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Kate Smith 14 Day Pickles
Kate Smith
14 day pickels [sic]
75–100 small cukes
Salt
Water
1 tbsp Alum
Place cukes in a stone jar & cover with brine (1 pt salt to 1 gal Water). These [stand] [in the] brine — [drain], 7 [days/7th day]. [Cover with boiling water? with] the Alum [well?] desolved [sic] — Soak 24 hrs — Wash cukes — Split in Half. Cover with Boiling Wotr [sic] & let [stand] another 24 [hrs], [drain], cover with follow[in]g
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1 oz celery seed — ½ oz stick cinnamon — ½ oz whole cloves
6 cups white sugar — 5 qts Boiling Vinegar
These [stand] [in this] 7 days [before] sealing ([each] [morning/day] dr[ain?] 3 [?] [drain off] liquid, heat to boiling, add 1 cup sugar), pour back to cukes. Let stand 3 days undisturbed. Drain liquid, Heat to Boiling & pour over pickels after placing in jars — Seal While Hot!
[later annotation, ink, different hand or sitting]: ⅓ˢ — almost certainly a scaling note ("make ⅓ batch"), worth flagging in provenance since it's the only ink on a pencil card
---
# Kate Smith 14 Day Pickles
*Attributed to Kate Smith (radio broadcast, likely late 1930s–1940s)*
## Ingredients
- 75–100 small cucumbers
- 1 pint salt per gallon water (for brine)
- 1 Tbsp alum
- 1 oz celery seed
- 1/2 oz stick cinnamon
- 1/2 oz whole cloves
- 6 cups white sugar (plus approximately 1 cup per day during syrup stage)
- 5 quarts white vinegar
## Instructions
1. Place cucumbers in a stone jar and cover with brine (1 pint salt to 1 gallon water). Let stand 7 days, then drain.
2. Cover with boiling water in which alum has been dissolved. Soak 24 hours.
3. Wash cucumbers and split in half.
4. Cover with fresh boiling water and let stand another 24 hours. Drain.
5. Combine vinegar, 6 cups sugar, celery seed, cinnamon, and cloves; bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers.
6. Each day for approximately 3 to 4 days, drain off the syrup, heat to boiling, add 1 cup sugar, and pour back over cucumbers.
7. Let stand undisturbed for 3 days.
8. Drain syrup and heat to boiling. Pack cucumbers into jars, pour boiling syrup over, and seal while hot.
## Editor's Notes
- **Attribution:** Card is headed "Kate Smith 14 Day Pickles" — Kate Smith hosted daytime radio programs in the late 1930s and 1940s that regularly featured recipes. The card's phonetic spellings ("pickels," "desolved," "Wotr") and mixed longhand/Gregg shorthand are consistent with real-time dictation transcription from a radio broadcast. Treat as probable provenance, not confirmed.
- **Gregg shorthand:** The card mixes careful longhand for quantities and unusual words with Gregg shorthand outlines for repeated process phrases ("stand," "drain," "each"). This pattern is characteristic of dictation transcription. All shorthand has been expanded with high to moderate confidence; one passage in the verso parenthetical remains uncertain and is reconstructed from recipe context.
- **Alum** was a standard period ingredient for crisping pickles. It is no longer recommended for home canning by the USDA; modern recipes substitute calcium chloride (Pickle Crisp) or simply omit it.
- **Sugar quantity** accumulates over the syrup stage — the 6 cups in the initial syrup plus approximately 1 cup added per reheat day produces a very sweet finished pickle, consistent with the 14-day sweet pickle tradition.
- **"Seal while hot"** — period canning instruction; follow current USDA home canning guidelines for safe processing.
- **Stone jar** for the brine stage = a ceramic crock; a large glass or food-safe plastic container is the modern equivalent. -
Garlic or Kosher Pickles
GARLIC OR KOSHER PICKLES
Wash medium size cucumbers very well. Pour boiling
water over cucumbers, let stand 2 minutes and dip im-
mediately into cold water. Dry cucumbers and pack into
sterilized jars. To each quart add 1/3 teaspoon mustard
seed, 1/3 teaspoon celery seed, small piece each of onion,
garlic, bay leaf, red pepper and 1/8 teaspoon alum (option-
al). Cover contents of each jar with boiling hot liquid,
made in the proportion of 2 quarts vinegar, 2 quarts
water, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup salt. Seal. Let stand for
several weeks before using.
