Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the Cucumbers, Onions and Garlic
- Start by washing the pickling cucumbers thoroughly. Trim off the ends of the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers into rounds about 1/4-inch thick.3 pounds Cucumbers
- Peel the onion and garlic. Slice the onion into 1/4-inch slices and leave the garlic cloves whole.1 pound Onion, 1 Head of Garlic
- Put the produce in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and put ice on top of it. Let this sit for 3 hours.1/4 cup Canning Salt
Prepare the Canning Equipment
- While the cucumbers are being iced, prepare the canning equipment. Wash the water bath canner and fill it up about two-thirds of the way with water. Put the rack in the canner. Put the pot on the stove and heat over medium heat. You want the water hot but not boiling.
- Wash the canning jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water. The jars need to stay hot, so put them in the canner. The water should be about 180℉ since this is a hot pack recipe. The lids and bands do not need to be hot.
Make the Sweet and Spicy Pickles
- In a large pot, combine white vinegar and apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, cloves and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves completely.2 1/2 cups White Vinegar, 1 3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 3/4 cups Sugar, 2 Tablespoon Mustard Seed, 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric, 4 Whole Cloves, 2 teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
- After the cucumbers have been under ice for 3 hours, remove the ice and towel and drain the water. Rise the cucumbers several times in cold water to remove excess salt.
- Bring the brine to a boil. Add the rinsed cucumbers, onions and garlic to the brine pot and bring back to a boil. Boil for 90 seconds.
Fill the Jars
- Fill the jars with the cucumbers and brine leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
- Using a bubble remover tool, remove the air bubbles from the jars. Recheck the headspace and add more brine if needed to maintain the 1/2-inch headspace.
- Wipe rims of jars with clean, damp cloth. Add the lids and bands.
Processing the Pickles
- Put the jars into the water bath canner. Make sure that the water covers the jars by at least 1-inch.
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once it reaches a rolling boil, start a timer and process for 10 minutes. The processing time is the same for pint jars and quart jars.
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the lid (away from your face.) Let the jars sit in the water bath canner for 5 minutes before removing.
- Remove the jars from the canner using a jar lifter and put them on a towel on the counter. Let them cool overnight at room temperature.
- In the morning, remove the bands and check the lids to be sure they all sealed. If any lid failed to seal, put the band back on and store it in the refrigerator. Wipe down and label the jars of pickles before storing in a cool, dark place.
- Use within one year.
Nutrition
Notes
I can this recipe in pint jars, however, it is safe to can in quart jars. Processing times for quarts are the same as pints.
Altitude Adjustments: Processing time in the recipe is for altitudes below 1000 feet, for altitudes 1001-6000 feet the processing time is 15 minutes, for altitudes above 6000 feet the processing time is 20 minutes.
While this recipe is based on my Grandma's handwritten recipe, I have checked it against the tested bread and butter pickle recipe in the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and only safe adjustments (dry spices and vinegar choice) have been made.