When I was growing up, Bread & Butter Pickles of some variety where a staple in our house. They are a sweet pickle often used to top burgers, a sandwich or just placed beside a mound of creamy mashed potatoes. In the early days, busy with five kids, I don’t think my mom made them, but they always seemed to put in an appearance at our dinner table each fall.
When I was newly married, I have very fond memories of my mom and I getting together to make Lady Ashburnham Pickles, Relish and these Bread & Butter Pickles. We didn’t have any fancy chopping devices like I own today, just our sharp knives, a little time and some great conversations!
{Canning supplies all washed and ready for the sterilization process.}
{We didn’t have a big enough bowl so we divided the mixture among three smaller bowls. Here they are patiently waiting for the addition of onions and ice!}
{Just coming to a simmer, you can see the cucumbers are changing in colour.}
Although we have been a bit slack this year, in recent years, when a hint of fall is in the air, my son, daughter and I have started our own pickle making tradition.
This is our recipe for delicious Bread & Butter Pickles, they are simple to make and the two stage process keeps it from becoming overwhelming.
- 14 cups pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced (do not peel)
- 2 large onions, cut in half and then thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pickling salt
- 3 cups cider vinegar
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
- 4-5 cups ice cubes, crushed
- In a large bowl combine sliced cucumbers, onion, salt and ice.
- Put a plate on top of the pickles, not the bowl, and weight plate down to keep pickles in contact with salt and ice. (A gallon jug of water or other liquid works well)
- Let stand 4-5 hours.
- Drain and rinse mixture well to remove excess salt.
- In a large pot, combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric and mustard seeds.
- Add cucumber mixture.
- Bring ingredients to a simmer, but do not boil!
- Remove from heat.
- Using a sterilized wide-mouthed funnel, carefully pack pickles into hot sterilized jars, remove any air pockets with a sterilized knife. Wait for the “pop”, store and enjoy!
- Refrigerate any open jars.
- Makes ~ 6 pints.
I hope you will give this recipe a try, these pickles are really quite delicious!
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer them.
I’ve never tried canning anything….but I also don’t have a garden. I have a lot of friends who do can though and I admire them for it!
I don’t have a garden, would love one though! When in season, I usually get my produce from a local farmer’s market.