Some like it hot.
So good old Sally Stott’s bread and butter pickle recipe gets a spicy upgrade here with sliced jalapeños added to the ‘cukes and onions.
There’s enough sugar and spice in these babies to disguise the heat… at first. But the thermostat does creep up slowly and surely.
Don’t worry, it’s nothing incendiary enough to kill grandma or emotionally scar young children. These hot bread and butter pickles deliver that pleasant burn-buzz that spicy food junkies crave.
Recipe makes 12 pints
5 quarts thinly sliced Kirby cucumbers (about 30, depending on size).
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. kosher salt
2 quarts white vinegar
6 cups sugar
1/2 c. whole yellow mustard seed
1 T. celery seed
2 T. mixed pickling spices
Wash cucumbers, remove stem and blossom ends, slice thin with a food processor. Peel onions, slice thin. Place sliced vegetables in a non-reactive bowl, fold in the kosher salt and let stand three hours. Drain well but do not rinse.
Combine the vinegar, sugar and spices in a large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. When boiling begins add the cucumbers and onion slices, and over medium heat, bring back up to a low boil. Pack immediately in clean, hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2″ of headroom. TIP: Use a slotted spoon to pack pickles into each jar then top off with pickling liquid.
Seal with sterilized lids and clean bands. Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Remove, check seals. Let season for 1 week before serving.
Allow several weeks for the flavor to develop.
