1st Day

Wash and slice 1/8” – ¼” slices of cucumbers, soak in lime water 24 hours. Do not use metal pan for soaking.

Notes: (Use care when working with lime. Wear protective goggles, gloves, and a face mask because lime is a caustic, very fine powder. Skin contact and inhalation are dangerous.) Put half of the cucumbers in a large non-reactive pot, sprinkle with half the lime, top with remaining slices and remaining lime. Pour enough bottled water over the slices to cover completely. Use a non-reactive plate to weigh down the slices so all of them are fully submerged. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Stir halfway through the 24 hours to make sure the slices aren’t sticking together and are fully submerged in the solution. 

2nd Day

Rinse thoroughly two times in very cold water. Drain and soak in mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices.

Notes: Rinse until water runs completely clear!!Wearing gloves and goggles, lift handfuls of slices under cold running water then put into a large container filled with fresh cold tap water. Repeat several times (I rinse 4 times). If desired, let slices rest in a tub of fresh water and ice cubes for a few hours. Drain completely. Put cinnamon sticks and cloves in a cheesecloth bundle. Mix ground spices with sugar. In the same non-reactive container, add cucumbers in 3-4 layers, sprinkling some of the sugar over each layer. Pour the vinegar over top, gently mix, then bury the cheesecloth bundle in the center of the pot.

At first the brine will not completely cover the slices, but as it sits and the sugar dissolves the volume will increase. Again, use a non-reactive plate to weigh down the slices so all of them are fully submerged. (You may need to top the plate with a water-filled plastic or glass container for additional weight.) Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Gently stir a few times to make sure all the slices come in contact with the brine. Not all the sugar will dissolve. 

3rd Day

Cook 20 minutes. Don’t cook fast. After boiling starts start timing your 20 minute cooking period. Let simmer along while filling hot sterilized jars so the pickles will be sealed hot.

Notes: Have ready clean canning jars, lids and rings. Keep jars warm in a 200° oven and keep lids warm in a pot of very hot water. Rings should be clean and dry. Put pot of pickles over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring gently and occasionally, then reduce heat to a simmer (too much agitation will make the slices break). After 20 minutes the pickles should start to look translucent and are ready to pack into jars. Once the jars are packed and covered with brine, run a spatula around the inside of the jar to remove all air bubbles then top off with enough brine to come within ¼” of the top of the jar. Clean any juices or pieces from the rim of the jar so the lid can make a clean seal. Add a lid and ring, tighten completely and let jars sit to cool and seal. If desired, once jars are filled, process in a boiling water bath (*see safety note below.) Check seals once jars have cooled completely, and any jars that did not seal should be refrigerated and eaten promptly.

 * Safety note: I chose to add a step and process the pickles in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (this is the time for pint jars only), although the original recipe does NOT. Many recipes have gone away from using lime in the pickling process due to risks of botulism. I felt the extra step would be beneficial.