Reduced-sodium sliced sweet pickles — NCHFP
A tested NCHFP hot-pack sweet pickle recipe for pint jars, made with reduced canning salt and processed in a boiling-water canner with altitude-adjusted times.
Ingredients
Brining solution
- 4 lbs 3- to 4-inch pickling cucumbers
- 1 qt distilled white vinegar 5% acidity
- 1 tbsp canning or pickling salt
- 1 tbsp mustard seed
- 1/2 cup sugar
Canning syrup
- 1-2/3 cups distilled white vinegar 5% acidity
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp whole allspice
- 2-1/4 tsp celery seed
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
Tested canning method
- Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16 inch from each blossom end and discard it. Cut cucumbers into 1/4-inch slices.
- Combine 1-2/3 cups vinegar, 3 cups sugar, whole allspice, and celery seed in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and keep hot.
- In a large kettle, combine 1 quart vinegar, canning or pickling salt, mustard seed, and 1/2 cup sugar. Add cucumber slices, cover, and simmer until they change from bright to dull green, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Drain cucumber slices. Pack hot slices into hot pint jars and cover with hot canning syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, recheck headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Process hot-packed pint jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes at 0–1,000 feet, 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 feet, or 20 minutes above 6,000 feet.
- Cool jars undisturbed for 12–24 hours before checking seals. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
Keep this card open while you work. Ingredients and directions stay together on larger screens and stack clearly on phones.
Recipe Notes
Official source: National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Safety status: Tested USDA-derived recipe. Use pint jars, commercial vinegar labeled 5% acidity, 1/2-inch headspace, and the altitude-adjusted boiling-water schedule.
Important: Do not omit either vinegar quantity or confuse the 1-quart brining vinegar with the 1-2/3 cups vinegar in the canning syrup.