Sweet Gherkin Pickles - cooking recipe

Ingredients

7 lbs cucumbers (1-1/2 inch or less)
1/2 cup pickling salt
8 cups sugar
6 cups vinegar (5%)
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spices
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon fennel (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)

Preparation

Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4-inch of stem attached. Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water.
Six to 8 hours later, drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt.
On the second day, drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt.
On the third day, drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork.
Combine and bring to boil 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups sugar, turmeric, and spices. Pour over cucumbers.
Six to 8 hours later, DRAIN AND SAVE the pickling syrup.
Add another 2 cups each of sugar and vinegar to the pickling syrup and reheat to boil. Pour over pickles.
On the fourth day, drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. DRAIN AND SAVE pickling syrup 6 to 8 hours later.
Add 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla to the pickling syrup and heat to boiling.
Fill sterile pint jars with pickles and cover with hot syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process as below, or use the low temperature pasteurization treatment (see link provided above).