A great way to use up lots of cucumbers is to make your own bread and butter pickles.Instead of making a salty sweet brine that uses corn syrup, mix it with a variety of seasonings.If you're short on time, you can make an easy batches of bread and butter pickles and store them in the refrigerator.You can make a traditional version that is easy to process and keep for up to a year.
Step 1: The cucumbers should be cut into 4 inch slices.
Remove the ends of 1 2 pounds of cucumbers.Put the cucumbers in a large, shallow bowl by cutting them with a sharp knife.If you don't have a large bowl, put the pickles in a shallow pan.
Step 2: Cucumbers can be refrigerated for 1 1/2 hours.
Cut the cucumbers in the bowl in half and toss them together.Cucumbers can be put in the refrigerator to chill.
Step 3: Cut the cucumbers and rinse them.
The cucumbers need to be removed from the refrigerator.Cold water should be run over the cucumbers.Don't rinse the cucumbers until you get rid of the salt.Put the cucumbers back in the bowl.
Step 4: Cucumber slices are good to toss with sweet onion.
Take out a sweet onion.Place it on a cutting board and slice it in half.You should get about 1 cup of thin slices.The cucumbers should be put in the bowl with these.You can cut the onion into thin slices with a mandoline slicer.
Step 5: The sugars, mustard seeds, and celery seeds are in the mix.
Put a saucepan on the stove with 200 g of sugar, 14 cup (50 g) of light brown sugar and 1 cup of white vinegar.
Step 6: The sugar will start dissolving when the mixture is cooked over medium heat.
As it cooks, stir the mixture to form a syrup.You need to heat it for about 3 to 5 minutes so that it doesn't have sugar in it.Turn off the burner.Before the sugar is dissolved completely, the syrup will bubble gently.
Step 7: Put the hot syrup over the vegetables and let it stand for an hour.
Cucumbers and onions are in the bowl.The mixture should be left to cool for an hour.
Step 8: The pickles should be refrigerated for 24 hours.
Transfer the pickles in the syrup to 2 jars with lids by covering the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.The pickles should be refrigerated for at least 24 hours.The bread and butter can be kept in the refrigerator for a month.
Step 9: The jars should be sterile.
If you want the jars to be submerged, place a large stockpot full of water on the stove and put them in it.When the water comes to a boil, turn the burner to high and heat the jars for 10 minutes.Leave the hot water in the stockpot when the burner is turned off.You can use this to process the jars.If you prefer to store the pickles in the refrigerator instead of canning them, you can keep them in sterile containers for up to a month.
Step 10: Cucumbers and onion pieces can be sliced into 4 inch (0.64 cm) pieces.
Cut off the ends of the cucumbers after rinsing them.Then peel an onion.Place the cucumber and onion in a strainer and cut them into thin slices.The sink has a colander in it.It's easier to cut the cucumbers with a mandoline.
Step 11: Rest the vegetables for 1 to 2 hours.
Kosher salt or sea salt can be put over the sliced cucumbers and onion.Use your hands or a spoon to stir them together and leave them at room temperature for an hour.As they sit, the cucumbers will release liquid.The excess liquid will make the pickles brittle.
Step 12: Put the vegetables on a sheet.
To remove the salt from the vegetables, run cold water over them.While you line the baking sheet with paper towels, let the water drain.The sliced vegetables should be spread on the paper towel-lined sheet.
Step 13: If you want to keep the cucumbers fresh, cover them with paper towels.
Spread a layer of paper towels over the cucumbers and onions.If you want to chill them overnight, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator.
Step 14: Put the ingredients in a saucepan.
2 cups of white vinegar, 2 cup of water, and 1 cup (200 g) of sugar should be put into a saucepan.
Step 15: Bring the syrup to a boil.
The sugar becomes syrupy as you stir it.The mixture should come to a boil.Turn off the burner.The syrup shouldn't boil over if you use a medium or large saucepan.
Step 16: Cucumbers and onions can be put in the jars.
Remove the hot jars from the water bath and put them on the work surface.Take a sheet of sliced cucumbers and onions out of the fridge and put them in jars.At the top of the jar, leave 2 inch of space.The pickles and syrup will not escape as the jars process if the headspace is left at the top of the jar.
Step 17: Take 2 inch (1.3 cm) of space and pour the syrup over the vegetables.
Slowly pour or ladle the hot syrup over the sliced cucumbers and onions in the jars.Don't let the vegetables get completely submerged.Before you seal it shut, you should leave 2 inches of space at the top of the jar.
Step 18: The jars need to be processed for 15 minutes.
Until they're tight, put new seals on the jars and screw bands on them.Carefully lower the jars into the bath.Bring the water to a boil and set a timer for 15 minutes.The air in the jars will be forced out by boiling them for fifteen minutes.
Step 19: Allow the pickles to rest for a day or two before eating them.
Before you store them, remove the jars from the water bath and let them cool.If you want the best flavor, wait a couple of days before eating them.The jars should be kept at room temperature for up to a year.Store the jar of pickles in the refrigerator.