The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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12 medium-sized cucumbers, cut into 3 c sugar
¼-inch slices ½ tsp turmeric
1½ pounds onions, thinly sliced ¼ c mustard seed
½ c salt 2 tsp celery seed
3 c vinegar ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
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In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers,
onions and salt. Let the mixture stand for 3 hours, then pour it into a
colander to drain. Rinse with cold water, then drain again.In an 8- to 10-quart saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mustard seed, celery seed and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and add the drained cucumber and onion slices. Reduce the heat to low, bring just to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes. Avoid actual boiling to prevent the cucumber slices from softening too much. They should remain crisp.
Cool the pickles you want to serve immediately and pack the rest in hot, sterilized jars. Makes 4 to 5 pints.
