Sweet-Heat Bread & Butter Pickles
"Recipe courtesy of Virginia Willis. Sweet and sour bread and butter pickles will sass up a sandwich, punch up potato salad or make a burger, dog or chop hop. The addition of a Scotch Bonnet pepper in this recipe takes this classic to a new level. Be careful when handling the peppers: Wear gloves or be very certain not to touch your eyes or nose."
photo by Genius Kitchen
- Ready In:
- 9hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Yields:
-
4 pints
ingredients
- 3 lbs pickling cucumbers, under 5 inches long (see Cook's Note)
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 1⁄2 cups brown sugar
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, stem removed and quartered
directions
- 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/.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
virginiawillis
Atlanta, Georgia
James Beard Foundation Award-winner Virginia Willis has made cookies with Dwanye ?The Rock? Johnson, foraged for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvested capers in Sicily, and beguiled celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Bill Clinton, and Julie Chrisley with her cooking -- but it all started in her grandmother?s country kitchen. Virginia is a chef for Food Network Kitchen and author of Secrets of the Southern Table; Lighten Up, Y?all; Bon App?tit, Y?all; Basic to Brilliant, Y?all; Okra; and Grits. She was the TV kitchen director for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree and executive producer for Epicurious TV on the Discovery Channel. She?s been seen on Food Network, CBS This Morning, and Fox and Friends and featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Eater, and Food52. She has contributed to Eating Well, Garden & Gun, and Bon App?tit, and more. Her fans love her foolproof recipes and down-to-earth attitude. Learn more at www.virginiawillis.com.
