Crystal Pickles

Put 25 cucumbers of dill size in a brine strong enough to float an egg and enough water to cover. Use in a crockery jar. Let stand two weeks. Take out and drain, wash, then cut in slices one fourth inch thick or thicker if preferable. Put one tablespoon alum in enough water to cover cubes, and let stand overnight Drain and wash. Tie in a sack:

2 sticks cinnamon
� teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon whole cloves

Add to one quart vinegar and two quarts sugar. Bring to a boil. Pour on sliced or chunked cucumbers. Repeat three mornings and drain On fourth morning. Pack in glass jars. Pour the hot vinegar solution over and seal.

Crystal Pickles 2

Wash dill size cucumbers. Put in a clean stone jar. Make a brine of one quart coarse salt to one gallon of water. Cover with plate, weight down with fruit jar of water, cover with clean cloth, skim daily if necessary. Leave in brine two weeks. Drain and wash cucumbers, cut in � inch slices. Cover with cold water and two tablespoons alum. Let stand 24 hours. Drain and wash. Make a syrup of one quart vinegar to two quarts sugar. In a clean cloth bag, put two sticks cinnamon, one teaspoon ground mace, one teaspoon whole mixed pickling spices an a few whole celery seeds and drop into syrup. Bring to boil and over pickle slices. Repeat for four days, draining off syrup and reheating to boil each day. Do not use cucumbers over 24 hours old as they would not make crisp pickles. You may add fresh cucumbers from time to time in the brine, but you must allow two weeks from the last added. Put pickles, in clean sterilized jars when process is completed. Can cold. These are good at once, but better after six weeks.