Mama's Bread and Butter Pickles!

This is my mother's recipe for "Bread and Butter Pickles" and to me, it's the best homemade pickle there is.  My sister and I used to eat these for a snack as kids they were so good!  They are sort of a cross between a pickle and relish which is why I probably like them so much.  They are also a really good pickle to start with for those who are new to canning, because they are not that complicated or hard to make.  Homemade pickles are an iffy sort of thing.  Remember the Andy Griffith episode about Aunt Bea's homemade pickles. 

This is not the look you want to see when you present your homemade pickles to folks...lol! 

So here is what you will need for these yummy pickles:

3 quarts of cucumbers, sliced thin (about 4 lbs.)

1/2 cup canning salt

1 cup water

ice

4 cups onions, sliced in thin rings (about 3-4 large onions)

1 large green bell pepper, cut in thin strips

1 large red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

3 cups sugar

3 cups vinegar

2 Tbs. mustard seed

2 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. ground ginger

Place the cucumbers, onions,  bell peppers, salt and water in a large bowl or container with a tight fitting lid.   Cover with ice cubes, place the lid on them and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

After they have chilled, remove from ice and drain well.    Pack into sterilized pint jars. If you place some of the red and green pepper strips where they are visible, the jars look prettier. You will need about 8-9 jars.   Leave some head room in each jar. 

In a saucepan on the stove, combine vinegar, sugar and spices.  Bring just to a boil, turn off  and remove from heat.   Carefully pour over the cucumber mixture in each jar.  Don't over fill.  Wipe down the jars if you spill any on the outside.

Place the lids and rings on the jars.  Leave the rings slightly loose.

 

Place the jars in a canner or large Dutch oven and add water just up to the rings, not over the rings.   Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover.  Let stand in the hot water bath for about 40 minutes.  Remove and turn upside down on the counter.  This aids in sealing the jars.  

 The lids will pop when they are properly sealed.  if they don't pop and this rarely happens, refrigerate and eat that jar first.  

Don't store it for later use outside of the refrigerator. 

These pickles are so good with most anything and they are also great minced and used in potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad or anything that calls for pickle relish.  You can just put a whole jar through the food processor and keep it in the fridge for that purpose! 



Mama's Candied Dill Pickles!

 

Mama has been making these "Candied Dill Pickles" for several years now and they have become really popular with all of her friends and family!    These turn regular store bought dill pickles into the most amazing sweet pickles ever and you won't believe how easy this is!!!

This is a pickle recipe anybody can make no matter your level of expertise in the kitchen.  The recipe is only three ingredients!  The main thing in making these successfully, is just following the recipe exactly!   

Here is what you need:

1 gallon whole dill pickles (preferably Vlasic or the best brand you can buy in your area)

7 cups sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Drain all of the liquid off of a gallon of whole dill pickles.  We find that Vlasic pickles work best for this, but if you don't have access to them where you live, use the best dill pickles you do have access to.   Fill the jar with water to the top and place them in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.  If they are in there longer that's fine also.

Drain all of the water off the pickles.

Slice the pickles in thick, about 1/4 inch, slices.  These are best if you don't slice them too thin. Place the slices in a large mixing bowl.

Pour 7 cups of sugar over the slices.

Pour 1 cup apple cider vinegar over the sugar.

With a large spoon, toss the pickle slices with the sugar and vinegar until the sugar is all dissolved and becomes liquid.   This takes some time.  You can let this sit for about an hour and then toss to aid in the sugar breaking down.  

When the sugar is dissolved, place the pickles in jars.  This will make 6 pints or 3 quarts of pickles.  Leave the jar out on the counter for 3-4 hours or until the liquid is clear and not at all cloudy.  If you need to turn the jar upside down to be sure there is no granulated sugar in the bottom.  

Place in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours! 

After 48 hours they are ready to serve!!!  Keep the jars of pickles refrigerated until you serve them.  Believe me, they will disappear fast!!! 

Sweet Pepper Relish!

 

 

I love a good relish or chow chow.  It is so good with beans and fresh vegetables or on a hot dog or good smoked sausage.  However, it's hard to find a really tasty recipe for sweet pepper relish.   This is probably one of the best.  It's one of those really old recipes that has been around for a while and it came from the lady that ran our elementary cafeteria years ago.   My mother was fortunate enough to get several of her recipes.  She was a wonderful southern cook.   I am sure this recipe was in her own family for years.  You will be surprised by how uncomplicated making something like this actually is, if you have a good recipe.  Here is what you will need:

 

 

4 cups ground onions

1 medium head of cabbage, ground (4 cups)

10 green tomatoes, ground  (4 cups)

12 green bell peppers, ground

6 red bell peppers, ground

1/2 cup salt

6 cups sugar

1 Tbs. celery seed

2 Tbs. turmeric

4 cups cider vinegar

2 cups water

 

Grind the vegetables using the coarse blade of the grinder.  This recipe was before the invention of the food processor, but you can use your food processor.  If you do use a food processor, be careful not to over process this.  It should be left coarse.  We are making relish, not juice and it's easy to over do it with those powerful food processors nowadays.  Do I sound like I have experience with this...lol?   I have had a few batches of salsa that was more like spicy tomato juice, before I got used to a new food processor.

 

Sprinkle the vegetables with the 1/2 cup of salt.  Cover and let sit in the fridge over night. 

 

The next day, rinse and drain.  Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the vegetables in a large pan.  Place on the stove and heat to boiling.   Turn the heat down and simmer for about 3 minutes. 

 

Seal in hot, sterilized jars.  My mother always turns the jars, after filling and sealing, upside down on a kitchen towel to aid in the sealing process.  This makes 8 pints of relish. 

 

Isn't it pretty?  This would be great for an inexpensive, but thoughtful, Christmas gift.  Tie a little burlap or gingham bow around the jar and it would be darling!