Bread and Butter Pickles

I made a batch of these on Saturday from cucumbers from Larry and Edie's garden. No I didn't steal these, they gave them to me! This truly is the best recipe I have found for homemade bread and butter pickles. It is right from the pages of Ball Blue Book of Preserving.Very important to allow 4 to 6 weeks for fresh pack pickled goods to cure and develop a satisfactory flavor.

Did I mention you can use zucchini instead of cucumbers and you will have beautiful Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles. Make sure your zucchini are small.

Yield about 7 pints
print recipe

4 pounds 4-6-inch cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced (about 8 small)
1/3 cup canning salt
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon peppercorns
3 cups vinegar

Combine cucumber and onion slices in a large bow,layering with salt; cover with ice cubes. Let stand 1 1/2 hours. Drain; rinse, drain again. Combine remaining ingredients 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, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.