Go Back
Tongue Pickles
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Old Fashioned Cucumber “Tongue” Pickles (VT Maple Pickles)

Vermont Maple Tongue Pickles are specially shaped cucumber pickles, and back in the day, old timers thought looked like tongues.  The funny name stuck, and this old-fashioned sweet maple pickled cucumber is popular up here in the north country.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Additional Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Author: Ashley Adamant

Ingredients

For the Pre-Soak:

  • 5 Lbs Ripe Cucumbers About 4 Oversized Yellow/Green Ones
  • ¼ cup pickling salt

For the Pickling Brine:

  • 2 Cups Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Cups Dark Maple Syrup
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • This recipe is as much about the process as it is about the ingredients.  Don’t skip steps!
  • On day one, peel the cucumbers and slice them in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds to make long cucumber boats.
  • Next, cut them in half in the other direction, giving you two big “tongues” with a flat end on one side and a rounded end on the other.
  • Next, pour ¼ cup salt over the cucumbers in a bowl or stock pot, and add water to just cover the cucumbers.  Allow the cucumbers to soak in the salt for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.  
  • After the salt soak, place the cucumbers and salt water in a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse cucumbers.
  • This saltwater boil conditions the cucumbers to take on the sweet pickling brine, so don’t skip it.  Make sure you drain and rinse the cucumbers after this step, otherwise there will be too much salt in the brine.  
  • Place the remaining ingredients for the brine in a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Add the drained and rinsed cucumbers.
  • Gently boil the cucumbers over medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, until they turn translucent. 
  • Ladle the cooked cucumbers and sweet brine into prepared jars, leaving ½ headspace.  Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes for pints, or 15 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude.
  • After canning, let the jars cool on a towel on the counter for 12 to 24 hours.  Check seals, and if sealed, store them in the pantry.  Unsealed jars can be reprocessed or stored in the refrigerator for immediate use.

Notes

Water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, so jars need to be processed a bit longer as you go up in elevation.  Here are the altitude adjustments for canning Cucumber Tongue Pickles:
  • For 0 to 1,000 Feet in Elevation - Process pint jars for 10 minutes, and quart jars for 15 minutes.
  • For 1,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation - Process pint jars for 15 minutes, and quart jars for 20 minutes.
  • Above 6,001 Feet in Elevation - Process pint jars for 20 minutes, and quart jars for 25 minutes.