Bread and Butter Pickles

I love homemade Bread and Butter pickles (like my momma makes) and cannot stand store bought bread and butter pickles.  With that being said, I was at the Capital Market in Charleston, WV this week and decided to buy a huge box of cucumbers and a huge box of tomatoes.  I proudly brought them home (normally my  mother picks out the produce because I could care less) and she tells me that they saw me a coming.  Thanks, Mom.  The one time I try.   Anyways, we made 21 pints of bread and butter pickles out of my cucumbers and 8 quarts of tomatoes.  This is the first time I have ever helped my mom can anything so, YAY ME!

Bread and Butter pickles were way easier than I thought they would be.  You will need:

4 quarts sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup salt
2 quarts sliced onion
1 quart apple cider vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon celery seeds
2 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (my aunt says it is optional but we have always used it)

I use a mandolin slicer to thinly slice my cucumbers. That is the reason I don't like store bought, they are too thick.  After they are sliced, we put them in a huge bowl and gently stir in the salt.  You can use table salt or canning salt.  We used table salt on the first batch and canning salt on the second.  Cover the cucumbers with ice cubes and let them stand for 2 to 3 hours.  Add more ice if needed.

Thinly slice 2 quarts of onions and set these aside until ready for them.

Mix the remaining ingredients (sugar, celery seeds, mustard seeds, ground ginger, ground turmeric and white pepper) in huge dutch oven.  Bring quickly to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.

Drain the cucumbers.  Add the cucumbers and onion slices to the dutch oven.  Bring the whole mixture to a boil.  Pack loosely at once in hot jars and adjust lids.  Process in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove jars carefully from canner and cool for 24 hours to make sure they seal.

Should make 8 pints of bread and butter pickles.