Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles

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.