Chef John's Bread and Butter Pickles

At the end of summer during the Great Depression the excess cucumber crop was sliced, salted, pickled, and put up in jars for the cold, lean months ahead. I can just imagine what a treat it was to fill a sandwich with these sweet crunchy coins (bread and butter pickles, as they came to be known). I'm sure it was a wonderful break from what must have been a fairly flavorless existence. For longer storage, you can process the pickles in canning jars in a boiling water canner.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Calories: 38 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 2 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced
• 2 red jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced into rings

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine cucumbers, onion, and peppers in a bowl; pour kosher salt over the top and stir to coat completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 hours. Rinse cucumber mixture in a colander under cold water until all salt is washed away, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

Stir vinegar, sugar, water, garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, peppercorns, turmeric, and ground cloves together in a saucepan; bring to a simmer and cook until brine flavors combine, about 2 minutes. Add cucumber mixture to brine; heat until almost boiling, remove from heat, and cool completely. Transfer to jars and store in the refrigerator.