It is not too early to be thinking ahead to how you want to preserve summer’s bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you enjoy making your own pickles, this recipe from my childhood is a good one to try. These Bread and Butter Pickles combine cucumber slices, onion, garlic, bell peppers, etc into a delicious treat to enjoy all winter! They also make great gifts when a pretty ribbon is tied around the jar or when put in a basket with other kitchen items.
As a child in Southern Indiana, we had big gardens and grew lots of cucumbers, peppers, and other vegetables. We canned them and ate them all through the winter. This is one of our canning recipes.
Bread and Butter Pickles with Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
- 4 qts sliced cucumbers
- 6 medium onions, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp mustard seed
- 1 1/2 tsp celery seed
Directions:
Put the cucumbers, onions, garlic, and bell peppers in a large pan or bowl and cover with ice. Let stand for three hours. Drain all the water from the vegetables and pack the vegetables into hot, sterilized quart or pint jars, leaving room for the liquid.
In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mustard seed, and celery seed. Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the mixture over the vegetables leaving some air space at the top of each jar. Seal with hot sterilized lids.
Before storing check to be sure jars have sealed. Top should have a slight indention and as the jars cool that should have made popping sounds. Any jars that haven’t sealed should be refrigerated and used first.
Enjoy!
The Author:
Grandma Linda is a collector of vintage recipes. She enjoys sharing these old-time recipes with others who may be searching for them.