Bread and Butter Pickles

On an impulse buy at the farmers market I came home with 4 pounds of pickling cucumbers the previous weekend. What to make? Bread and Butter Pickles! Sweet/sour and my favorite type of pickle – in a smaller batch so you are not canning all day, nor end up with 30+ jars!

Bread and Butter Pickles

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds pickling cucumbers
• 2 pounds sweet onions
• 1/3 cup fine sea salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp mustard seed
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 cups apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Soak cucumbers in cold water, wash off and drain. Trim off both ends, slice in ¼” rounds.

Trim and peel onions, cut in quarters and thinly slice.

Layer cucumber and onion slices with salt in a large bowl. Cover top with a layer of ice cubes. Let sit for 1½ hours. Drain in a colander, rinse well and shake off water, let drain.

Wash canning jars, with bands and new lids, in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, and drain on a clean kitchen towel. Bring a large pot of water to boil, take off stove, add in clean jars and keep covered.

Fill canning pot halfway with water, bring to a near boil, then let simmer.

Bring remaining ingredients to a boil in a large pot, add in drained cucumbers. Return to a boil

Drain jars using tongs, place on a clean kitchen towel.

Pack hot cucumbers and onions in jars, with liquid, leaving a ½” headspace. If you are short on liquid, top off with boiling water.

Dip a clean paper towel in hot water, then run around the top of each jar. Place a lid on each jar, then a band, screw on finger tight.

Turn canner up to high, place jars in water bath rack, lower rack into water. Water should cover by 1 – 2″, if not add a bit more from the other pot that held the jars. Bring to a rolling boil, covered, process for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully remove jars, placing on a clean dry kitchen towel to cool.

Once cooled, check again that seals are down (you should hear the Ping! as each one seals). Gently remove bands (wash, dry and store for your next project. While they look nicer on, if they have water inside from processing, they can rust. If you are giving away your canned items, you can always slip one back on), note on jar or lid what is in jar with a date. Store in a dry/cool/dark area and use within a year.

As always, if you ever go to use a canned item and the lid is not sealed anymore, or bulging, discard it immediately!!!!!! (I have only ever lost one jar in all my canning, so don’t fret!) If you are using a different brand of pectin, be sure to read their directions and to follow them.

Let rest for 4 to 6 weeks once canned, for flavors to develop.

Makes 7 pints.