Pickles:Bread and Butter

Bread and Butter Pickles
Recipe from Kathryn Wayson Hutchins

5 gallon bucket, not metal
1 cup Mrs. Wages’ Pickling Lime
12 cups or 4 quarts of cucumbers, sliced ½ inch (approx 7lbs)
2 onions, diced
½ cup pickling salt
3 cups of vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup water
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1/2 tablespoon celery seed
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric

1. In 5 gallon bucket mix:
a. 1 cup pickling lime
b. 2 gallons of water
c. Sliced cucumbers and cover soak for 24 hours.

2. Drain lime solution then rinse cucumbers through several changes of cold water and place cucumbers back into the bucket and cover with fresh cold water and soak for 3 hours. Repeat this three times or until water rinses clear and NOT cloudy.

3. Drain completely.

4. Mix onion, salt, and cucumbers and let stand for five hours in your plastic bucket with lid or towel covering.

5. Drain and set aside.

6. In a large pot or into two pots, boil together for 3 minutes: vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric. (Note: I needed more juice so I tripled this mixture)

7. Add cucumbers and onions to the vinger mixture and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Pack in hot jars using the hot pack method.