Someone was asking about pickle recipes a few issues ago (I'm sorry, I don't
remember who it was.). Here are a couple of great pickle recipes that have
been used in my family for a while -- one is a bread & butter pickle (sweet
and tangy at the same time) and one is a dill pickle recipe. Enjoy!
-- Christy Hardin Smith
from Wild, Wonderful West Virginia
BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
4 qts. pickling cucumbers (app. 6 pounds)
4 lg. onions
1/2 c. salt
4 c. vinegar
4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. celery seed
2 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. mixed pickling spices
Slice cucumbers and onions and alternately layer in a strainer covering each
alyer with salt. Cover with ice and let drain 3 hours. Add ice as needed.
Drain and rinse thoroughly. Combine vinegar, sugar and spices and bring to
a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Add cucumbers and onions and bring to a boil
again. Fill hot jars with cucumber and onions. Add hot liquid to within
1/2-inch of tops of the jars. Release air bubbles, clean rims of jars, and
seal. Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes. Makes 7 to 8 pints.
DILL PICKLES
10 to 12 pounds small cucumbers
1 1/2 gallons vinegar
1 1/2 gallons water
1 c. salt
Put in each jar:
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp. pickling spices
several sprigs of fresh dillweed
1 Tbsp. dill seed
Pinch of alum (do not use if using lime -- see Note)
You can keep pickles whole or slice them. Wash pickles and cut stems off if
left whole, or slice with food processor. Stir vinegar, water and salt
together in large pan and let it just come to a boil. Have hot jars ready
and put in garlic, pickling spices, dill, dill seed, and alum (if you did not
use lime). Packthe jars with cucumbers. Ladle hot vinegar mixture into jars
to within 1/2-inch of top of jars. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims of jars,
and seal. Process in water canner for 10 minutes. Makes 9 to 10 quarts.
NOTE: If you soak pickles in food-grade lime and water, they will stay very
crispy. Put pickles in 3 quarts of water with 1/2 cup pickling lime and
leave for 24 hours. Rinse pickles thoroughly and proceed with recipe. Do
not use alum if you are using lime.
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