the cucumbers. They're super soft, I can still feel some firmness inside of them, but I'm worried these are ruined. Are they supposed to be really soft?

@@ssammons186 They do get pretty soft. The step with the alum firms them back up.

This recipe is delicious!! I'd love to hear how yours turn out!! Thanks!! -Lea

Hi! I bought in bulk this time too. Our local store didn't have any pickling spice. I have been layering the cucumbers, then about 1 cup of sugar, then about 1/4 cup pickling spice. I put a thick enough layer of the sliced cucumbers to not be able to see the previous layer of sugar, then another cup of sugar, then almost 1/4 cup pickling spice. This has worked out well. The taste is right. I hope this helps!! Thanks!! -Lea

Alum is used in making pickles to firm the cucumbers when fermenting pickles. I looked it up, lol! It is also used in dyeing fabrics and tanning leather (which was a little disturbing to read). It apparently has some medicinal uses as well. I just know it makes the pickles crunchy. Thanks!! -Lea

You are very welcome! these pickles really are superb. Crispy and delicious. We got the crocks, lids, and weights from Ohio Stoneware. We've used them for two years now and have had no complaints!! Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 Thank you! 💞

@@sonomasyrah You are very welcome!

Thank you! No, we never do. The recipe says that the pickles will keep indefinitely without sealing. Ours usually don't last long, lol (Because we eat them up so fast)! We have some jars that are over a year old and they are still fine. Thanks again!! -Lea

The recipe said they would keep indefinitely without sealing, so we just never have put them in a water bath. Plus, we've heard that heating them would kill the beneficial bacteria. You could try it. I don't know if it would hurt the taste or not. Before, when I have water bathed other pickles, the pickles got a little less crisp. If it would make you feel safer, I would give it a try. I just personally choose not to do it. Thanks!! -Lea

Thank you!! I don't really know. We are just following the recipe. This recipe was my husband's mother's mother's recipe from the 1920s. I just know it makes really crisp and delicious pickles! Sorry I can't be more help on the specifics...Thanks again!! -Lea

Nice to hear from a fellow Mississippian!! Have you ever been to Morgan Freeman's blues restaurant? Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 no I haven't, I haven't been back for 15 years.

Not sure! That's just what the recipe said to do. We've never tried leaving them whole.

I don't right off. This is the only fermenting recipe I have ever tried. We do this one every year, but I have never experimented much with any other fermenting recipes. Sorry!! -Lea

It's the same pickling spice. We use it in our dill pickles and in our sweet pickles. Both of those sizes you mentioned sound like the correct ones. We weren't able to find the tins of spices last year so we bought in bulk and had to estimate, but the sizes you mention sound correct. I typed the recipe out in the video description. I hope your pickles turn out well!! Sorry I didn't see this message sooner!! -Lea

Hi! We keep them in a room temperature cabinet until we get ready to use them. We refrigerate them only when we are getting ready to eat them. We like them cold. Thanks!! -Lea

I hope you like them if you try them!! We really enjoy them!!

@@backyardhomestead2230 Thanks for your reply. We will try your recipe this season. They look so good. Thank you for sharing.

The recipe is typed in the description. Let me know if you have any questions!! -Lea

Hi! I just had to buy alum the same way. All the local grocery stores were out. I saved my alum box and filled it up from the bag. To match the recipe it takes approximately 10 teaspoons. (5 teaspoons per gallon of water) We just made our first batch using this measurement. It looks like it turned out right!

Backyard Homestead thank you for your reply. Looking forward to trying these.

@@SouthernFishing000 Good luck with them!! We love them. I have made about 6 batches so far this summer! Our cucumbers have been producing really well! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 I just finished a batch of these pickles. They turned out great, however i did not use nearly as much alum as you. Recommendations are 1/4 tsp per qt or 1 tsp per gallon. That is what I used and the pickles are very crisp. I also used 2 or 3 grape leaves through the entire process and jarred the pickles with one grape leaf per jar.

We don't cut the ends off ours. It seems to work fine without cutting them off. We just soak them whole. -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 Lea, thank you so much for getting back to me. You are a wonderful person. I just know they will be delicious. 😊

@@sonomasyrah Thank you!! We have made about 4 batches so far this summer. They are turning out great!! I hope you like them!! I have trouble stopping eating them, lol!! -Lea

The Alum is a 2 1/4 oz. box. The pickling spice I'm not sure on. It's whatever the large tin is in the grocery store, probably about 3 or 4 ounces. I wasn't able to find it in the grocery store this time, so I bought in bulk (so I don't have a tin to look at). What I have been doing is layering a layer of cucumbers about 1 inch thick, then 1 cup of sugar, then 1/4 cup pickling spice. This has been working out really well. It's not really an exact science. If you layer it in you can't really go wrong. I also had to buy my Alum in bulk. I've been putting 5 teaspoons per gallon of water. This has also worked well. They come out tasting great! Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 TY. Started my salt water today. Really looking forward to these pickles. They looked delicious.😃

@@michaelbroadhead8155 I hope you enjoy them. We've made about 40 quarts of them this summer. We just love them!! Good luck!!

