It’s easy to turn cucumbers into sweet bread and butter pickles that are great for snacks or sandwiches. You can use them in a water bath for later or just keep them in the fridge.
Crates filled with cucumbers from the farmer’s market, lots of mason jars, large pots, hustle and bustle in the kitchen, fresh homemade cucumbers. These are some of my memories of summers growing up.
My grandmother (my father’s mother) and my parents pickled a lot when I was a kid. My dad’s favorite was spicy carrot and cauliflower pickles (I’m still waiting for the recipe); My favorite was sweet pickles with watermelon rind (I can’t find watermelons with a thick enough rind to make these anymore).
Sweet pickles like these bread and butter pickles (who came up with that name?) never lasted so long here; we children devoured them.
How to make bread and butter pickles
Bread-and-butter pickles are easy to make, and if you plan to make them as fridge pickles (keep in the cold fridge to consume within weeks), you can skip many of the canning steps.
This is a basic recipe we love, cobbled together from various issues of Joy of Cooking and some online research.
The ice helps keep the pickles crisp, as does the short cooking. You can experiment with the pickled spices and pickled vegetables. We have a jalapeño bread and butter pickle recipe for people who love their pickles.
Do you have a favorite bread and pickle recipe? If so, please let us know in the comments.
More delicious canning recipes
- Pickled okra
- Jalapeño bread and pickles
- Corn Relish
- Green tomato chutney
- Escabeche (pickled jalapeños)
From the editors of Simply Recipes
bread and pickles
Start with the freshest pickles you can find; Your pickles will only be as good as the products you start with. The fresher the pickles, the crunchier your pickles will be.
Kosher salt can be used as a substitute for pickling salt. Regular table salt contains additives that darken the pickles and cloud the color of the pickle juice.
Yield for canned recipes depends on a number of factors. This recipe yields between 3 and 5 pints of pickles and corn syrup.
ingredients
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2 1/2 lb pickling cucumbers, fresh from the market
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1/4 Cup pickling salt (see recipe note)
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1 lb white or yellow onionsthinly sliced
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1 1/4 cups White distilled vinegar (5% acid)
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1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (5% acid)
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2 1/4 cups sugar
Put spices:
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1 tablespoon mustard seeds
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1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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3/4 teaspoon Celery Seeds
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1 Customs cinnamon stick
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6 allspice berries plus a prize from ground allspice
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6 all cloves plus a pinch of ground cloves
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1/2 teaspoon floor turmeric
method
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Wash and slice cucumbers:
Rinse the cucumbers gently, scrubbing off any dirt that may have stuck to the ribs. Cut 1/8 inch off the ends and discard. Slice the cucumbers 1/4-inch thick and place in a large bowl.
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Salt the cucumber slices, chill and drain:
Add the sliced onions and all of the pickling salt. Stir to distribute the salt evenly over the cucumber slices. Cover with a clean, thin tea towel (not terry cloth). Cover with a few inches of ice.
Put in the fridge and let it rest for 4 hours. Throw away the ice cream. Rinse the cucumber and onion slices thoroughly, then drain. Rinse and drain again.
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Heat glasses:
If you plan to store your pickles outside of the fridge for any length of time, you will need to heat your mason jars in a hot water bath after canning.
Simple tip!
Since the jars are processed in a water bath for more than 10 minutes, it is not necessary to sterilize the jars beforehand for this recipe. Make sure your glasses are clean.
If you plan to eat the pickles right away and keep them in the fridge all the time, you can skip the double boiler step.
To heat the jars for canning, place the empty jars on a metal rack in a large 4-gallon canning pot. (Jars must be on a rack in the pot, not on the bottom of the pot). Pour warm water at least 1 inch above the glasses and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to warm to keep the jars hot and ready for canning.
Wash the lids in hot, soapy water.
New to Canning? Here’s what you need to knowCONTINUE READING:
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Make the curd syrup:
In a 4 or 6 quart saucepan, add vinegar, sugar and any pickling spices (do not add salt). Bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the sliced cucumber and onion. Bring to a boil again. Once the syrup begins to boil again, use a slotted spoon to begin filling the hot jars with the pickles and onions.
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Pack glasses, add curd syrup:
Fill jars with the pickles and onions, 1 inch from the rim. Then pour hot vinegar-sugar syrup over it to 1/2 inch from the rim.
Wipe the edge clean with a paper towel. Place a dry, clean lid on the jar. Secure with a metal screw strap. Repeat with the remaining glasses.
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Processing in a hot water bath:
If you decide to store cucumbers outside of the refrigerator, you should process the filled jars in a hot water bath.
Return the filled jars to the same mason jar with the already hot water. The water level must be at least 1 inch above the top of the jars.
Bring to a boil and cook hard for 15 minutes. Use tongs or a glass lifter to remove the jars from the pot.
If you live over 1,000 feet above sea level, adjust your turnaround time using the instructions here.
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Let cool and store:
Leave to cool to room temperature. Jars should make a popping sound as their lids seal. If a lid does not seal properly, do not store the jar outside of the refrigerator.
Properly canned pickles can be stored in a cool, dark place (like a pantry) for up to 1 year. Store opened jars in the fridge and use within 3 months.
If you skipped the double boiler canning, pop the cooled jars straight into the fridge and eat within 3 months.
Simple tip!
Bread-and-butter pickles (bain-marie canned or not) can be eaten as early as 24 hours after preparation, but they taste best if you let them sit for at least a week (ideally 3 weeks or more).
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 95 | calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 23g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
