Charley's Bread and Butter Pickles

By sorrelsm

Homemade bread and butter pickles are a lot easier than you think, and so much more flavorful than store bought pickles. Make them when the cucumbers are abundant in your garden, or inexpensive at the store.

Ingredients

• 4 quarts cucumbers, thinly sliced, about 12 - 15 cucumbers
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup salt, canning or Kosher salt only
• 5 cups sugar
• 5 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tumeric
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 tablespoons mustard seed
• 8 or 16 Jars (8 Pint Jars or 16 half pint jars)
• 8 or 16 Lids (New Each time)
• 8 or 16 Rims

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 240mins

Preparation

Step 1

Pre-wash all jars, lids and rims.

Combine: Cucumbers, onions, salt and cover with ice (usually 4 trays of ice cubes) and water. Let set for at least three hours.

Drain thoroughly and rinse well with cold water. Place in large cooking kettle and add remaining ingredients.

Fill VERY CLEAN sink with hot water and put jars, rims, and lids in the water to set until use them. They should set at least 4-5 minutes or more before you use them.

Cook cucumbers until almost boiling (steamy).

Using a jar funnel and some sort of dipper or slotted spoon, pack pickles in either a "hot" HALF PINT OR PINT jar. Add enough of your liquid to the pickles in your jar to fill it up - about 1/2" from the top - before you put your lid and rim on. Wipe the rim with your clean finger to make sure you have no seeds etc. on it or it won't seal properly. Place a seal and a rim on it. Turn the rim very snug tight.

Then set the jar aside on your counter or wherever (on a towel because they may be sticky) and let them set until they cool. As they seal, you will hear the "ping" of the jar lid. That means you got them sealed properly and you can keep them for a very long time without spoiling. After they cool, you will probably need to wipe the outside of the jars because in filling them, you always get pickle juice on the jars and it is sticky.

Be sure to write the date on your jars also so you know when you made them.

Once canned (and properly sealed), they should probably last indefinitely; definitely will last over 2 years.

*You have to use new seals (middle part) each time but you can use rims over and over.

*Be sure to have 2 towels available to use. The jars will be hot so I use the towels to handle them as I snug the lids on and set the jars on the counter

*I just slice them into whatever container I plan to use to let them set in. For a smaller batch, I use the really large Tupperware bowl which will make about 6-8 half pints. For large batches, I use a larger cooking pot, then when I rinse the salt off, I can use the same pot to cook them in.