BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES-OLD FANNIE FARMER

Bread and Butter Pickles-old Fannie Farmer image

First made the as a child, it was my job to wash and then slice the cucumbers. Even on the hottest days slicing a bushel or 2 cucumbers somehow managed to keep your hands cold,and a weird sort of sticky. It was worth it though, if there wasn't a pickle on the table at supper the meal just wasn't complete. Prep time includes just...

Provided by Pamela Gibson

Time 19h

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

4 qt firm medium size cucumbers
3 c onions, small white or
8-12 onions, yellow, medium
1/2 c coarse pickling or kosher salt
5 c apple cider vinegar
3 c white sugar
2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Tbsp whole allspice
2 Tbsp yellow mustard seed
1/3 Tbsp celery seed
1/2 Tbsp ground cloves
1 inch stick cinnamon,broken into bits
1 bag(s) ice cubes

Steps:

1. First Day: Parboil cucumbers 2 minutes and then blanche them. To do this, Wash Whole cucumbers and place in large stock or canning pot and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes then immediately remove cucumbers and plunge them into ice water.
2. Peel and thinly slice large onions or peel and remove root end from small whole onions.
3. Slice cucumbers into rounds 1/6 -1/8 inch thick.
4. Place onion slices and cucumber slices into a large glass bowl or crock,sprinkle with salt and give them a quick toss together.
5. Cover with a weighted plate slightly smaller than bowl or crock and let sit 12 hours in refrigerator.
6. Next Day: Drain vegetables and rinse well in cold water. Drain thoroughly until no moisture drips from them.( If you have a cloth bag for hanging them over the sink use it instead of a strainer.)
7. Get your canning jars ready and keep hot.
8. In a heany bottomed pan big enough to fit all the sliced veg with room to spare make a syrup with the vinegar, sugars and spices.Do not let syrup boil.
9. Slowly add drained vegs with minimal stirring. Once they are all in the pot heat the mix to scalding point (180f) bubbles in syrup barely begin to form at the scalding point.
10. Pack pickles and syrup into hot sterile jars, seal with hot sterile lids and process 15 mins in hot water bath. There should be 2 inches of water at least over the tops of the jars.
11. Remove from bath and let cool in an area away from drafts. Check seals and store jars in cool dry place. Refrigerate after opening.
12. This recipe and method may also be used to pickle a mix of carrots,onions,baby cucumbers and up to 1/3 cauliflower florets.