Bread & Butter Pickles
I admit I fell in love with bread & butter pickles because of their name; had they been labeled “thin and floppy sliced pickles” I might not have been as drawn to them. The reference to bread and butter made me curious – did they go with bread and butter? Are they as mellow as bread and butter? I tried eating them atop bread and butter once, treating them like slices of jam. Mostly I loved them for their tangy sweetness; as a kid, I’d stick a fork in the jar and impale several layers, then steal a sip of the brine as a chaser.
Pickle brine is perhaps the most underutilized ingredient out there – once the pickles are gone, the brine can be turned into vinaigrette, and I just recently learned that Earls adds a splash of pickle brine to their Caesars, which is perhaps why they are the very best ever.
Those who make their own pickles tend to default to dill – there’s nothing wrong with a snap-to-attention sour pickle soldier, but I like them sweet-tart and easy to put on a burger or sandwich.
I’ve pickled many things, but never went the traditional bread and butter route, so after bringing home a bag of tiny, lumpy pickling cukes from the farmers’ market, I went to Marisa to hold my hand. She instructed (as did others) to douse the sliced wee cucumbers (along with peppers and onions) in coarse salt to draw out extra moisture, then rinse and drain them. Some add ice cubes too; with a freezer held shut by tape, we have had no room for ice all summer.
You then make a simple brine out of sugar and apple cider vinegar, dump in the cucumbers and some pickling spice, and boil the lot for a minute or two. Divvy into jars, and voila – you just made your own pickles. Oh yes you did!
Bread & Butter Pickles
AuthorJulieSlice the pickles, red pepper and onion into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss and refrigerate for about 6 hours. Pour off the excess moisture, rinse and drain well.
In a large pot, bring the sugar and vinegar to a boil. Add the cucumber mixture and spices and cook for a minute or two. Divide the pickles into jars and pour in the brine to within 1/2 inch of the rim; wipe it clean and seal. If you'd like to process them for long-term storage, Bernardin suggests processing pickles in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Otherwise, store them in the fridge for up to a month.
Ingredients
Directions
Slice the pickles, red pepper and onion into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss and refrigerate for about 6 hours. Pour off the excess moisture, rinse and drain well.
In a large pot, bring the sugar and vinegar to a boil. Add the cucumber mixture and spices and cook for a minute or two. Divide the pickles into jars and pour in the brine to within 1/2 inch of the rim; wipe it clean and seal. If you'd like to process them for long-term storage, Bernardin suggests processing pickles in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Otherwise, store them in the fridge for up to a month.
That is the most common version of pickles in Norway! If you try it on top of some brussels patê I am sure you wont be disappointed either… Juuust a tip!
Whenever I moved to the UK and saw different kinds, I was quite surprised, as some of them seemed “too big to put on a sandwich”, of course because it was meant to go with other things or be sliced up when necessary, hehe 😛 I added some tiny pickled cornichons to a turkey salad not long ago, and it was delicious! 😀
Julie – oh yes, tiny cornichons in turkey salad would be divine.. keeping that in mind for post-Thanksgiving!
I have never made my own pickles because I have never canned, but yours look so tempting. Maybe a wee batch for the fridge. 🙂
I made a pizza on Friday night and wanted to use up some of that delicious pulled pork you suggested recently. 🙂 SO- along with bbq sauce-spiked pizza sauce, pulled pork, onions and mozzarella, I added a few roughly chopped bread and butter pickles. They go with the sandwiches, so why not? It was really good. Really.
Lana – how brilliant! And funny – I was about to make a pulled pork pizza for dinner last night too, but didn’t!
I always make my bread and butter pickles with zucchini.
I use the same method and recipe…just with zucchini instead of cucumbers. I do let the prepared veggies stand with salt and ice overnight and the resulting pickles are very crisp and tasty.
Zucchini pickles! of course! they’re like little sponges.. that’s a great idea for using up all the zucchini that are currently taking over my countertop!
I made them, too. Great pictures. So is this a part of the Canadian Food Experience spearheaded by A Canadian Foodie?
The most unusual way to up pickle brine I have ever seen was when I was teaching in Texas. The local rollerskating rink would freeze it in icecube trays with toothpicks stuck in once they got slushy and then sell them.
Picklesicles.
They were a HUGE hit with the under 12 set.
My students adored them.
I really need a side of homemade B&B pickles whenever I make a grilled cheese sandwich. I even managed a garden cuke harvest for this year’s batch!
I was looking for this recipe a month ago. I came across one for “Bucket Pickles” The recipe was very similar but you fill an ice cream bucket with all the good stuff and just keep it in the ‘fridge. For weeks. Have you ever made them?
“snap-to-attention sour pickle soldier”! What a way with words you have, Julie. Great tip about the Earl’s Caesars too, maybe a splash in the Caesar Salad dressing as well?
How much does this make?
How many jars for this recipie did you use ?