In a pickle

Hey friends! If you follow along over on Instagram, or even check my events calendar, or heck, if you read this post, you will know that I do homesteading skills demonstrations at the Eastside Sunday Market in East Knoxville every Sunday from 1-4PM. I have my schedule listed on my instagram page and here on my events calendar. Some of the demos that I am doing, or have done, includes: quick pickles, composting, seed saving and starting, and beeswax food covers. But. I'm in a pickle because I did a canning demo last sunday and make pickles. And everyone LOVED the pickles and wanted the recipe!! LOL. I hadn't planned on sharing the recipe because it was supposed to be about the canning (which it was) but the smell of the pickles cooking was too much. And the pickles were really good! So. Here's my recipe and my tips and tricks of how I modified them.

But first, let me just say that if you planned on actually canning the pickles (which I wasn't planning on. They were just used for the canning demonstration) you should not modify the recipe. I teach you all about this when you take my canning class, but the bottom line is the recipes that I use are tested for accuracy, acidity, etc. which is what is needed in order to safely can. With that said, on to the recipe!

The Recipe

The Recipe: Traditional Bread & Butter Pickles
recipe from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Ingredients:
10 cups sliced pickling cucumbers
4 medium onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup salt (Ball Salt for Pickling & Preserving or Bernardin Salt for Pickling & Preserving)
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
Ball Pickle Crisp or Bernardin Pickle Crisp (optional)

Instructions
1. In a glass or stainless steel bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, and salt. Mix well, cover with cold water and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer to a colander placed over a sink, rinse with cool running water and drain thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile prepare canner, jars, and lids
3. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in vegetables and return to a boil.

At this point you can the pickles. I did not but I will share what I did differently for the market and the pickles were so yummy!

Tips & Tricks

1. I skipped the salting step (#1 under instructions). And honestly, you don't have to use the recommended salt (even if you are canning them). The type of salt has no impact on the actual canning process. So use whatever salt you have. I didn't brine the pickles because a) I got lazy and b) I knew I wasn't actually canning them.
2. I substituted brown sugar for the granulated sugar. One of the modifications in the book for this recipe is to turn your pickles into British Bread & Butter Pickles by using brown sugar (and ACV). And, if you know me you will know that I try to use what I have on hand. I am out of white sugar but have TONS of brown sugar. So. Brown sugar it is.
3. I have a pickling spice on hand (pictured above) so that's what I used. But with pickles you can use any spice you want. The pickling spice I used has bay leaves, cinnamon, coriander, mustard seed, dill seed, cloves, allspice, and black pepper.
4. I combined everything into a stainless steel pot and brought it to a boil. I let it boil for a while (have no idea since I was doing the canning demo). I would just keep an eye on it until the cucumbers are to a consistency that you like (not too mushy, not too firm). Stir occasionally.
5. And, I did not use 10 cups of cucumber. I used about 7 pickling cukes and one red onion. But feel free to play around with your ratios.

That's it friends! They are so good. A little tart, a little spicy, and a little sweet all in one. Put them in jars. Let them cool and then store in the refrigerator. Be sure to label the jars. They will last for about a month in the refrigerator, but I bet you they won't last that long!

PS THE BOOKS!! These are my favorite books:
1. Preserving by the Pint
2. Food in Jars
3. Ball Blue Book
4. Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

'til next time
-k
xoxo