Bread and Butter Pickles
Sweet, tangy bread and butter pickles made with pickling cucumbers, onions, and warm spices. Water-bath canned for crisp, golden pickle slices you can enjoy all year long.
Servings: 5 jars (16 oz)
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 10 cups fresh pickling cucumbers small firm bumpy varieties preferred, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (about 5 lb before trimming)
- 2 yellow onions large, thinly sliced into rings or half-rings
Salting
- 1/2 cup pickling salt (canning salt)
Pickling Brine
- 3 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Optional
- 1/8 teaspoon Pickle Crisp calcium chloride (food-grade calcium chloride) per pint jar, optional but recommended for extra-crisp pickles
Instructions
- Trim the cucumbers and slice them into approximately 1/4-inch rounds. Peel the onions and slice them thinly into rings or half-rings.
- Place the cucumbers and onions in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl. Add the pickling salt and mix well. Cover with cold water and leave at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Transfer the vegetables to a colander. Rinse thoroughly under cool running water to remove the excess salt, then drain very well.
- Meanwhile, prepare the water-bath canner, jars, and lids according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- In a large stainless-steel saucepan, combine the white vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Stir the drained cucumbers and onions into the hot pickling liquid. Return the mixture to a boil.
- Pack the hot cucumbers and onions into the prepared hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
- Add 1/8 teaspoon Pickle Crisp (food-grade calcium chloride) to each pint jar if using. Ladle the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables, maintaining 1/2-inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and readjust the headspace with additional hot pickling liquid if necessary. Wipe the jar rims clean. Center the lids and screw the bands on until fingertip-tight.
- Place the jars in the boiling-water canner, making sure they are completely covered with water. Process pint jars for 10 minutes, adjusting processing time for altitude where necessary.
- Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and wait 5 minutes before lifting out the jars. Leave them undisturbed to cool completely, then check the seals before storing.
Notes
- Use small, firm, bumpy pickling cucumbers for the best texture. Avoid waxed cucumbers from the grocery store as the coating prevents the brine from penetrating the slices.
- Do not skip the 2-hour salting step. It draws out excess moisture and helps the pickles stay crisp after canning.
- Pickle Crisp is calcium chloride. You can buy it as Ball Pickle Crisp or as food-grade calcium chloride (E509). It may come as granules or flakes and does not need to be ground.
- For the best flavor, let the sealed jars sit for about 4 weeks before opening.
- Altitude adjustments for processing time: 1,001 to 3,000 ft, process 15 minutes. 3,001 to 6,000 ft, process 20 minutes. 6,001 to 8,000 ft, process 25 minutes. 8,001 to 10,000 ft, process 30 minutes.
- Storage: Sealed, canned jars can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11493mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 87g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg