Bread and Butter Pickles

This recipe is my version of the Ball Blue Book classic for sweet bread and butter pickles.

Yield: 7 pints

4 lbs. of 4-6 inch cucumbers, cut into ¼ inch slices.
2 lbs. onions, (Vidalia if possible) thinly sliced. (About 4 large or 8 small)
1/3 cup canning or Kosher salt
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp mustard seed
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp whole peppercorns
3 cups vinegar
pickle crisp

Combine cucumber and onions slices in a large non-reactive mixing bowl, layering them with salt. Cover with ice cubes and let stand for 1½ hours. Drain; rinse well and drain again. Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the drained cukes and onions and return to a boil. Pack the pickles into hot sterilized jars, add 1/8 tsp pickle crisp to each jar, top off with liquid , leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove air bubbles from jars, wipe the rims and set the lids and bands in place. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath...remove and let cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Check for proper seal before storing.

Here's how I start layering the cukes and onions



Salt the layers well...I use three layers and salt separately



Cover it with ice, and wait 90 minutes...this is a great time to sterilize your jars and lids, and get your water bath heated up.





Get your other ingredients boiling...you're going to think that you don't have enough liquid, but you really do! just smash and mash the cukes and onions into the boiling brine, then return to a boil.



Now we stuff the hot jars and add the pickle crisp before topping off with liquid.




Now seal them up, process for ten minutes, then remove to cool for 24 hours.
These pickles are ready to eat anytime...they get better with age, but they are fine right now. Store in a cool dark place up to 1 year.




Checking for a proper seal...notice in this photograph there are visible convex dimples on each cover...these are right out of the bath. As the jars cool, the dimples will disappear and the cover will be ever so slightly concave...this is your sign that you have a good seal, and your canned food is safe to store.

Thanks for checking out my pickles!