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---
# Garlic or Kosher Pickles
## Ingredients
- Medium size cucumbers
- 1/3 tsp mustard seed (per quart jar)
- 1/3 tsp celery seed (per quart jar)
- Small piece onion (per quart jar)
- Small piece garlic (per quart jar)
- Bay leaf (per quart jar)
- Red pepper (per quart jar)
- 1/8 tsp alum, optional (per quart jar)
## Brine (per batch)
- 2 quarts vinegar
- 2 quarts water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup salt
## Instructions
1. Wash medium size cucumbers very well.
2. Pour boiling water over cucumbers, let stand 2 minutes, then dip immediately into cold water.
3. Dry cucumbers and pack into sterilized jars.
4. To each quart jar add 1/3 tsp mustard seed, 1/3 tsp celery seed, a small piece each of onion, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper, and 1/8 tsp alum (optional).
5. Combine 2 quarts vinegar, 2 quarts water, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup salt; bring to a boil.
6. Cover contents of each jar with the boiling hot liquid.
7. Seal. Let stand for several weeks before using. -
Kosher Dill Pickles
KOSHER DILL PICKLES
Medium sized cucumbers
1/3 teaspoon mustard seed
1/3 teaspoon celery seed
4 to 6 heads dill
2 quarts vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 quarts water
1/2 cup salt
Small piece each of red pepper, onion, garlic,
bay leaf and alum (optional)
Scald cucumbers and cover with cold water to cool.
Dry and pack into quart jars. Into each jar put the above
mentioned quantity of mustard and celery seed, dill, red
pepper, onion, garlic, bay leaf and alum (if desired).
Combine vinegar, sugar, water and salt, heat and fill jars.
Seal. This yields enough liquid for about 50 cucumbers.
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---
# Kosher Dill Pickles
## Ingredients
- Medium sized cucumbers
- 1/3 tsp mustard seed (per jar)
- 1/3 tsp celery seed (per jar)
- 4 to 6 heads dill
- 2 quarts vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 quarts water
- 1/2 cup salt
- Small piece each of red pepper, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and alum (optional)
## Instructions
1. Scald cucumbers and cover with cold water to cool.
2. Dry and pack into quart jars.
3. Into each jar put the above-mentioned quantity of mustard seed and celery seed, dill, red pepper, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and alum (if desired).
4. Combine vinegar, sugar, water, and salt; heat and fill jars.
5. Seal. This yields enough liquid for about 50 cucumbers. -
Pinati Sweet Pickle
"Pinati Sweet Pickle" (Green Tomato
3 # small green tomatoes sliced rather
thick.
2 # of pineapple sliced half the size
of Tomato pieces
2 lbs granulated sugar. (1 tbsp allspice
1 lb clover honey. (1 tbsp whole
1 C. pineapple juice cloves.
4 C. mild cider vinegar 2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp stick cinnamon peel (½ blade
mace
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Mix vinegar, sugar, honey & pineapple
juice. Tie spices in thin rag &
drop into liquid, bring to a boiling
point & pour over the tomato & pineapple in
a bowl or crock. Cover and let stand 24
hrs, then drain of liquid. Bring to a
boiling point again, put in tomato & pineapple
& cook until tender & clear. Put into sterile jars
cook syrup down until it will coat a spoon. Then
pour over tomato & pineapple filling to seal flooring.
---
# Pinati Sweet Pickle
*(Green Tomato and Pineapple)*
## Ingredients
### Produce
- 3 lbs small green tomatoes, sliced fairly thick
- 2 lbs fresh pineapple, sliced to approximately half the size of tomato pieces
### Syrup
- 2 lbs (approximately 4 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
- 1 lb clover honey
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 4 cups mild cider vinegar
### Spice Bag
- 1 Tbsp whole allspice
- 1 Tbsp whole cloves
- 2 Tbsp mustard seed
- 1 Tbsp stick cinnamon
- 1/2 blade mace (see Editor's Notes)
## Instructions
1. Combine vinegar, sugar, honey, and pineapple juice in a large pot.
2. Tie allspice, cloves, mustard seed, cinnamon, and mace in a double layer of cheesecloth and drop into the liquid.
3. Bring syrup to a boil, then pour over tomatoes and pineapple in a large bowl or crock.
4. Cover and let stand 24 hours.
5. Drain off liquid into a pot and bring back to a boil.
6. Add tomatoes and pineapple to the boiling liquid and cook until tender and clear.
7. Pack tomatoes and pineapple into sterilized jars.
8. Continue cooking syrup until it coats a spoon.
9. Remove spice bag. Pour hot syrup over fruit in jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of rim.
10. Seal jars while hot. Process according to current canning guidelines.
## Editor's Notes
- **"Pinati"** — could be a family or personal name rather than a culinary term; recipe attributed accordingly. Not a recognized period preserve category.
