Bread-and-Butter Pickles

Gather

Ingredients

• 6 lbs of 4- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers
• 8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 3 pounds)
• 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• 4 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 4-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp mustard seed
• 1-1/2 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 cup pickling lime (optional, for the extra-firm variation)

Preserve

Instructions

1. 01

   Wash the cucumbers, remove 1/16 inch from each blossom end, and cut 3/16-inch slices. Thinly slice the onions.

2. 02

   For the standard method, stir the salt through the cucumbers and onions. Top them with a 2-inch layer of crushed or cubed ice and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours; replenish the ice as needed, then drain well.

3. 03

   For the optional extra-firm method instead, dissolve ½ cup salt in 1 gallon water, then carefully stir in 1 cup pickling lime without breathing the dust. Soak only the cucumbers for 12 to 24 hours. Rinse, soak in fresh cold water for 1 hour, and repeat that rinse-and-soak cycle twice more; drain carefully. Do not lime the onions.

4. 04

   Boil the 5% vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric for 10 minutes. Add the drained cucumbers and onions and slowly heat the mixture back to boiling.

5. 05

   Fill hot pint or quart jars with slices and cooking syrup. Keep ½-inch headspace, remove air, clean the rims, and secure the lids.

6. 06

   Boiling-water process pints or quarts for 10 minutes at 0-1,000 ft. Use the elevation tool to add the required time at higher elevations.
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