Bread and Butter Pickles.

Bread and Butter Pickles. The season for small pickling cucumbers are ready for old family recipes. This year I will be doing extra canning duties because of the current situation. Time to make as many condiments and side entrées ease the food costs having to buy and because you can prepare using such good ingredients. This retro Rockton’s Fair Cook Book is just chock full of Blue Ribbon winning recipes. Later I will be posting the ones I have tried and found to be rewarding for the effort like this most excellent Bread and Butter Pickles recipe.
I learned to love a good vegetable garden from my mom and her sisters. I remember the fresh tasting cucumbers, peas and tomatoes that came ripe from the vine.
I was also taught how to preserve the harvest.
In the weeks to follow I will be sharing my favourite canning recipes that as a family we all pitched in to put up.
Bread and Butter pickles always make a nice side with a grilled cheese sandwich.
You will need:
16 cups of unpeeled, not waxed pickling cucumbers cut thin with a crinkle cutter or serrated edged knife.
4 large utility onion’s peeled and chopped into ½ inch pieces.
16 fresh peeled garlic cloves. [1 per jar]
4 cups sugar. [Note: Stevia or Splenda will work as well, but the volume must be adjusted for personal taste.]
2 tbs. mustard seed.
1 ½ tbs. of celery seed.
1 ½ tbs of fresh ground turmeric.
½ cup of pure pickling salt.
3 cups of good fresh cider vinegar.
Cracked Ice
In a large stainless steel or glass bowl toss the cucumbers, onion, garlic cloves with the pickling salt to coat well.
Now place some cracked ice cover the mixture by at least 3 to 4 inches. [This is what gives them the extra Crunch.]
Store refrigerated over night.
Next day drain the mixture and rinse, drain and rinse thoroughly again. Set a side.
In a large stainless pot over medium heat
combine all the other ingredients. Stir the sugar in until it all dissolves. Now increase the heat to high and introduce the vegetables stirring from the bottom until they come to boil. Reduce heat to medium high, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
Ladle the hot pickle mixture into sterilized jars about half an inch from the top.
Wipe the jar rims clean with a hygienic damp towel and seal with metal lids and rings.
Place the jars into a boiling water bath for 10 minutes until they are pasteurized.
Remove and let cool.
Store in a cool dark area. [Makes 16 x 250 ml]