Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600131
10/13/97

### Canning Bread and Butter Pickles

    GUIDE
    6:19

    BREAD
    AND BUTTER PICKLES

    6
    lbs of 4- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers

    8
    cups thinly sliced onions (About 3 pounds)

    1/2
    cup canning or pickling salt

    4
    cups vinegar (5%)

    4-1/2
    cups sugar

    2
    tbsp mustard seed

    1-1/2
    tbsp celery seed

    1
    tbsp ground turmeric

    1
    cup pickling lime (optional - for use in variation

    below
    for making firmer pickles)

    YIELD:
     About 8 pints

    PROCEDURE:
    Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16 inch off blossom

    end
    and discard. Cut into 3/16-inch slices.  Combine

    cucumbers
    and onions in a large bowl. Add salt. Cover

    with
    2 inches crushed or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4

    hours,
    adding more ice as needed.

    Combine
    remaining ingredients in a large pot. Boil 10

    minutes.
    Drain and add cucumbers and onions and slowly

    reheat
    to boiling. Fill jars with slices and cooking

    syrup,
    leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and

    process
    as below or use low-temperature pasteurization

    treatment
    described on page 5.

    Variation
    for firmer pickles: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-

    inch
    off blossom end and discard. Cut into 3/16-inch

    slices.
    Mix 1 cup pickling lime and 1/2 cup salt to 1

    gallon
    water in a 2- to 3-gallon crock or enamelware

    container.
    Avoid inhaling lime dust while mixing the

    lime-water
    solution. Soak cucumber slices in lime water

    for
    12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from

    lime
    solution, rinse, and resoak 1 hour in fresh cold

    water.
    Repeat the rinsing and soaking steps two more

    times.
    Handle carefully, as slices will be brittle.

    Drain
    well.

    Recommended
    process time for BREAD-AND-BUTTER PICKLES

    in
    a boiling-water canner

                       Process Time at Altitudes of

    Style
        Jar       0-         1,001-      Above

    of
    Pack   Size      1,000 ft   6,000 ft    6000 ft

    Hot
          Pints     10 min     15          20

             or Quarts

    STORAGE:
     After processing and cooling, jars should be

    stored
    4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.

    VARIATION:
     Squash bread-and-butter pickles.  Substitute

    slender
    (1- to 1-1/2 inches in diameter) zucchini or

    yellow
    summer squash for cucumbers.

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