Bread and Butter Pickles

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 lb pickling cucumbers (5 inches)
• 1/2 cup pickling salt
• 8 cups vinegar
• 6 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup mustard seed
• 2 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp whole cloves, optional
• 12 medium onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Wash cucumbers thoroughly. Trim 1/8 inch off stem and blossom ends. Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. In a large nonreactive container, alternate layers of cucumbers and salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours; drain. To prepare pickling liquid, combine vinegar, sugar and spices in a nonreactive Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add cucumbers and onions; return to a boil. Boil 2 - 3 minutes. Ladle mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a narrow rubber spatula or plastic knife. Add additional pickling liquid, if required, to maintain headspace. Wipe jar rims thoroughly with a clean damp cloth. Seal and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. For altitudes higher than 3000 ft (914 m), add 5 minutes to processing time.