Hi! I don't know about substitutes, but I had to buy our Alum in bulk from Amazon this year. I couldn't find it anywhere in local stores!! -Lea

We ordered them online from Ohio Stoneware. We ordered the two gallon crocks with the weights and lids. Good luck with them!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 if you live in Ohio it’s in Zanesville Ohio fifteen minutes from me

Hi! Thank you! The crocks are 2 gallon crocks. We got the crocks, lids, and weights from Ohio Stoneware. We got them about three years ago and have been very pleased!! Thanks again!! -Lea

24 hours is not long enough to FERMENT the pickles which is what makes them shelf stable. If you used the recipe on those I would water bath canned them or keep them in the refrigerator. Then try her whole recipe on another batch.

Sorry, just saw this comment. Cheryl told you exactly right. We let the pickles sit in the salt water for 7 days. This is long enough for them to ferment and this is what allows them to keep without processing. Thanks!! -Lea

Hi! I don't think so, but I could be mistaken. As long as you layer the pickles, sugar, and spices it's hard to mess it up, lol!! I haven't been able to find pickling spices locally lately and have had to buy in bulk from Amazon. I don't even really measure when using the bulk spices. I just layer the ingredients in the crocks and it comes out fine. Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 The pickles turned our great, but I did not have enough juice to cover all the pickles. What do you do in that case. Thanks

@@shielarhoads7049 The times I have had that happen I have divided the juice evenly over the pickles in the jars and then topped them off with apple cider vinegar. That has worked well! Thanks!! -Lea

I honestly don't know, but I wouldn't think so. The sugar is what makes the syrup. If you try it, I would be interested to know how it turns out! Thanks!! -Lea

Never mind, lol! I just read the recipe. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Glad you found it in the recipe! I just bought a large bag of alum from amazon. I couldn't find any in the local grocery stores. I'm just going to weigh out the quantity it calls for on a scale. Hope you like the pickles!! Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 I just came back to say how delicious those pickles are!!! Mine are just on the first full day of soaking in the syrup, but they are so salty sweet and crispy. I was nervous about the different steps and some of my cucumbers were on the largish size, but I just went back and watched your video for reassurance. Thanks for doing such a clear job of showing how to make them. This will go in my keeper file.

@@smiller646 I'm so glad you like them!! Like you said, they are salty and sweet, kind of an unusual taste, but we love them!! Thanks for letting me know!! -Lea

Yes, we don't seal the jars or refrigerate them. They keep fine. We have kept them up to a year, but we generally eat them before that much time goes by. They are really tasty pickles, lol!! Thanks!! -Lea

We don't have one using this method, sorry! I use a different method altogether for doing dill pickles. We are going to do some experimenting next year with dill pickles since we enjoy the sweet so much. When we hit on one we like we will share it! Thanks!! -Lea

We made this batch this past summer and kept them in the cabinet un-refrigerated. We are still eating them. We took out a jar last weekend and ate them. Still good!! Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 thank you !

It doesn't. I have noticed a faint smell when I take the lids off the crocks, but that is all. Thanks!! -Lea

I'm not positive. We don't make them for that reason, we make them because they taste good, lol! But from what I've read about fermentation, this sounds like it fits the bill. They are soaked in the salt solution and kept in an anaerobic environment. Then they are soaked in vinegar again in an anaerobic environment. They are never heated to kill the beneficial bacteria that develops. I would think they would contain all the beneficial bacteria and probiotics, but again I am definitely not sure. I only know they taste good. Thanks!! -Lea

Backyard Homestead they do look good. I will have to try it. Thanks for the reply. 😊

Haven't worried about it. I looked it up and read that using it in small amounts is safe. Sure makes the pickles taste good! -Lea

We use a slightly different one every year. I haven't found one that I am in love with like the sweet pickles. We tried a recipe for zesty dills this year. We can't taste them for eight weeks, lol!! If they turn out good I will share the recipe next season. Thanks!! -Lea

@@backyardhomestead2230 I am looking for an old recipe that is not kosher and doesn't have garlic in it. I remember the old pickles and it didn't have garlic in it. It is like the hamburger dill pickles.

@@CelticTechno I'll keep my eyes out. The one we made this year was loaded with garlic.

Thanks for watching! These pickles are really good!! -Lea

So sorry!! I just saw this!! It's probably too late for this advice, but I would go with your gut and leave them in longer. I think we have left them longer than the seven days before and they were fine. I think they might not have time to ferment if you take them out after only three days.

True, never thought about it, lol!! I'll do that this year if I remember! Thanks!! -Lea

Hi! I put a copy of the recipe in the description. Let me know if you have any questions about it! Thanks!! -Lea

You don’t have to water bath them

@@mattgarrett571 We have never water bathed them. We just keep them room temperature in a cabinet and they keep fine!!

Is that a 2.37 oz can of alum

@@mattgarrett571 Yes, the box we had was 2.37 and we just had to eyeball about half the box.

I did not know that!!! Thank you!!!

Lol!! We used to do the same thing, but these are really delicious. The flavor is really unique too. I have never been able to buy any that taste as good. Thanks!! -Lea

Check the ingrediants. Bill Gates and Katey perry night Braggs Apple cider viniger. Why you watching then.

It's not that bad, just a lot of waiting, lol!! -Lea