Sweet Chunk Pickles

Day 1 – Combine salt and water, add cucumbers and let stand in brine for 2 days.

Day 3 – Drain and sprinkle alum over cucumbers and cover with boiling water. Let cool and drain.

Make syrup of sugar, vinegar and spices (in a cheesecloth bag), bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers. Let stand overnight.

Day 4 – The next day, drain syrup and spice bag back into kettle, bring to a boil again and pour back over cucumbers. Let stand overnight.

Day 5 – The next day, pack cucumbers into jars, heat the syrup and add green food coloring (if desired), pour over cucumbers and seal jars. Makes about 8 quarts or 16 pints of pickles.

NOTES : Makes better pickles if medium cucumbers are cubed and used, rather than great big ones. You should be able to find the alum powder in the spices section or with the canning supplies in the summer.