Bread and Butter Pickles
When I was a child I hated everything about pickles. Their icky green colour, their slimy feel, their sour bite, and above all how people used them to ruin perfectly good cheeseburgers (ketchup only, please!). Sometime between then and now my eyes and tastebuds have completely flipped and I can’t get enough of them. For me, if pickles are an option, they’re the best option. Including on cheeseburgers.
Back in December we posted Élizabeth’s recipe for Pickled Beets. These pickles trace their origin to the same day of canning. I wish I could write more about this process, but I spent the whole day playing video games while she did all the cooking. All I can say is that you should be very careful lifting the jars out of the boiling water, and that Rome is a good pick for first time Civilization players!
The type of salt you use matters, I highly suggest buying pickling salt since it is more for canning and does not have additives that are in table salt. When you lower your jars in the water for preparing and processing, make sure the water is at least 1 inch above the cans. The process time is different for other size jars, the USDA guidelines will provide these.
We opened this jar of pickles to go with some Montreal smoked meat sandwiches (Pictured at the top of this article. Rye bread, mustard, smoked meat, and pickles - two recipes in one post!). Since then we had them with turkey burgers, used some of the brine to make a vinaigrette, and eaten more than a few straight from the jar with our hands!
These pickles are a bit sweet, not the super dilly variety I’m used to. Not to say they aren’t tangy! They’re basically a grown-up version of the sour candy that was the height of fine cuisine in my childhood. I can’t wait for the next time Élizabeth makes these for me while I sit around and play games!
- 2 pints
- 10 minutes
- 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb mini cucumbers
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 tbsp canning salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1-2 tbsp coriander
- 1 tsp mustard powder
Directions
- Cut cucumbers and onions into sticks that will fit into your mason jars
- Add a handful of ice cubes to the cucumbers and onions and refrigerate for 3-4 hours
- Boil the mason jars empty for 10 mins
- At the same time, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, and spices to a boil. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes
- Add cucumber and onion to the brine and bring it back to a boil
- Divide the cucumbers, onion, and brine between two pint-sized mason jars. Leave 1 inch of headroom at the top of each jar
- Process the jars in a boiling canner for 10 minutes
- Remove from canner and let cool to room temperature. Wait at least three weeks before opening (this is the hardest part!)
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