DEAR SUN SPOTS: I just read in your Sept. 3 column the request for a recipe for golden glow pickles. My mom used to make these all the time. They were a family favorite. (My husband used to call them pickled slugs because of the size and shape of the cuke pieces, but he loved them.)

2 quarts ripe cucumbers (large ones that you might not use to make traditional pickles), peeled and seeds removed. Cut in small strips or 1-inch cubes.

6 large onions, sliced fine

1 sweet green pepper, 1 sweet red pepper, 1 hot green pepper and 1 hot red pepper (all sliced and cut into fine strips)

Cover with 1/4 cup salt and let stand overnight. Drain next day.

In a large pot cover the drained mixture with cold water and bring to a boil.

Again, drain, and then add 1 pint white vinegar, 3 1/2 cups white sugar, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 15 whole cloves and 1/8 cup mustard seed.

Bring to the boiling point and simmer 30 minutes. Ladle into clean, hot jars and seal immediately.

This brought back fond memories. Mom was an avid canner, jam maker and froze so much from her garden. With a family of six kids and three adults to feed, she was a very busy woman.

Thank you for letting me share. — Sharon Fuller, Auburn

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have the following recipe for delicious golden glow pickles:

Sprinkle 6 quarts prepared ripe cukes (grind, chop, or slice) with salt and let stand three hours or overnight.

Add 12 medium onions, 2 sweet red peppers, 4 green peppers (sweet), 6 cups vinegar, 7 cups white sugar, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1/4 cup mustard seed and 24 whole cloves. Cook until done.

Also quite some time ago a lady wrote to Sun Spots and said she a problem sealing her jelly or jam. I put a small layer of melted paraffin wax on top of my jelly or jam and don’t bother to put them in hot water to seal. Just put on lids and rims. — Hazel Cole, hazc@oxfordnetworks.net

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Here is my recipe for golden glow pickles:

Combine and cover 3 quarts peeled, diced and seeded cukes, 6 diced onions, 1 green pepper cut into small pieces and 1 red pepper with water and 1/4 cup salt. Let stand three hours.

Drain and rinse. Add 3 1/2 cups sugar, 15 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 pint vinegar, 1/8 cup mustard seed. Bring to a rolling boil for 8 to 10 minutes.

Put into hot jars and seal. — Marilyn Burgess, stocker7@fairpoint.net

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Love your column, read it every day. I have a sunglow sweet cucumber pickle recipe that was my mother’s. I am 85 and have been making them forever. The lady did not put an address, so here it is.

2 tablespoon white mustard seed

1 teaspoon celery seed

2 teaspoon turmeric

12 large cucumbers (I usually use cukes that have started to turn yellow, but if I couldn’t get them I have used BIG green ones)

1 red sweet pepper

3 cups vinegar

2 cups sugar

Peel, seed. slice and soak cucumbers in salt water overnight. Pour off brine in morning and continue.

Add the seasonings and red pepper, vinegar and sugar.

Cook 5 minutes or more until cucumbers seem soft but not mushy, rather translucent. Put in hot jars and seal.

When done, they look golden! — Ramona, roverramon@megalink.net

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have my mother-in-law’s recipe for golden glow pickles, but the instructions are not very clear. If someone knows how to do pickles, she will probably know what to do. They are delicious!

Peel, remove seeds and cut into cubes 4 quarts ripe cucumbers, 2 red sweet peppers, 2 red hot peppers. Soak in weak salt water overnight.

Drain. In a bag, mix 1/4 cup celery seed, 1/4 cup mustard seed, 20 whole cloves, 7 cups sugar, 1 quart vinegar and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. A note at the end says that she added one cup of water to the vinegar as it was so strong.

That’s the recipe. It isn’t specific enough for me, but if one is a pickle maker, It should work. — Sally Bodwell, Bethel

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Golden glow pickles are great because they will utilize forgotten overgrown cukes.

In a large kettle mix 4 or 5 medium onions chopped, 4 or 5 green peppers plus 1 or 2 red peppers chopped, 5 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons salt. 3 cups vinegar, 2 teaspoons turmeric and 1 teaspoon dry mustard mixed with a little vinegar to make a paste and added to the vinegar.

Then add 4 or 5 quarts cukes, peeled, with seeds removed and cut into large pieces. 

Cook very slowly until transparent (about three hours). Place in jars and refrigerate. When cooled they are ready to enjoy. — Cissy Gallant, Rumford

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Some ladies recently sent in pickle recipes. They all took hours. Mine require no cooking and are much faster. If you make them in the morning, you can have them for lunch the next day.

Grammy’s pickles

3 European cukes and 1 medium-large onion (both sliced thin; I use a mandolin slicer), 1 medium green pepper (cut up small), 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 3/4 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons celery salt (mix in the vinegar). 

(If you want to make a half batch, use a small onion and 3/4 to 1 cup sugar, half of other ingredients.)

Put the cukes and onion in a large bowl, pour sugar over them and mix well. Pour the vinegar and celery salt over all and mix. 

Put in a container with a tight cover. Shake. Shake again in an hour. Shake as often as you can.  

The whole batch makes a lot, so I give some for gifts or just make a half batch for the family. I hope you will try them for Mr. Sun Spots. My son said to tell you they are great with sandwiches.— Grammy in Minot

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Love your column! I read it every day. On Sept. 3 you had a letter from Kim Lobley of Anson requesting a recipe for golden glow pickles. She was looking for an “old” recipe.

I have one that was given to me about 40 years ago by a neighbor who was a retired schoolteacher. If Kim would contact me, then we could determine if this recipe would work for her.

Coincidentally, I just finished a batch a week ago. This recipe uses ripe (yellow) cucumbers. Thanks for your great column! — Amy Guimond, ladyslipper2@roadrunner.com

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