Sweet Heat Bread Butter Pickles Recipes

SWEET-AND-SPICY BREAD-AND-BUTTER PICKLES

Steps:

• To draw out excess liquid and increase crunch, toss cucumbers and onion with salt in a large colander. Add ice, and toss again. Place over a bowl, and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, for 3 hours. Drain. Rinse well, and drain again.
• Bring vinegar, sugar, mustard and celery seeds, peppercorns, turmeric, and red-pepper flakes to a boil in a saucepan. Add cucumbers and onion. Return to a boil (if using squashes, add them, then remove from heat; do not return to a boil).
• Ladle into 3 hot sterilized pint jars, leaving about 1/2 inch below each jar's neck. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth; cover tightly with sterilized lids and screw tops. Using tongs or a jar clamp, transfer jars to a rack in a large canning pot or a large, deep pot filled with hot water, being sure to keep jars upright at all times. (Jars should be spaced 1 inch apart, and should not touch sides of pot.) Cover with water by 1 inch. Cover pot, and bring to a boil. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let cool. Press down on each lid. If lid pops back, it's not sealed; refrigerate unsealed jars immediately, and use within 1 month. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

CHEF JOHN'S BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

Steps:

• Combine cucumbers, onion, and peppers in a bowl; pour kosher salt over the top and stir to coat completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 hours. Rinse cucumber mixture in a colander under cold water until all salt is washed away, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
• Stir vinegar, sugar, water, garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, peppercorns, turmeric, and ground cloves together in a saucepan; bring to a simmer and cook until brine flavors combine, about 2 minutes. Add cucumber mixture to brine; heat until almost boiling, remove from heat, and cool completely. Transfer to jars and store in the refrigerator.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES II

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together cucumbers, onions, green bell peppers, garlic and salt. Allow to stand approximately 3 hours.
• In a large saucepan, mix the cider vinegar, white sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, whole cloves and turmeric. Bring to a boil.
• Drain any liquid from the cucumber mixture. Stir the cucumber mixture into the boiling vinegar mixture. Remove from heat shortly before the combined mixtures return to boil.
• Transfer to sterile containers. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

SWEET-HEAT BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES

Steps:

• Special equipment: Boiling-water canner with a rack, canning tongs, canning funnel, 4-pint canning jars.
• Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet or line it with a clean towel. Set aside.
• Trim the ends of the cucumbers, peel and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Combine the cucumbers, onions and salt in a large non-reactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Drain, rinse the vegetables under cold water and drain again. Repeat the rinsing and draining process and set aside.
• Combine the coriander, mustard and celery seeds, turmeric, vinegar and brown sugar in a large non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the reserved cucumbers and onions and stir to combine.
• Place 4 clean pint jars (see Cook's Notes) on the prepared baking sheet. (This will help contain any dribbles or spills and prevent the jars from directly touching the metal.) For each jar, insert a canning funnel and place a quarter Scotch Bonnet pepper in each. Carefully ladle in the hot vegetables and liquid, allowing at least 1/2 inch of headroom. Clean the rims of the jars with a clean, damp towel and tightly secure the lids.
• Place the canning rack in the canner and fill the pot with water; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Using tongs, place the jars on the rack in the canner. The water should cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner. Return the water to a boil and boil gently for 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the jars to a towel to cool. If the seal works and fits properly, the metal lid will be slightly concave within 24 hours of processing. Store the unopened jars at room temperature for up to 1 year. Once opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• Cook's Notes:.
• Pickling cucumbers are often smaller than the traditional slicing cucumbers and have slightly thinner skins.
• High-acid foods such as fruits, pickles, sauerkraut, jams, jellies, marmalades and fruit butters with a pH level of 4.6 or lower can be preserved by boiling water canning (low-acid foods, such as canned meats and fish, require a pressure cooker).
• Boiling water canning makes use of a large pot that's tall enough to fully submerge canning jars by at least an inch of water. The pot is used for both sterilization of jars prior to filling and for boiling the jars once they are filled. You don't necessarily need to purchase a boiling water bath canner if you don't already have one. Any large, deep stockpot equipped with a lid and a rack can double as a boiling water canner. Keep in mind: The pot must be large enough to fully surround and immerse the jars in water by 1 to 2 inches and allow for the water to boil rapidly with the lid on.
• It is not necessary to sterilize jars beforehand if processing jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes or longer. The jars should instead be freshly cleaned and well washed in hot soapy water. Any jars processed less than 10 minutes must be pre-sterilized and the lids and rings placed into simmering, not boiling, water. Rings can be reused, but lids should be new and used only once for boiling water canning.
• This recipe has been updated and may differ from what was originally published or broadcast.
• Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for one year. Making sure hands, equipment and surfaces in your canning area are clean is the first step in canning. Tips: Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with glass, plastic or metal lids that have a rubberlike seal. Two-piece metal lids are most common. To prepare jars before filling: Wash jars with hot, soapy water, rinse them well and arrange them open-side up, without touching, on a tray. Jars have to be sterilized only if the food to be preserved will be processed for less than 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath or pressure canner. To sterilize jars, boil them in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 10 minutes. Follow manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and preparing lids and bands. Use tongs or jar lifters to remove hot sterilized jars from the boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too: Dip the tong ends in boiling water for a few minutes before using them. All items used in making jams, jellies, preserves and pickles must be clean, including any towels and especially your hands. After the jars are prepared, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products. Find information on canning at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website: http://nchfp.uga.edu/.