Friday, July 10, 2009

Bread & Butter Pickles (Reviewed and Updated September 18, 2022)



One item requested more than any other that I preserve is my Bread and Butter Pickles.  I have sold and given away more than I can count!  The secret is in the 3.5 hours of chilling the cucumbers before canning them.  This creates a crisp and tasty pickle for canning.  I even sometimes prepare the cucumbers with ice and leave them overnight in the refrigerator before canning them the next day.  


Bread & Butter Pickles

4 quarts of sliced cucumbers 

8 medium white onions sliced 

1/3 cup pickling salt 

3 cloves of garlic halved

 Cracked ice

In an 8-quart stainless steel bowl, combine the first four ingredients and cover with two inches of cracked ice. Cover and refrigerate for 3-12 hours. After time has elapsed, remove any ice and drain well in a large colander. Remove garlic. 

In a kettle combine the following ingredients:


 4 cups sugar 

3 cups cider vinegar 

2 tbs mustard seed 

1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 

1 1/2 tsp celery seed 

 
Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and add the drained cucumbers and onions. 


 Pack hot cucumber mixture and liquid into hot sterilized pint canning jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.\ 

 Process pint jars for 10 minutes in a hot water bath canner.

Note:  The small pickling cucumbers grown expressly for canning are the best to use when making pickles as they stay crisper than other varieties.  I do, however, use whatever I have and the other varieties make good pickles too.