Bread and Butter Pickles

This is another canning recipe. I promise a normal old recipe tomorrow! My cucumber vines are growing very nicely in the garden. I have plans to can bread and butter pickles this year. I canned several pints and quarts year before last and by several I mean 34 quarts and 22 pints. Most of them are gone. Luke and I can eat a whole pint jar when we open one. I have several family members that bride, beg, and just flat out tell me to bring them a jar of my B&B pickles from time to time so they go pretty fast. I also take them to potlucks, fish fries and other foodie get togethers.

There are a lot of recipes for bread and butter pickles floating around out there but this is the recipe I use for canning mine.

15 cups sliced pickling cucumbers
3 onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. coarse salt
4 c. cracked ice
2 1/2 c. white vinegar
2 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
1 T. mustard seeds

Combine cucumbers, onions, salt and ice in a large bowl and mix well. Put weight on and allow to stand for 3 hours. (For weight, I use a plate with a gallon bottle of vinegar or water on top of it.) Drain thoroughly. Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seeds and mustard seeds in a large pot. Add drained cucumbers. Place pot on medium-low heat and bring almost to a boil but do not allow to boil. Remove from heat, seal in hot, sterilized jars, adjust lids and bands. Process 10 minutes in hot water bath.