I wrote about sweet and hot pickles that I make at home in this morning’s Whining & Dining column and I’ve had calls and e-mail all day from people wanting the recipe. They’re so simple to make that I thought I covered it, but here goes. And you will LOVE these, I promise.

Drain the juice from a jar of dill pickles (I prefer the Mt. Olive petite dills, but you can use slices, spears, whatever you like). For a 16-ounce jar, pour about one cup of sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of Tabasco sauce over the pickles. Give ‘em a good shake, put the jar in the fridge and shake every few days. The sugar will dissolve and make a sweet, spicy and tangy sauce. Delish. Wait about two weeks, taste and adjust flavor with extra sugar or Tabasco as desired.

These are approximate measurements. I usually make about a gallon and I don’t measure. And right now I’m not eating them because I’ve sworn off sugar, but I’m going to try them with Splenda and if I have good results, I’ll let you know.