Sweet Cucumber Pickles

Sweet cucumber pickles have a classic old fashioned flavor, with plenty of sweetness from sugar and enough vinegar to balance it for a tangy pickle. This recipe comes together quickly, with no multi day prep or complicated steps. Go from garden to jar in less than an hour!

These quick sweet cucumber pickles are the perfect solution for turning a garden full of cucumbers into jars of crisp, tangy-sweet goodness—without the fuss of a long, drawn-out process.

Most sweet pickle recipes take several days, sometimes up to two weeks like these old fashioned 14 day sweet pickles, but this version (adapted from the book So Easy to Preserve by the National Center for Home Food Preservation) gets you from garden to canner in under an hour.

With no complicated soaking or multi-day prep, this is a straightforward way to put up sweet pickles in a single session. The result is a classic, crisp sweet pickle with just the right balance of vinegar bite and sugary brine.

Whether you enjoy them with sandwiches, chopped into relish, or straight from the jar, these shelf-stable pickles are a great way to make the most of a bumper cucumber crop.

Ingredients for Sweet Cucumber Pickles

This recipe makes about 4 to 5 pint jars. Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients and how they work together to make a quick but flavorful sweet pickle.

Cucumbers: Use a mix of small and medium-sized pickling cucumbers. Slice 1/16 inch from the blossom end before blanching—this step helps maintain texture and prevents enzymes from softening the pickles in the jar.

Vinegar:Use white or apple cider vinegar with 5% acidity. This forms the backbone of the brine and ensures a safe, shelf-stable product. You can adjust the type of vinegar to taste, but never reduce the amount.

Canning Salt: Enhances flavor without overpowering the sweetness. Stick to canning or pickling salt—table salt can cause clouding or leave sediment in your jars.

Sugar: This is what gives the pickles their signature sweetness. It also helps balance the acidity of the vinegar and helps maintain the texture of the cucumbers.

How to Make Sweet Pickles (Quick Version)

Start by washing the cucumbers well and trimming 1/16 inch off the blossom end of each one. This little slice makes a big difference in texture later on. Place the whole cucumbers in a large heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes, just long enough to heat through and begin softening slightly.

Drain off the hot water and immediately pour cold water over the cucumbers to stop the cooking process. You may need to replace the water once or twice to fully cool them. This blanching step helps the cucumbers better absorb the sweet, vinegary brine—and it’s key to getting great texture in this quick recipe.

While the cucumbers are cooling, combine the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan or stockpot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it’s boiling, add the blanched cucumbers to the pot and return everything to a boil.

Pack the hot cucumbers into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Pour in the boiling brine until the cucumbers are covered, maintaining the ½ inch headspace. Use a utensil to remove any air bubbles, adjust liquid as needed, then wipe the rims clean and apply the lids and bands.

Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for pints, or 15 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude (see below). Once done, let the jars cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check that the lids are sealed before storing. These sweet pickles will be ready to eat in a few days, but their flavor improves over time.

Altitude Adjustments

Adjust your processing time based on elevation to ensure safety:

• 0 to 1,000 feet: Process pints for 10 minutes and quarts for 15 minutes.
• 1,001 to 6,000 feet: Process pints for 15 minutes and quarts for 20 minutes.
• Above 6,000 feet: Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes.