Canning Lime Pickles

Lime Pickles are sweet and crunchy with a serious jaw dropping zing. Pickling with Lime adds crispness to these tasty pickles that just can’t be replicated by using any other method.

The process of Lime pickling is a bit time-consuming but well worth the effort. When using Pickling Lime be ready to spend 3 full days to process your recipe.

To make this recipe using Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime. Most local food markets carry the product in the baking or seasonal foods isle. The recipe for Sweet Lime Pickles can also be found on the back panel but I used my mother’s recipe.

Lime Pickles Recipe:

7 lbs. cucumbers (Slice crosswise)
1 cup MRS. WAGES Pickling Lime
2 gallons water
8 cups distilled white vinegar, 5% acidity
8 cups sugar
1 tablespoon salt (optional)
2 teaspoons MRS. WAGES Mixed Pickling Spices

1. Slice and Soak clean cucumbers in water and lime mixture in crockery or enamel ware for 2 hours or overnight. Do not use aluminum ware.

2. Remove sliced cucumbers from lime water. Discard lime water. Rinse 3 times in fresh cold water. Soak 3 hours in fresh ice water.

3. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and mixed pickling spices in a large pot. Bring to a low boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook syrup for 5-10 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and add sliced cucumbers. 

Optional: Allow pickles to soak in syrup, at room temperature overnight. Return to a boil before filling canning jars

4. Fill sterilized jars with hot slices. Pour hot syrup over the slices, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Clean rims with a clean towel and cap each jar when filled.

If desired, food coloring can be added during this step. Separate the hot syrup in half prior to covering cucumbers, add a few drops red food coloring to half and a few drops green to the other half, stir with a wooden spoon until food coloring is well blended then pour over cooked cucumbers as directed above.

You may choose to add another canning project such as Pickle Eggs during the brining and soaking steps. Hard boil 1 dozen eggs, place several eggs in sterilized jars and ladle hot syrup over, process in hot water bath with pickles. Pickled eggs that are processed in a water bath must be kept in the refrigerator. 

5.  Process pints 10 minutes, quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

6. Test jars for airtight seals according to manufacturer’s instructions. Refrigerate unsealed jars

For detailed instructions of jar sterilization and canning preparation click HERE

Recipe source: mrswages.com  and Anne Stone

All Photos by At Home with Rebecka