Making most pickles – whether peach, okra, beet, etc. – is simple but takes a while. Cucumber pickles take the longest so if you (a) don’t have the time or (b) just plain don’t want to do it, you won’t make a very good pickle packer.
This, then, is the recipe for you! It does take time, about 12 days in fact, but only a few minutes each day instead of a whole afternoon. It is best to make the pickles in the small batch indicated rather than doubling the recipe. This is also a good project for an at-home school child before the new school year begins.
We have Lydia Thomas of Honea Path to thank for this easy recipe. Talking with Mrs. Thomas was one of the delights of this job.
Mrs. Thomas is a member of First Baptist Church of Honea Path, which she joined when she was seven years old. The years went by, her family moved, she lived in other places, graduated from Limestone College, married, taught fourth grade school children in Savannah, Ga., then after her husband Roy died she returned to Honea Path and Honea Path First Baptist because she has family there. She and Mr. Thomas had no children.
Mike Moody is pastor at Honea Path First Baptist and has been there about 11 years. The church is in the Saluda Baptist Association and has an average attendance of around 400. This time around, Mrs. Thomas has been a member about 30 years or so. Because of her age and some health problems, she is not as active in church as she was in past times. She taught Sunday school for many years.
She lives alone in a small house next door to the Maples, an assisted living center in Honea Path, and until very recently helped with the devotionals at the center. She has a helper who comes each day.
Did I mention that the charming and perky Mrs. Thomas is 103 years old?
One of her life’s interests has been painting, although she doesn’t do as much now. She works with oils, and nature scenes are the favorite subject for her amateur art.
Mrs. Thomas has three nephews – Jim Pinson in Honea Path, who helps her when needed; Joe Pinson in Myrtle Beach; and Tim Pinson in Washington. Her siblings are all deceased.
Lydia Thomas
A woman from Illinois gave Mrs. Thomas this recipe several years ago and she says it is the “best and easiest that I have ever seen or made.” The resulting pickles are somewhat like bread and butter pickles – slightly tart and sweet, but not too sweet – and are crunchy. The pickles can be eaten immediately and do not have to sit in the jar for several weeks as many pickles do.
This week, start making Mrs. Thomas’ easy pickles. Her birthday is Oct. 10. Send her a birthday card and tell her how much you enjoyed her pickles for … Sunday Dinner.
No-Cook Countertop Cucumber Pickles
½ gallon unpeeled, sliced cucumbers
Boiling water
1 teaspoon mixed spices
2 tablespoons sugar
⅓ cup salt
1 pint vinegar
1 tablespoon alum
Additional sugar
Wash and thinly slice the cucumbers (about ¼-inch) and place in a stoneware crock or glass container; don’t use metal or plastic. Add the ⅓ cup salt, mix and cover with boiling water. Use only a wooden spoon for stirring, no metal. Let stand overnight.
Next morning, drain the water. Mix the vinegar, spices, alum, and 2 tablespoons of sugar and pour over the cucumbers in container. You may have to add a little more vinegar to cover the cucumbers.
Each day for the next 10 days, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir well.
The next day after the 10th day, put the pickles in glass jars with lids. They can be stored at room temperature. They don’t have to be sealed, heated, or refrigerated. Makes 4-5 pints.
(Note: Mrs. Thomas says they will last all winter if not eaten immediately!)