Candied Red Hot Cinnamon Pickles
Cucumbers are the one vegetable in my garden that seem to yield well year after year. I’m not complaining. They are great to eat fresh, in this Creamy Cucumber and Onion Salad, and pickles. Lots and lots of pickles. One of our favorites to can is this recipe for Candied Red Hot Cinnamon Pickles.

This recipe was shared with us from a family friend, Joni Houston, many years ago.
I am so thankful for that!

Now if you have been on this blog before, you know I’m normally all about simple and easy recipes.
I’m going to be upfront. This recipe is not the simplest, nor easiest recipe I have ever shared.
But…. sometimes a little bit of work and effort give you deliciousness that makes the struggle all worth it!
So trust me. Follow along. Don’t run away yet.

Let’s start by me ripping off the band-aid. These pickles are a 4 day process.
Not 4 full days. But 4 days non the less.
Day 1 to soak in the pickling solution.
Day 2 and 3 to soak in the cinnamon solution.
Day 4 to can.

But really these pickles are worth the 4 day investment.
They are delicious eating and many times we add these pickles to our relish trays or crudite platters around the holidays.
Or even gift them to family friends. Maybe that is the reason they are often called Christmas pickles.
I’m just here to bring a little Christmas in July cheer.


Candied Red Hot Cinnamon Pickles
This Candied Red Hot Cinnamon Pickles Recipe is an easy canning idea for your garden cucumbers. Called Christmas Pickles made with Red Hot Cinnamon Candies
Ingredients
Day #1
- 16 Very Large Cucumbers, peel, remove seeds, and slice into sticks or rings (Approx 32 cups when finished)
- 2 cups Pickling Lime
- 16 cups Water
Day #2
- 4 cup White Vinegar, DIVIDED
- 1 Tbsp Alum
- 10 1/2 cups Sugar
- 3 cups Water
- 2 pkg (9.5 oz) Cinnamon Red Hot Candies
- 10 Cinnamon Sticks
Instructions
Day #1
-
Place prepared cucumber sticks into a 2 gallon stone jar or crock.
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Dissolve pickling lime into water.
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Pour over cucumbers and add enough extra water to cover cucumbers.
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Let stand 24 hours.
Day #2
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Drain cucumbers and wash/rinse 3 times in cold water.
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Soak pickles in ice water for 3 hours.
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Drain.
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Stir together 1 cup vinegar, alum, and enough water to cover pickles.
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Simmer pickles in this solution for 2 hours.
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Drain and discard solution.
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In a large stockpot, combine 3 cups vinegar, sugar, 3 cups water, cinnamon red hot candies, and cinnamon sticks. Bring mixture to a boil and then pour over pickles in stone crock.
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Let sit until Day #3.
Day #3
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Pour off syrup from the pickles into large stockpot.
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Boil mixture again and then add back to pickles.
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Let sit until Day #4.
Day #4
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Heat pickles in syrup and pack into heated canning jars.
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Seal and place into a hot bath for processing. I do a 10 minute hot bath for pint sized jars and 15 minutes for quart jars.
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