- **"Filling to seal flooring"** — transcription artifact on original card; interpreted as "filling to within 1/4 inch of rim; seal jars." Standard canning headspace instruction. -
Sliced Ripe Cucumber Pickle
. Sliced ripe cucumber Pickle
12 large cucumbers
1 onion
1 tb sp. celery seed
2 ounces mustard seed
1 qt vinegar
3 c sugar.
Slice cucumbers and soak
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over night in a strong
brine - drain -
Bring the minced on-
ion, celery seed, mustard seed
vinegar & sugar to a boil
add cucumber slices &
cook until almost tender
---
# Sliced Ripe Cucumber Pickle
## Ingredients
- 12 large cucumbers
- 1 onion
- 1 Tbsp celery seed
- 2 ounces mustard seed
- 1 qt vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
## Instructions
1. Slice cucumbers and soak overnight in a strong brine. Drain.
2. Bring the minced onion, celery seed, mustard seed, vinegar, and sugar to a boil.
3. Add cucumber slices and cook until almost tender. -
Spiced Currants or Gooseberries
Spiced currants or
goose berries.
Cook either fruit until
thick with sugar to taste
and add a little cloves
and cinnamon to taste.
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# Spiced Currants or Gooseberries
## Ingredients
- Currants or gooseberries
- Sugar, to taste
- Cloves, a little, to taste
- Cinnamon, to taste
## Instructions
1. Cook either fruit until thick with sugar to taste.
2. Add a little cloves and cinnamon to taste. -
Pickle Chips
Chips
40 cucumbers 7 large onions
stand in salt water 4 hrs drain
4C white vinegar 2C. water
1½ C sugar 2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp ground ginger boil 3 min
together
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# Pickle Chips
*(Bread and Butter Style)*
*Yield: approximately 15 to 20 pint jars*
## Ingredients
### Vegetables
- 40 medium cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 7 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pickling salt per gallon water (for brine soak)
### Pickling Syrup
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp celery seed
- 2 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp ground ginger
## Instructions
1. Slice cucumbers 1/4 inch thick and onions thinly.
2. Place cucumbers and onions in a large bowl or crock. Cover with cold salt water (1/2 cup pickling salt per gallon water). Let stand 4 hours.
3. Drain cucumbers and onions thoroughly. Rinse briefly and drain again.
4. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, and ground ginger in a large pot. Bring to a boil and boil together 3 minutes.
5. Add drained cucumbers and onions to the hot brine. Heat through until just beginning to simmer — do not boil.
6. Pack cucumbers and onions into sterilized jars.
7. Pour hot brine over vegetables, filling to within 1/4 inch of rim.
8. Seal jars while hot. Process in a boiling water bath according to current canning guidelines. -
Tomato Relish (India Relish)
Mrs Blooms recipe
Tomato Relish or (India)
1 pk green tomatoes chopped
1 1/2 c salt let stand all nite
& strain water off - add
1 med cabbage.
6 small onions, chopped 3 qts
vinegar. boil ½ hr. then add
3 red peppers - 2 gr. peppers -
3 tbs celery seed & 2 tbs sp.
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mustard seed 8 cups of
sugar 1 tbsp. stick cinnamon
1 tbsp. whole cloves, tied in
a cloth, boil for 1½ hrs - and
seal.
