Sweet Hot Pickles

• 6 -7 cucumbers
• 4 cups cider vinegar
• 8 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
• hot pepper (See *)

1. Scrub the cucumbers and put them in a crock or some other container and cover with boiling water.
2. Let stand for 24 hours.
3. Drain.
4. Repeat this process for 3 more days.
5. (Total of 4 days).
6. On the 5th day, remove the cucumbers, rinse well in cold water and cut them into chunks.
7. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and the spices (tied in cheesecloth) and bring to a boil.
8. Pour over the sliced cucumbers.
9. Let stand 24 hours.
10. On the 6th day drain the syrup back into a saucepan, bring to a boil, (along with the spicebag) and pour again over the cucumbers.
11. Let stand another 24 hours.
12. On the 7th day drain the syrup again, bring to boil and pour over the cucumbers.
13. On the 8th and final day, drain the syrup, bring to a boil.
14. Put the pickles into hot sterilized pint jars along with a piece of hot pepper, and pour the boiling hot syrup over.
15. Process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes.
16. *Usecayenne peppers, or whatever fresh hot peppers you may have.
17. Be careful though to not add too much, as pickles may be too hot.
18. These are also excellent without the hot peppers.

cucumbers, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, mixed pickling, hot pepper

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/sweet-hot-pickles-98615 (may not work)