If you were to come to my home with a hostess gift of homemade pickles in tow, I’d be the happiest chick in town! I used to make my own but our family size has shrunk (empty nesters) and I really don’t want to have to store jars and jars of preserves and condiments.
This recipe for bread and butter pickles needs no special canning tools or ingredients. And, the quantity is just the right size for us! I’ve always wondered where did the term bread and butter pickles come from? After surfing the internet, two plausible answers emerge. One, it seems, originated during the Depression years when there was little in the cupboard (they were used as a filling for a sandwich) and another came from a man who sold pickles at a roadside stand and the income produced from the sales was his bread and butter (apocryphal). Even if none of these explanations are true, one thing that is true is that these pickles are super easy to make and taste delicious!
Makes 4 cups
adapted from Recipe Girl
1 lb. little cucumbers, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Combine cucumber slices and salt in a bowl; cover and chill 1 1/2 hours. Toss cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to a bowl.
Add sugar and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumbers and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate 24 hours before consuming (if you can wait that long!).
The Culinary Chase’s Note: These were just what I needed and I didn’t need to wait until Fall to make them. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Enjoy!
The post Bread and Butter Pickles appeared first on The Culinary Chase.
