SSJ’s Best Bread and Butter Pickle Slices

Last year, in my quest to make spicy dill pickle spears out of all of the cucumbers in sight, I completely flaked on a family staple, Bread and Butter Pickle Slices. What was I thinking? Our sandwiches have been bereft for a good year. Well then, no time like the present. Here’s my go-to recipe for sweet bread and butter pickles. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

SSJ’s Best Bread and Butter Pickles.

Servings: 6 Pints

Equipment

• 6 Pint, 12 Half-pint mason Jars, or a mixture thereof, sterilized and warm, with clean rims, and new lids
• Canning Equipment: Large Canning Pot, Metal Rack, Tongs, Funnel, Ladle, Large stock pot for making the pickling liquid and warming the vegetables.

Ingredients

• 8 heaping cups sliced pickling cucumbers
• 1 very large white or sweet yellow onion sliced
• 1/3 cup pickling salt
• 4-6 cups of ice
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 4 cups sugar
• 3¼ cups cider vinegar
• 2 tbs mustard seed
• 2 tbs turmeric
• 2 tsp celery seed
• 1-2 tsp peppercorns [optional]
• 1+ tsp spices of your choice [optional] [I've used cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. The batch depicted above did not include these options.]

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, onions, pickling salt, and garlic. [I often use a metal bowl so it retain the chill.]
• Cover with several cups of ice cubes.
• Refrigerate for 3 hours. [I often just set the bowl of pickles on the counter, as I never have room in the fridge!]
• Make sure your mason jars are sterilized. Warm the jars and the lids. And start bringing your large canning pot of water to a boil.
• Rinse the vegetables very slightly and drain.
• In a large stock pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, and spices.
• Bring this mixture to a boil, ensuring the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the cucumber mixture to the liquid and return to boiling.
• Reduce the heat and simmer low for 5 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cucumber and onions equally between your hot, sterilized mason jars.
• Spoon the pickling liquid the jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids with some firm pressure, and secure the rings without making them lock-tight.
• Process in a boiling water canning bath for 10 minutes.
• Allow cans to cool completely.
• Properly sealed cans will rest on the shelf for at least 2 years. Once opened, refrigerate and enjoy pickles within 6 weeks.