Making Homemade Pickles

I have an abundance of cucumbers coming in so I thought I would make some homemade pickles. Today I'm making Lime Pickles, about a two day process, but so worth it. I had theses pickles growing up as a child, and they where like candy to me. The taste of these pickles are as fresh in my mind as if I had them just yesterday. One of my fondest childhood memories, I still remember what they looked like. Beautiful chunks of cucumber somewhat transparent with a emerald green color. Like little gems. The green color comes from adding food coloring to the recipe. I opted not to add the food coloring because I may enter some of these pickles into the local fair next year and they do not allow food coloring. But the food coloring does make them pretty.

                            Lime Pickles
8 lbs. pickling cucumbers, washed and sliced into thick chunks
2 cups hydrated pickling lime (I used Mrs. Wages)
2 gallons water
Syrup:
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
5 1/2 pounds sugar
1 tablespoon pickling salt (I used Mrs. Wages)
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into 2 -inch pieces
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Soak the cucumber chunks in lime and water mixture, in a non-metal container for 24 hours, in the refrigerator. Stir several times during the 24 hour period. After 24 hour, rinse cucumber chunks 3 times. Drain and place in a non-metal container. 

For Syrup: Place vinegar, sugar and pickling salt, into a large non-metal saucepan. Place spices into cheesecloth and tie, place spice bundle into vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil; stirring until all sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour mixture over cucumber chunks, allow to set for 24 hours, covered and refrigerated. After 24 hours pour cucumbers and liquid into non-metal pot, bring to a boil, boil for one hour. Pack into 10 to 12 prepared pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Place seals and rings on each jar, process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.