Description
Crisp Joy of Cooking Bread and Butter Pickles deliver summer’s perfect tangy crunch with sliced cucumbers kissed by sweet vinegar spices. Homemade pickles bring garden freshness straight to your table, offering a delightful homemade condiment you’ll love alongside sandwiches and burgers.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables:
- 2 ½ pounds (1.13 kilograms) pickling cucumbers, fresh from the market
- 1 pound (454 grams) white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) crushed red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon (3.75 milliliters) celery seeds
- 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) cinnamon stick
- 6 allspice berries plus a pinch of ground allspice
- 6 whole cloves plus a pinch of ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) ground turmeric
Liquid and Salt:
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) pickling salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296 milliliters) white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
- 2 ¼ cups (450 grams) sugar
Instructions
- Thoroughly cleanse cucumbers under running water, removing any surface dirt with a gentle scrub.
- Trim approximately 1/8 inch (0.3 centimeters) from both cucumber ends, then slice into uniform 1/4 inch (0.6 centimeters) thick rounds.
- Transfer cucumber slices to a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with pickling salt, and incorporate sliced onions, ensuring complete coverage and even distribution.
- Drape a clean, thin cloth over the mixture and cover with several inches of ice to maintain a low temperature.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours, allowing the salt to draw out moisture and soften the vegetables.
- Discard the ice and thoroughly rinse the cucumber and onion slices multiple times to remove excess salt.
- Prepare a 16-quart (15.1 liters) canning pot with a metal rack to prevent jars from direct contact with the bottom.
- Fill clean glass jars with warm water, ensuring they are submerged at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) above their tops, then bring water to a gentle simmer.
- Sanitize jar lids using hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
- In a separate 4 or 6-quart (3.8 or 5.7 liters) pot, combine pickling herbs and sugar.
- Gradually heat the mixture, stirring until sugar completely dissolves.
- Add cucumber and onion slices to the syrup, bringing the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the vegetable mixture into heated jars, leaving 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of headspace.
- Pour hot vinegar sugar syrup over the vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) of space from the jar’s rim.
- Wipe jar rims clean with a sterile paper towel, place sanitized lids, and secure with metal screw bands.
- Gently lower filled jars into the canning pot, ensuring they are covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water.
- Maintain a steady boil for 15 minutes, then carefully remove jars using tongs or a jar lifter.
- Adjust processing time for altitudes above 1,000 feet (304.8 meters) as needed.
- Allow jars to cool naturally, listening for the characteristic popping sound indicating proper sealing.
- Store properly sealed bread and butter pickles in a cool, dark location for up to one year.
- Refrigerate any unsealed jars immediately and consume within 3 months.
Notes
- Scrub cucumbers thoroughly to eliminate dirt, guaranteeing pristine pickle quality.
- Slice cucumber ends uniformly for professional-looking pickle rounds.
- Utilize clean, thin tea towels during preparation to avoid unwanted fabric residue.
- Incorporate ice strategically to maintain crisp cucumber texture during initial stages.
- Rinse cucumber and onion slices multiple times for balanced salt levels and optimal flavor.
- Sterilize canning jars meticulously to prevent bacterial contamination and extend preservation.
- Elevate jars on metal racks inside canning pot for consistent heat distribution.
- Clean jar lids with hot soapy water to eliminate potential microbial risks.
- Transfer cucumbers gently using sliding spoon techniques to preserve pickle integrity.
- Wipe jar rims carefully before sealing to ensure proper preservation process.
- Process pickles in hot water bath for secure, long-term storage seal.
- Adjust canning duration based on altitude for safe, reliable preservation.
- Listen for distinctive lid “pop” sound confirming successful canning procedure.
- Store sealed pickles in cool, dark spaces like cupboards to maintain peak freshness.
- Refrigerate opened jars and consume within recommended timeframe for optimal taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 1567 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg