Eight-Day Icicle Pickles

Day 1: Preparing the Cucumbers (20 minutes) - Place the prepared cucumbers into a large (10-quart) jar or pickle crock. In a large pot, dissolve the pickling salt in 16 cups of water over medium heat, stirring until clear. Bring to a boil. Carefully pour the boiling brine over the cucumbers, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover the crock with a lid or plate to keep the cucumbers weighed down.

Days 2 and 3: Gentle Stirring (5 minutes each day) - Stir the pickles gently within the brine once each day to ensure even salting. Recover the crock after each stirring.

Day 4: First Water Bath (10 minutes) - Pour off and discard the brine. Bring another 16 cups of water to a rolling boil and pour it over the pickles. Cover the pickles and let them sit.

Day 5: Alum Infusion (15 minutes) - Pour off the water. In a pot, dissolve the alum in 16 cups of boiling water. Stir until the alum is completely dissolved. Pour this boiling water-alum mixture over the pickles. Cover the pickles.

Day 6: Sweet and Spicy Symphony (25 minutes) - In a large pot, combine 16 cups of water with the sugar, pickling spice, vinegar, and green food coloring (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Pour off the water-alum mixture from the pickles and discard. Pour the boiling sugar-spice mixture over the pickles. Cover.

Day 7: Syrup Enrichment (15 minutes) - Pour off the syrup from the pickles, retaining it in a separate pot. Bring the syrup to a boil again over medium heat. Pour the reboiled syrup back over the pickles. Cover.

Day 8: Canning Day (1 hour 30 minutes) - Pour off the syrup one last time, retaining it in the pot. Reboil the syrup over medium heat. While the syrup is reheating, sterilize the canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Pack the pickles tightly into the hot, sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. Pour the boiling syrup over the pickles, maintaining the 1/2 inch headspace. Gently tap the jars on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a damp cloth. Center the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until fingertip-tight.

Processing the Jars (45 minutes) - Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill it halfway with water. Bring the water to a boil. Carefully lower the filled jars into the pot using a jar lifter, ensuring they are not touching each other. Add more boiling water if needed, so the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water back to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process the jars for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the hot water for 5 minutes before removing.

Cooling and Sealing (12 hours) - Remove the jars from the stockpot and place them on a towel-lined surface, spaced a few inches apart. Let the jars cool completely, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours. As the jars cool, you should hear a popping sound, indicating that the lids have sealed properly. After cooling, check the seal by pressing down on the center of each lid. If the lid doesn't flex or pop back up, it is sealed. If a lid hasn't sealed, refrigerate that jar of pickles and consume them within a few weeks.

Storage - Store the sealed jars of icicle pickles in a cool, dark, and dry place for up to one year.