Suspect that these are a fermented pickle and you would use a salt brine to 'cure' them. Usually cukes done this way will remain a bright green as opposed to a lightening of skin color when in a vinegar based brine. Recently, I have posted many tips and suggestions on making a salt brine type of pickle. You do start with very fresh pickling cukes as well as fresh dill weed and dill seed heads. Not sure if yours were made at other times of year, besides the growing season of summer. Mine are half sours and are soaked in a salt brine/water for only about 2-3 days, depending on the cuke size. Because I like using fresh dill, they only get made in summer time.

Linda Lou's recipe also has merits, as there, you also start with a salt brine cure prior to pickling. Its that first step that helps them to retain their bright color. Everyone may follow a recipe to the letter and realize that the taste might not be their preference, so start with small batches and adjust whatever you feel that was overpowering in the previous batch. Trial and error helps here. Once you get your taste preference met, then you write down the recipe. My mom used to make sweet picilili with green tomatoes, and her recipe was also composed of several recipes from different books, as well as her personal experience. Adding food colorng might be OK, but that would probably be better to add to a finely chopped cuke relish to improve appearance.

There are old sweet pickle recipes out there (lime sweet pickles, for example) that do call for green food coloring. It wouldn't surprise me at all if your grandmother added some to her sweets.

There's no reason why you can't use Linda Lou's recipe, which is an updated 10-day sweet, and add the food coloring at the end just before bottling.

Carol

My Momma used to add green food coloring to those pickles, so perhaps they are the same ones. I just never add it since I want the more natural look.
I suppose my grandbaby would like the food coloring added, though.

Thanks for your help. Mom is reviewing the recipe with my grandmother to see if it rings any bells. I am going to give it a try and decide on the food coloring later. I'm also going to see if I can borrow her crock.

Here's the recipe I have and it's been in our family for a few generations. This will use up a lot of large cucumbers.
Glazed sweet pickles
Cut cucumbers into rings/chunks and cover with salt and water. Let stand for 3 days in a crock or enamel pan. Drain on the 3rd day. Add 2 tsp alum and hot water to cover. Let stand 2 days, then drain. Add clear water for 3 days. 3rd day drain. Add 7 cups sugar, 3 pints vinegar, 2 tsp celery seed and 2 tsp pickling spice and boil with cucumber chunks. Add green coloring. Pack in jars, pour hot syrup over and seal in hot water canner or whatever canning method you use.

I tried to send this email once but I was not a member so I do not think that it sent so if this is a repeat email please just delete it. I am wondering if you ever got this recipe as I am looking for what I think is the same recipe and I have not had any luck at all. Please email me at iowashopperguy@gmail.com to let me know if you got the recipe or not and it would be AWESOME if you could email me the recipe. I see the recipe that one person posted but it did not say how much salt to use to cover the cukes with in the first step. Also not sure if it is actually the recipe you were looking for.

Thanks a ton!!!

Jason Mercer
Wilton, IA
iowashopperguy@gmail.com

My recent sweet pickle relish was colored with some green food coloring. Unfortunately, it was a big 2 ounce bottle and I thought it had a small opening on the top. As it turned out it was almost a teaspoon I had accidentially added, which made it VERY green. I would avoid using alum in any pickles!! My mom made B&B pickles which were sliced and placed in a big crock with pickling salt to remove water. They sat in that about 2-3 days only and then were rinsed off before packing into jars. It helped to shrink them a bit, with less water to deal with. My big overgown cukes were all quartered this time, I cut off the seeds and found LOTS of water there too. The seeds are big and quite tough. Then I put the cupup quarters into a food processer to chop them, along with onions and some garlic. I used mostly celery seed and nustard seed as the spices. The kitchen smelled like pickles for 2 days afterwards. Really GREEN relish!! I even try to tame it down by adding some tumeric which gives a yellow color, but it didn't do much.

The cukes are simply cut and pickling salt is added between layers of cukes, so it depends on the amount of cuke chunks. A medium sprinkle is needed, as its going to be used to draw out water. Once it does you drain and rinse the cukes. If your also adding onions, they to can be treated with salt. Just remember not to add to much salt when making the pickle brine. Taste as you go along..