Another week, another batch of cucumbers. This week we had 3½ pounds. Of course, we could have done another batch of the sweet hots and I would be perfectly happy, but we decided to mix it up a bit and do some bread and butter pickles. A quick Wikipedia search turned up this, regarding the name:
Bread-and-butter pickles are a marinated pickle produced with sliced cucumbers in a solution of vinegar, sugar and spices which may be either be processed by canning or simply chilled as refrigerator pickles. The origin of the name and the spread of their popularity in the United States is attributed to Omar and Cora Fanning, a pair of Illinois cucumber farmers who started selling sweet and sour pickles in the 1920s and filed for the trademark "Fanning's Bread and Butter Pickles" in 1923 (though the recipe and similar ones are probably much older). The story attached to the name is that the Fannings survived rough years by making the pickles with their surplus of undersized cucumbers and bartering them with their grocer for staples such as bread and butter.
Directions
Slice the cucmbers ¼ inch think, discarding both ends. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber slices with the salt. Top the cucumbers with ice. Let the cucumbers stand at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours.
Drain the cucumbers well. Toss them with the mustard seeds, celery seeds and hot pepper flakes. Pack the cucumbers into 6 ping mason jars.
In a saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar and turmeric to a bowl. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumber slices, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Close the jars with two piece caps. In a boiling water bath, process the jars for 10 minutes.
Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks.
