
Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles
Makes 3 quarts
Note: You’ll need cheesecloth to make a “bouquet garni”. Simply cut a square large enough to accommodate the pickling spices and mustard seed. Place the spices and seeds in the middle of the square, and gathering up the sides, tie with a piece of butcher’s twine. The packet will resemble a sachet. After the pickles cool to room temperature, I leave the bouquet garni in the batch and store the lot in a large bowl, covered in plastic wrap, overnight.
Ingredients:
2 lbs Kirby or pickling cucumbers, washed and cut into ¼-inch rounds – $4.98
1 medium-large sweet onion, i.e. Vidalia, halved length-wise and then cut cross-wise into ¼’ slices – $1.42
2 cups cider vinegar – stock
1 cup maple syrup or sugar – stock
2 Tablespoons pickling spice – $0.22
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds – $0.09
½ Teaspoon Turmeric – stock
¼ Teaspoon red pepper flakes – stock
1 ½ Tablespoons Kosher salt – stock
¾ cup water
Grand Total Assuming Well-Stocked Pantry: $6.71
Total Per Quart: $2.24
Directions:
1. Using a 3-quart saucepan, combine the vinegar, maple syrup (or sugar), water, bouquet garni, Kosher salt, Turmeric, and red pepper flakes.
2. Bring to a boil, and then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, slice the cucumbers and onion as directed above and transfer to a bowl large enough to accommodate the produce as well as the prepared pickling juice.
4. Pour the hot pickling juice along with the bouquet/sachet garni over the sliced cucumbers and onion. Cover the pickles with a small plate to keep them submerged.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
It is always fun making your own pickles and sauces. I find it very rewarding and they certainly do make brilliant gifts! Your recipe looks great!
🙂 Mandy
Thanks, Mandy! We are still enjoying this treat and we were able to share our bounty with several friends. Great to hear from you!
Maple syrup in pickles, hmmm, who would have thunk? I’m eager to try it.