Southern Bread Butter Pickles Recipes

Steps:

• Combine cucumbers, onions, salt and ice in a large bowl.
• Mix well.
• Put a weight on and allow to stand 3 hours. (For a weight, I use a plate with a gallon bottle of vinegar or water on top of it).
• Rinse and drain thoroughly.
• Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed and mustard seed in a large pot.
• Add drained cucumbers.
• Place pot on medium low heat.
• Bring almost to a boil, but DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
• Remove from heat.
• Seal in sterilized jars, 10 minutes in a hot water bath.
• Easy way to sterilize jars: Wash them well in hot soapy water.
• Dry them off.
• Put on a cookie sheet, right side up, at 225°F for 15 minutes.
• Turn off oven and leave them in there until you need them.

Steps:

• Put the vinegar, sugar, salt, turmeric and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar and salt dissolves, then reduce the heat and keep warm.
• Divide the cucumbers, okra and onion among three 1-quart sterilized jars. Evenly distribute the pickling spices among the jars. Slowly add the sweet vinegar water to the jars and seal with lids, then refrigerate. These pickles can be enjoyed right away but improve in flavor after several days.

Steps:

• Combine cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl, layering with salt: cover with ice cubes. Let stand 11/2 hours. Drain; rinse; drain again.
• Combine remaining ingredients except Pickle Crisp in a large saucepot; bring to a boil. Add drained cucumbers and onions and return to a boil.
• Pack hot pickles and liquid into hot jars, 1/2-inch headspace. Add rounded 1/8 tsp Pickle Crisp® Granules to each jar. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps.
• Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner, adjusting for altitude.

Steps:

• In a large container, combine the cucumbers, onions and salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand for 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain again., In a Dutch oven, combine the sugar, vinegar and seasonings; bring to a boil. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil. Remove from the heat., Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together cucumbers, onions, green bell peppers, garlic and salt. Allow to stand approximately 3 hours.
• In a large saucepan, mix the cider vinegar, white sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, whole cloves and turmeric. Bring to a boil.
• Drain any liquid from the cucumber mixture. Stir the cucumber mixture into the boiling vinegar mixture. Remove from heat shortly before the combined mixtures return to boil.
• Transfer to sterile containers. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Steps:

• Trim and discard the blossom ends of the cucumbers, then peel the onions and cut both into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. In a nonreactive bowl, toss them with the salt, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Drain well, rinse, drain again and then set the cucumbers and onions aside.
• In a nonreactive pot, combine all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the brown sugar. Reduce the heat to low, simmer for 3 minutes and then pour the liquid over the cucumbers and onions. The cucumbers should be amply covered or slightly afloat.
• Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. These pickles have good flavor as soon as they are cool, but the flavor will deepen if you let them sit for 24 hours. They will keep, covered and refrigerated, for a month or more.

Steps:

• Place the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl with the salt and garlic. Cover with ice and toss to mix. Let stand for 3 hours to crisp, then drain well, removing any ice that has not yet melted. Do not rinse.
• If preserving the pickles, sterilize six 1-pint heat-tempered canning jars (see Know-how, page 291).
• Combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the cucumbers, onion, and garlic, bring back to a boil, and remove immediately from the heat.
• For refrigerator pickles, refrigerate in airtight containers for two weeks to allow flavors to develop, or for up to 1 month.
• For preserved pickles, pack in the sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace, and process in a hot water bath for about 10 minutes to vacuum-seal (see Know-how, page 291). Let cool to room temperature, check the seal, and store in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks to allow flavors to develop before serving, or for up to 6 months. Refrigerate after opening.
• Pickling cucumbers are firm-fleshed, small-seeded varieties that hold up especially well to pickling, meaning they keep their crunch, and they are the ones I recommend using; some of the most common varieties are Kirbys and gherkins. When selecting the cucumbers, make sure they are no longer than the jars you are putting them in; for pint jars they should be 4 1/2 to 5 inches or less. If your cucumbers are larger, use quart jars or trim the ends.
• There is something so rewarding about opening up a jar of Sour Cherry Preserves (page 304) or Green Tomato Chow-Chow (page 300) long after the berries and tomatoes of summer have given way to winter. Happily, making your own preserves is really very easy. All you need to get started are a few inexpensive pieces of equipment and an understanding of a few basic techniques. Here's everything you need to know:
• • 1 or 2 large, heavy nonreactive metal pots
• • Sterile, heat-tempered glass canning jars, such as Ball or Kerr brand, plus an equal number of lids and rings.
• • Tongs, for lifting the jars out of the water bath
• • Funnel, for cleanly filling jars
• • Canning rack, for loading jars securely in the water bath
• • Magnetic lid lifter, to lift sterilized lids without touching them
• The first step in canning is always to sterilize or scald the jars (including the lids and rings) in which the food will be stored. This ensures a safe, clean environment and minimizes the risk of spoilage or bacterial growth. This step is especially important if the recipe calls for processing in a water bath for less than 10 minutes. To sterilize, place the jars, lids, and rings in a large pot, cover with water, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the pot, covered, until ready to fill.
• • Drain and carefully fill the hot jars according to the recipe, taking care not to touch the rims or interiors with your bare hands. Use a funnel if possible.
• • When filling the jars with raw vegetables, such as cucumbers, to make pickles, pack the vegetables as tightly as possible, pressing down with your fingers as you fill the jars.
• • If making pickles in a brine, be sure the vegetables are completely covered with the pickling liquid.
• • Make sure to leave the headspace recommended in the recipe (typically 1/4 to 1/2 inch, depending on the acidity of the food); this ensures the jars seal properly.
• • Remove any air bubbles before sealing by tapping each jar on the counter a few times or stirring with a sterilized spoon or chopstick.
• • Wipe the rims using a clean cloth, place the lids on the jars, and screw on the rings until secure but not fully tightened.
• This is the method I use when making jams, fruit preserves, and chutneys.
• • Pack the jars as noted above.
• • The jam, preserves, or chutney should be boiling when packed in the hot, sterilized jars. This is key to ensuring that the jars seal correctly.
• • Place the sterilized lids on the jars and screw on the rings until secure but not fully tightened.
• • Invert the closed jars for about 2 minutes and then turn them upright (this allows the hot liquid to soften the rubber on the lid, thus ensuring a tight seal).
• This is the method I use to preserve pickles and relishes.
• • Always bring the water bath to a good rolling boil before you begin. Reduce the heat and keep it at a simmer after the filled jars have been added; rapidly boiling water may cause water to leak into the jars.
• • Using tongs or a canning rack, carefully lower the jars into the boiling water until fully submerged, making sure they are not touching. Cover and simmer according to the recipe (typically 10 to 20 minutes, depending on what you are processing).
• • You may need to adjust the cooking time for altitude. For altitudes between 1,000 and 6,000 feet, add 5 minutes; between 6,000 and 12,000 feet, add 10 minutes.
• • When you are done processing, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water for another 5 minutes.
• • Remove the jars from the water and let sit undisturbed until completely cool, about 5 hours or overnight. As the jars cool down you should be able to hear the lids popping, a sign that they are sealing correctly.
• • When the jars have cooled completely, tighten the rings all the way.
• • Check the seal on each lid. If sealed properly, the center will be slightly depressed and will not "pop" when pressed.
• • If any of the lids haven't sealed, store those jars in the refrigerator for up to 1 to 2 months and use first.
• • Using labels or a permanent marker, clearly mark the jars with the packing date.
• • Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use. Most perserves will keep for 6 months to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening and use within 1 to 2 months.