Chef John's Bread and Butter Pickles

At the end of summer during the Great Depression the excess cucumber crop was sliced, salted, pickled, and put up in jars for the cold, lean months ahead. I can just imagine what a treat it was to fill a sandwich with these sweet crunchy coins (bread and butter pickles, as they came to be known). I’m sure it was a wonderful break from what must have been a fairly flavorless existence. For longer storage, you can process the pickles in canning jars in a boiling water canner.

Original recipe makes 2 pints

Ingredients

2 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 red jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced into rings
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

PREP

15 mins
COOK

5 mins
READY IN

2 hrs 20 mins

Directions

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.