When I was a child, I remember my mother doing a lot of canning. My father was the gardener and he always planted a big garden. And when the produce came in, it was plentiful. My poor, exhausted mother wasn’t always thrilled with the abundance. I remember helping some, but only with preparation of what would be canned, like stringing and snapping beans or shelling peas. I don’t know if I was unwelcome or uninterested, but I pretty much stayed out of the kitchen while the actual canning was taking place. Of all the fruits and vegetables my mother canned, my favorite end product was her bread and butter pickles. In this post I am sharing a pickle recipe that is EASY and DELICIOUS whether or not you go to the additional effort of canning them.
2018 Canning: Applesauce, Bread & Butter Pickles, Homemade Marinara Sauce, Tomatoes
Since my retirement and our move to North Carolina, I have become interested in canning, at least to a limited degree. I started a few years ago with canning tomatoes. Then I tried my hand at homemade applesauce and homemade marinara sauce. Last summer, after viewing an episode of America’s Test Kitchen (I do LOVE that show) I decided to try making pickles for the first time ever using the Bread and Butter Pickle recipe that had been featured. The recipe makes four pints of pickles and they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or they can be canned for a longer shelf storage.
The thing I really like about ATK is the scientific approach they take to every recipe. On the show they explain and demonstrate the recipes and share tips and explanations of why certain ingredients or techniques are used. Almost every ATK recipe I have tried has been a hit in my house. Their pickle recipe was no exception. Everyone who has tried my pickles has raved about them. So this year, I made more pickles. I tweaked the ATK recipe only in one tiny way. I used less red bell pepper than they called for. It seemed like the pepper was the only thing left at the end of a jar of last year’s pickles.
The recipe can be accessed here. America’s Test Kitchen is a membership only site, but you can sign up for a free 14 day trial membership to access the recipe. And once you have a chance to examine all the features of their website, you may even opt for a paid membership.
The ingredients needed are: pickling cucumbers, onions, red bell pepper, pickling salt, sugar, apple cider vinegar, spices, and Pickle Crisp® (calcium chloride granules).
Slice the cucumbers, onions, and red bell peppers. Add pickling salt (according to the ATK recipe) and toss well.
Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
While the vegetables are chilling in the refrigerator, mix the spices and apple cider vinegar in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Set it aside.
After 3 hours, drain the vegetables and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the pint jars by adding hot water. (This will help avoid cracking when the hot liquid is poured over the cool cucumber mixture.) Put 1/4 tsp Pickle Crisp® in each pint jar. Then fill the heated pint jars with the vegetables.
Reheat the vinegar mixture while you are filling the pint jars. Ladle the hot liquid into the filled jars leaving a half inch of space at the top.
Use a wooden skewer to run around the inside of the filled jar to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe around the top of the jar. 
Put a top and ring on each jar. Screw the top on finger tight.
At this point, you can process the pickles in a pressure or water bath canner, or simply store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. If not canning, I suggest letting the jars come to room temperature before putting them into the refrigerator. Canned or not, the flavors improve with time.
The recipe calls for 2 pounds of cucumbers which it says will make 4 pints of pickles. I used 10 pounds and ended up with 13 pints. The amount you end up with probably depends on how much is packed into each jar.
Ths really is quite an easy recipe. And oh so delicious! Be brave and try it!
Have a good and safe weekend. My prayers continue for those in the path of Hurricane Florence. That includes some of my loved ones and neighbors.
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