---
# Tomato Relish (India Relish)
*Recipe from the kitchen of Mrs. Bloom*
*Yield: approximately 10 to 12 pint jars*
## Ingredients
- 1 peck (approximately 10 to 12 lbs) green tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups pickling salt
- 1 medium cabbage, chopped
- 6 small onions, chopped
- 3 red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped
- 3 qts white vinegar
- 8 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp celery seed
- 2 Tbsp mustard seed
- 1 Tbsp stick cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp whole cloves
## Instructions
1. Chop green tomatoes and place in a large bowl or crock. Add salt, stir to combine, and let stand overnight.
2. Drain off liquid thoroughly — do not rinse.
3. Add chopped cabbage and onions to the salted tomato mixture.
4. Add vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes.
5. Add red peppers, green peppers, celery seed, and mustard seed.
6. Tie cinnamon and whole cloves in a double layer of cheesecloth and add to the pot.
7. Add sugar and stir to combine.
8. Boil for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
9. Remove spice bag.
10. Pack into sterilized jars and seal while hot. Process according to current canning guidelines.
## Editor's Notes
- **"1 pk"** = 1 peck, a standard dry measure of the era equal to 8 dry quarts or approximately 2 gallons volume. For green tomatoes this is roughly 10 to 12 lbs whole or 12 to 14 cups chopped. Produce was commonly sold by the peck at farm stands and markets; recipes of this scale were typical fall preserving batches.
- **"India Relish"** — the parenthetical alternate title refers to India Relish, a well-documented mid-century American spiced vegetable relish. The name derives from a loose association with Indian-style chutneys rather than direct Indian origin. Widely reprinted in community cookbooks of the era. -
3 Day Cucumber Chips
3 day cucumber chips
1 pk of medium size cucumbers
tub full salt and boiling
water to cover. First wash
cucumbers and place in crock
and pour over boiling water wit
salt, do this for 3 days. fourth
day slice into chips, add all
cup of sugar to a cup of
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vinegar enough to cover chips &
boil the sugar & vinegar and
pour chips. Do this for 3 days-
and 4th day, drain again,
and add a little sprig of
black ground pepper, to vinegar and pour
hot into jars and seal at
once (about 3 qts vinegar)*
---
# 3 Day Cucumber Chips
*Yield: approximately 3 quarts*
## Ingredients
### Brine (Days 1–3)
- 1 peck (approximately 10 to 12 lbs) medium cucumbers
- 1 cup pickling salt per gallon boiling water (enough to cover cucumbers)
### Syrup (Days 4–6)
- 3 qts white vinegar (approximately, divided across 3 days)
- 1 cup sugar per cup of vinegar used each day (see Editor's Notes)
### Final Day (Day 7)
- Remaining vinegar from syrup stage
- Ground black pepper to taste
## Instructions
### Days 1 Through 3 — Brine Stage
1. Wash cucumbers thoroughly and place in a large crock.
2. Dissolve salt in boiling water (approximately 1 cup salt per gallon water).
3. Pour boiling salt water over cucumbers to cover completely.
4. Repeat this process each day for 3 days — drain, pour fresh boiling salt water over cucumbers daily.
### Day 4 — Slice and Begin Syrup Stage
1. Drain cucumbers and slice into chips.
2. Combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup vinegar per batch; bring to a boil.
3. Pour hot syrup over cucumber chips to cover.
4. Repeat daily for 3 days — each day drain off syrup, add fresh sugar and vinegar in equal parts, bring to a boil, and pour back over chips.
### Day 7 — Final Pack and Seal
1. Drain chips completely.
2. Heat remaining vinegar with a generous pinch of ground black pepper to boiling.
3. Pack chips into sterilized jars.
4. Pour hot vinegar over chips to cover.
5. Seal jars immediately while hot. Process according to current canning guidelines.
## Editor's Notes
- **"1 pk cucumbers"** = 1 peck, approximately 10 to 12 lbs whole cucumbers. Standard market quantity of the era; consistent with other large-batch preserve recipes in this collection. -
Turmeric Pickle Chips
Tumeric (Chips)
1 pk cucumbers
2-tbsp tumeric
2 " celery seed
2 " mustard seed
1c. sugar to c. vinegar
mix altogether and bring
to a good boil (over)
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(first slice cucumbers and
let stand over night in
strong salt water brine.
---
# Turmeric Pickle Chips
*Yield: approximately 10 to 12 pint jars*
## Ingredients
- 1 peck (approximately 10 to 12 lbs) cucumbers, sliced into chips
- Strong salt water brine for overnight soak (1 cup pickling salt per gallon water)
- 2 Tbsp turmeric
- 2 Tbsp celery seed
- 2 Tbsp mustard seed
- 1 cup sugar per cup vinegar (enough to cover chips — approximately 3 to 4 cups each; see Editor's Notes)
## Instructions
1. Slice cucumbers into chips.
2. Place in a large crock or bowl and cover with strong salt water brine (1 cup pickling salt per gallon water). Let stand overnight.
