“I’ve done bad things with relish, and good things with pickles.”
Ingredients:
1 gal. Cucumber slices, 1/4”
3 yellow onions, julienne
5 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 trays of ice cubes
1 quart distilled vinegar
3 cups organic cane sugar
3 cayenne peppers, thinly sliced
¼ cup mustard seed
1 Tablespoon celery seed
1 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 Tablespoons whole coriander
1 Tablespoon ground turmeric
Directions:
1. Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices in a large pot. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat and let it rest until the cucumbers are ready.
2. Slice the cucumbers and onions. Toss them with the salt and ice. Cover and let sit, at room temperature, for four hours.
3. Return the brine to a boil.
4. Rinse and drain the cucumbers and onions.
5. Add the cucumbers and onions to the brine and bring to a boil.
6. Pack the pickles into 7 clean, sterilized pint jars. Wipe the rims and cover with prepared (soaked in boiled water) lids, and secure (finger tight) with bands.
7. Process in a water bath canner (water 1/2” over jar tops) for 10-20 minutes, depending on your elevation. Sea level-10, 3,000’-15, 6,000’-20.
The story of bread and butter pickles
Though commonly thought to be named after the depression era practice of making a sandwich of nothing more than bread, butter, and these sweet and sour pickles, this pickle gets its name from two Illinois cucumber farmers. In 1923, six years before the depression, Omar and Cora Fanning filed for the trademark “Fanning’s Bread and Butter Pickles”. Legend has it that they would process the surplus of their harvest into these spiced pickles, then use them to trade with a local grocer for bread, and butter. Today, almost 100 years later, we do much the same thing. This recipe has become particularly popular among our friends and neighbors. I over plant bush pickle cucumbers to ensure that I have enough to trade with other farms for everything from sauerkraut (my cabbage game is lame) to eggs when the chickens are slacking. The recipe is surely older than the Fannings, but they were the originators of the name we now use.
Garden planning for pickles
I not only grow the cucumbers for these, but the onions, coriander, mustard, and cayenne, as well. This year, the chilis lagged behind everything else, but I was able to bring in everything else during the “peak pickle” moment. Fortunately, I had dry cayenne chilis from last year, as you’ll see in the video. I also get dill in early, and let it go to seed, for garlic dill pickles. I can far more pickles than we can eat, but they are super handy for trade and gifts!
Canning resources
Here is my post on canning basics.
Here are some things you might need to can your own pickles!. The products below are Amazon Affiliate links. If you buy through them, I receive a small commission with no added cost to you.:
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