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
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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.
I have this recipe , but would like to substitute Balls pickle crunch instead of lime , but am not sure if I should omit the first step and add it to the next step (4) with the vinegar alum and water. And pickles I don’t want to go to the trouble of making the m and they don’t come out crispy
Hi Kay. Unfortunately, I have never used Ball’s Pickle Crunch so I’m not much help in how best to use it in this recipe. I would say to read the directions on the product and use it as close as possible to those instructions.
What is the purpose of Day 3? Can I skip day three and just go to canning them?
Hi Jessica. The main purpose of Day 3 is to get an extra soak day with the syrup. I have not tried cutting out this day, but please let me know how it works out.
you need the extra day
Kay, did you try this with the pickle crisp, and did the pickles come out well?
Looking for the same answer. Couldn’t find lime anywhere but found pickling crisp!
I had to order lime from Amazon, not one store in my town had any.
What can be substituted for a stone crock? Would a stainless steel pot be ok to use?
I believe that should work as well. Maybe read the instructions on the pickling lime to see if it has any containers it does not approve of using. I have used a glass bowl instead in the past and that worked just fine.
Would apple vinegar be better tasting than white vinegar in this recipe ???
Hi Judy. I personally don’t think you get much vinegar flavor in this recipe. The sugar and cinnamon candies are what is prevalent. That being said, I don’t see a reason why you couldn’t use apple cider vinegar if you wanted to.
Hi will it hurt to leave the lime on the pickles longer then 24 hours. Also after you wash the lime off snd let them soak can you wait till the next day to cook them for the 2 hours??
Hi Tammy. Great questions. I don’t believe it would hurt to leave the lime for longer than 24 hours, but I would probably try to not go over 36 hours. After washing the lime off and do the ice water soak, you should be able to go a little longer until cooking.
My mom made these with zucchini instead of cucumbers.
Brilliant idea! I’ve heard of others who have used zucchini to make pickles as well.
How did they come out? I’m over whelmed with zucchini
Love the recipe! When it states to let them sit…is that on the counter or refrigerated? Is it ok that they sit out unrefrigerated that many days? Thanks@
Hi Cara! They can sit unrefrigerated or you can put them in the fridge. My stone crock does not fit into the fridge, so on the counter (but covered) is where they hang out.
I’m on day 2. The candies didn’t completely melt It was like a ball of gum. I left it in the crock. Should I take it out
Yes normally the candies need to boil long enough to melt completely into the syrup. I would drain and try boiling again.
Working on cinnamon pickles and was wondering do you place in refrigerator during the 4 day period?
You don’t need to put it in the fridge during the 4 day period. The crock I use to store the pickles during their soak does not fit in my fridge so I just cover it and let it sit on the counter.
First time making these, what is the purpose of boiling syrup 2 days and adding pickles to hot syrup? Will they be mush? Since you boil them on Day 4, then Hot Water bath them as well
The two days of syrup is to intensify the flavor. When you re-boil the syrup do not include the pickles. They would loose their texture.
I would like to know something about the lime bath.
I have looked at several recipes and the thing they seem to vary on is the Pickeling Lime… recipes call for one cup and recipes call for two cups….
Why the variance if most everything else remains the same? What would the difference be from 1 cup to 2 cups of the lime?
Is the reason for the lime is to intensify & preserve the crunch?
Thank ya kindly…
I will check back tomorrow to see your reply…
Yes… the lime is really to help preserve the texture of the cucumber/pickle.
How did they come out? I’m over whelmed with zucchini
We love these pickles. We end up eating a whole jar at a time! Even my pickle hating sister loves them. It is so worth the rune it takes to make them.
We do too! They are so good.
Hi – I’m in day 1 and all is well. Reading ahead to day 2, step 5, the word “simmer”, is that cooking them on the stove on low heat or are they in the crock soaking? I’ve split my content between two crock pot crocks as I don’t have one big crock. If this is a heating “simmer”, would it work to use the heating part of the crock pot? Thanks!
Hi – so I just finished making these pickles and think they taste great! I followed directions exactly but at the end, when I was filling my jars, I definitely did not have enough syrup. The next time I make them I plans to make a quarter to a half more, just to be safe. Thanks!
Sounds great!
Hi. I have made these pickles in the past and am ready to do another batch with our current cucumber crop. One problem, I cannot find the red hot cinnamon candies ANYWHERE!!! I have ordered them online but they never showed up. Do you think I could substitute the red hot tamale candies instead? i
Oh no! I haven’t heard that there is a shortage of cinnamon candies! I’m not sure if the hot tamales candy would work in place. It has a bit more of a gummy texture that may change the syrup. If you try it though I’d love to hear how they turned out.
I found some candy at Walmart & Dollar General where I live,, Oklahoma
I have made these and we just LOVE them! I have also used watermelon rind instead of cucumbers – delicious! I too have had a difficult time finding red hots – best places are Wal Greens, Albertson’s or Amazon. I buy all they have when I find them in the store – and freeze them! no problems with them.
I’m fascinated by the use of watermelon rinds! What a brilliant idea!
I have a question: I am on day 1. I don’t have any stone crocks, I have mine soaking in two very large plastic Tupperware bowls. My plan is on pouring the syrup directly into these bows each day. Do you think that will work? This recipe is identical to my grandma’s but she added one small bottle of red food coloring with the alum step. Your pictures look plenty red, without food coloring. Did you use any?
Thank you
Hi Barbara! The bowls should work fine. I did not add any food coloring. The candies do the job!
Can I make this with cinnamon hard candies instead of red hots?
Yes, they should work.
Hi! I’m on Day 2. Do they need to soak in the syrup for 24 hours before I boil again?
Roughly 24 hours yes. But at least overnight.
Can I use this recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
I’m not sure Vicki. I’ve never made watermelon rind pickles, but I would imagine if they are similar to a cucumber in texture it could possibly work.