Bread & Butter Refrigerator Pickles...

Using the funky pickles from our garden we made.....

Pioneering Today Bread & Butter Refrigerator Pickle Recipe
(Adapted from Ball Blue Book of Canning)

2 cups sliced trimmed pickling cucumbers

1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup each sliced red and yellow bell peppers
2 cups white vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 whole cloves

Wash one quart size mason jar and lid. Wide mouth jars work best when stuffing them for pickles, but the regular mouth will work as well.

Rinse and scrub cucumbers. Cut off the blossom end of the cucumber (it contains enzymes which can soften pickles). Slice evenly, a mandolin works well for uniform shapes when pickling. Cut up all the rest of your vegetables.

Layer vegetables in the clean mason jar. Push down lightly to pack vegetables down and get a few more in. Pack vegetables into jar within a 1/2″ headspace of top of jar. (This just means 1/2″ from the top of the jar) Place jar on a towel folded in thirds.

In a stainless steel sauce pan, combine vinegar, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil of medium high heat and boil for 3 minutes.

Using a canning funnel or a ladle, pour pickling liquid over vegetables. You may have a slight amount left over depending on how tightly you packed your jar. Apply lid. Allow to cool 30 minutes and then place in the refrigerator. Pickles should marinate for 2 weeks and use within 3 months. Confession: I taste tested mine after 2 days and have been munching away. The flavor will intensify over time.

Makes 1 quart jar. To make less or more, simply double or triple the recipe.

btw...WE made a huge crock and 3 Quart jars.