Recipe: Sweet Red Cucumber Rings

This was posted by Marilyn on June 25th, 1998

Sweet Red Cucumber Rings

8 quarts peeled and seeded large cucumber rings
(Peel and slice into rings and then use a doughnut hole cutter to remove the seeds in each slice.)

8 quarts water
2 cups pickling lime
1 cup cider vinegar, 5%
1 bottle (1 1/2 ounce) red food coloring
Water

Mix water and lime. do not use aluminum container. Soak cucumber rings in lime mixture for 24 hours. Drain and rinse rings. Discard lime mixture. Soak cucumber rings in ice water for 3 hours. Drain cucumber rings. Place rings in vinegar and food coloring. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. Drain.

SYRUP
3 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups cider vinegar, 5%
10 cups sugar
8 sticks cinnamon
8 ounces red hot cinnamon candies

Combine water, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and red hot candies; bring to a boil. Pour syrup over cucumbers; let stand. Each for the next 3 days, drain off syrup and bring it to a boil. Pour syrup over cucumber rings; let stand. Do not boil rings, only the syrup. On the 4th day, prepare jars and lids. Remove cinnamon sticks; heat rings and syrup to boiling. Pack cucumber rings and syrup into hot jars. Leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubble with a non-metallic spatula. Wipe jar rims. Process pints and quarts for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield about 7 quarts. These are best when served very cold. Most people will think they are apple rings.