Bread-and-Butter Pickles

To Prepare

Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch off blossom end and discard. Cut into 3/16-inch slices.

Pickles

1. Combine cucumbers, onions, and salt in a large bowl. Cover with 2 inches of ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, adding more ice as needed.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot and boil 10 minutes. Drain and add cucumbers and onions; slowly reheat to boiling.
3. Fill jars with slices and cooking syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace.
4. Secure lids and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (Altitudes above 1,000 ft require an increase in processing time).

For firmer pickles

1. Complete the “to prepare” step.
2. Mix 1 cup pickling lime and ½ cup salt to 1-gallon water in a 2-to-3-gallon crock or enamelware container.
3. Soak cucumber slices in lime water for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from lime solution, rinse and re-soak one hour in fresh, cold water.
5. Repeat the rinsing and soaking steps two more times. Drain well.*
6. Continue with steps 3 and 4 listed in the first method above.

*In this option, onions are not limed.

Preparation

• Avoid inhaling lime dust while mixing the lime-water solution.
• A low-temperature pasteurization treatment can be used to produce a better product texture.
• Instructions on water bath canning can be found in this resource.