3. Drain cucumbers thoroughly.
4. Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, and mustard seed in a large pot. Mix well.
5. Add drained cucumber chips to the pot.
6. Bring to a full boil, stirring to ensure sugar is dissolved.
7. Pack immediately into sterilized jars and seal while hot. Process according to current canning guidelines. -
Never-Fail Dill Pickles
NEVER-FAIL DILL PICKLES
2 quarts fresh cucumbers
4 to 8 heads dill
2 tablespoons mixed whole spices, optional
3 tablespoons salt
3 cloves garlic, cut finely, or horseradish
1 cup vinegar
Cold water
Wash cucumbers and prick with fork. Pack into sterilized half-gallon or 2-quart jars, sprinkling chopped heads
of dill through as jar is packed. Add spices, salt, garlic or
horseradish and vinegar. Add cold water to fill jar. Tighten covers almost firmly. Leave for a few days where the
jar may be shaken occasionally until the salt is dissolved.
Do not use for 2 weeks. These pickles "work" or ferment
and look milky in the jars. Sometimes brine will run out
at the top. This does not hurt pickles, but lids must be
tightened firmly after pickles are through working.
If desired, a boiling hot liquid may be poured over the
cucumbers; they are then sealed and will not work. Prick
cucumbers with a fork 3 or 4 times before packing in
jars. The proportions for the hot liquid are: 1 cup vinegar,
3 cups water, 1/4 cup salt. Bring to boil and pour over
cucumbers, dill and garlic packed in jars. Seal at once.
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# Never-Fail Dill Pickles
## Ingredients
- 2 quarts fresh cucumbers
- 4 to 8 heads dill
- 2 Tbsp mixed whole spices, optional
- 3 Tbsp salt
- 3 cloves garlic, cut finely, or horseradish
- 1 cup vinegar
- Cold water
## Instructions
1. Wash cucumbers and prick with fork.
2. Pack into sterilized half-gallon or 2-quart jars, sprinkling chopped heads of dill through as jar is packed.
3. Add spices, salt, garlic or horseradish, and vinegar.
4. Add cold water to fill jar.
5. Tighten covers almost firmly.
6. Leave for a few days where the jar may be shaken occasionally until the salt is dissolved.
7. Do not use for 2 weeks. These pickles "work" or ferment and look milky in the jars. Sometimes brine will run out at the top. This does not hurt pickles, but lids must be tightened firmly after pickles are through working.
## Hot Liquid Method (Optional)
1. Prick cucumbers with a fork 3 or 4 times before packing in jars.
2. Pack cucumbers, dill, and garlic into jars.
3. Combine 1 cup vinegar, 3 cups water, and 1/4 cup salt. Bring to a boil.
4. Pour boiling hot liquid over cucumbers. Seal at once. Pickles sealed this way will not ferment. -
Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles
ZUCCHINI BREAD
AND BUTTER PICKLES
1 large onion, sliced
6 cups small zucchini, sliced
1/8-inch thick
1/4 cup salt
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
Slice onion 1/8-inch thick. Place the on-
ions and zucchini in a large bowl. Salt
thoroughly; cover and allow to soak over-
night.
Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mus-
tard seed and celery seed and bring to a
rolling boil. Add zucchini and onions to
pickling solution. Bring to a boil; reduce
heat and simmer 15 minutes. Pack pickles
into hot sterilized pint jars. Fill to within
1/2-inch of top with pickling solution. Seal.
Yields 3 pints.
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# Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles
## Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced 1/8-inch thick
- 6 cups small zucchini, sliced 1/8-inch thick
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp celery seed
## Instructions
1. Slice onion 1/8-inch thick. Place the onions and zucchini in a large bowl.
2. Salt thoroughly; cover and allow to soak overnight.
3. Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mustard seed, and celery seed and bring to a rolling boil.
4. Add zucchini and onions to pickling solution. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
5. Pack pickles into hot sterilized pint jars. Fill to within 1/2-inch of top with pickling solution. Seal.
6. Yields 3 pints.