Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Tested source
This page follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation recipe for Quick Sweet Pickles. Keep the tested proportions, preparation schedule, jar sizes, headspace, pack style, and altitude-adjusted process.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare: Set up the boiling-water canner and required jars.
- Schedule: Choose either the tested hot-pack or raw-pack method and match the processing time to both the pack style and jar size.
- Cook: Complete every tested heating, soaking, or curing step in order.
- Fill: Tested hot pack or raw pack; leave 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process: Use the exact schedule for jar size, pack style, and altitude.
- Cool: Leave jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- Pint or quart jars, lids, and bands
- Large nonreactive saucepan or curing vessel as specified
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Canning funnel and jar lifter
- Bubble remover or headspace tool
- Clean damp cloth and timer
Visual method guide
- Prepare jars and canner.
- Measure and prepare ingredients exactly.
- Complete the tested schedule without shortcuts.
- Pack and leave 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process for jar size, pack style, and elevation.
- Cool and verify seals.
Safety essentials
- Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and retain the exact tested ingredient proportions.
- Do not dilute the vinegar, change tested proportions, use jars larger than quarts, or mix processing times between pack styles.
- Use only the tested jar sizes and leave 1/2 inch headspace.
- Apply the complete altitude schedule.
- Refrigerate any jar that does not seal.
About this recipe
This tested NCHFP recipe preserves quick sweet cucumber slices or strips using an acidified formula and boiling-water processing. The expected yield is about 9 pint jars.
Before you begin
Choose either the tested hot-pack or raw-pack method and match the processing time to both the pack style and jar size. Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and retain the exact tested ingredient proportions. Prepare all equipment before the final fill so jars can be processed promptly.
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Quick Sweet Pickles — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 8 lb pickling cucumbers 3 to 4 inches
- 1/3 cup canning or pickling salt
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 cups vinegar 5% acidity
- 2 tsp celery seed
- 1 tbsp whole allspice
- 2 tbsp mustard seed
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner
- Canning jars About seven to nine pints
Directions
- Wash cucumbers; remove 1/16 inch from blossom ends, leaving 1/4 inch stem. Slice or cut into strips. Sprinkle with salt, cover with 2 inches ice, refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, and drain well.
- Combine sugar, 5% vinegar, celery seed, allspice, and mustard seed in a large kettle and bring to a boil.
- For hot pack, add cucumbers and heat slowly until the solution returns to a boil; fill sterile jars. For raw pack, fill jars and cover with hot syrup. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.
- Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Hot pack pints or quarts: process 5/10/15 minutes by altitude. Raw-pack pints: 10/15/20 minutes; raw-pack quarts: 15/20/25 minutes for 0–1,000/1,001–6,000/above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
Discuss this recipe with the canning community. Community comments do not replace the tested source or safety classification shown on this page.
Join the discussion
Please log in or create a free account to discuss this recipe. You will return here afterward.
Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve chilled with sandwiches, burgers, barbecue, or picnic dishes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reduce the vinegar?
No. Keep the tested acid strength and proportions.
Can I shorten the preparation schedule?
No. Complete every tested soaking, curing, heating, and packing step.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate it promptly or reprocess within 24 hours with a new lid and the full tested process.
Recipe context
Do not combine this record with another preservation formula.
Troubleshooting
For ideal flavor, store sealed jars 4–5 weeks before serving. Refrigerate any unsealed jar promptly or reprocess within 24 hours using a new lid and the full tested process.
Source & provenance
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
12–25 lb of Pickling cucumbers per person per year
The source-cited calculator below can convert your pantry goal into planting plug (2 seeds) estimates where compatible yield data exists.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.