Bread and Butter Pickles
Having too many cucumbers is a good thing if you know lots of ways to use them, and this humble, depression-era condiment is a tasty way to save them for later!
It is late summer, and my pickling cucumbers are starting to look weird. This is totally normal and part of the plant’s natural cycle, but these funny-shaped cukes are less than ideal for making fermented pickles.
Thankfully, they are still perfectly fine for eating in salads, and cooking (yes, there is a way to cook them) - but I’m still getting too many to eat - so I turn the surplus into bread and butter pickles. Here’s how I make them:
Ingredients (makes about 4 quarts) :
12 cups of finely sliced cucumbers
2 cups onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons pickling salt
4 cups white sugar
3 cups white vinegar
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp dried (or regular) mustard
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cloves
Instructions:
Cut the cukes and onions into thin slices.
A food processor makes this job a lot easier -but it can be done with a knife with a little time and elbow grease. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle the pickling salt over them. Gently mix well, cover, and let them sit overnight. This step is critical if nice crunchy pickles are desired.
Brining ensures flavor development, texture enhancement, food safety, flavor absorption, water removal and color retention. Rinse the brined cukes thoroughly under cold water to remove the salt. Drain them well using a colander or sieve.
Sterilize canning jars.
In a large pot, combine everything except the vegetables. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the drained cukes and, onion to the pot with the vinegar mixture. Stir well to combine everything. Bring to a boil, hold and stir for one minute then turn off heat.
Carefully ladle the pickles into the sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the jar rims clean, place the lids on top, and screw on the bands just until they're fingertip-tight.
I highly recommend getting a canning funnel for ease of filling the jars. Process the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes to ensure a proper seal. Make sure the water level covers the jars by at least an inch.
There’s nothing like the satisfaction that comes with preserving vegetables grown in your own garden, and sharing (maybe) them with friends! After processing, remove the jars from the water bath and let them cool on a towel or rack. As they cool, you should hear a "ping" sound, indicating that the jars are sealed. Once the seal is established, remove the rings, and store the jars in a cool, dark place, where they should keep for about a year.
Why do they have that name?
From what I have read, it appears that "bread and butter" pickles are an American thing that began during the Great Depression. As the name suggests, they are so good that they can be used to make a tasty sandwich with just bread and butter. Of course, they go great with many other types of sandwich, and also with hamburgers, hotdogs, salad (esp. potato salad), deli plates, BBQ chicken & ribs, biscuits & gravy, and the list goes on and on. Still, despite all the great possibilities for pairings, I would hazard to guess that at least 50% of the bread and butter pickles in my fridge are eaten straight from the jar!
Don’t discard that juice!
When all the pickles in the jar are gone - save that juice, because it is, in all the ways that matter, a ready-made secret ingredient looking for a potato salad to enhance as a vinaigrette, or pork chops to add character as a marinade… or maybe even to be that little extra something that puts your Bloody Mary over the top in the flavor department.
Bring bread and butter pickles back!
In a recent article I lamented the fact that relish seems to have fallen out of favor with the modern palate - and I fear the same thing is happening with bread and butter pickles. When I was growing up they were so popular that we would often have something on our table called a “relish tray”. This was three small jars on a rack, with each jar having a different type of pickled-thing from larger jars. As a boy I was always interested to see what would be included among that tasty triad, and they would always add color, contrast, sweetness and zip to meals. If you have extra cukes this summer, or see them on sale at the supermarket, consider making your own bread and butter pickles and help bring this frugal, sensible, pragmatic, and tasty tradition back to the table.
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