My eldest daughter has been asking me for the bread and butter pickles that I used to make during our pre-GAPS days.  Those pickles predate any healthy living efforts we have made as they had OODLES of white death (oops, I meant white sugar). These days, things like that are out of the question as we are all feeling pretty darned good and wish to keep it that way…   So…imagine the happiness in the house when I came across this recipe in the Grit Country Skills Series issue of ”Guide to Backyard Bees and Honey“…

Honeyed Bread and Butter Pickles (GAPS/SCD/GF)

4 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced 1/4″ thick

2 pounds yellow onions (I used red, it’s what I had), peeled and sliced 1/4″ thick

1/4 c. non-iodized salt

2 c. honey

3 c. cider vinegar

2 tsp yellow mustard seed

1/4 tsp whole cloves

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp celery seed

Mix cucumbers and onions with salt.  Let stand 6 hours.

Soak in water to cover for 1 hour; drain thoroughly.  Set aside.

In small stainless steel or enamel saucepan, bring honey, vinegar and spices to a boil.  Remove from heat and cover pan to keep contents hot.

Pack vegetables firmly into hot, sterilized pint jars, filling to 1/4″ from tops.

Add honey mixture, filling to 1/4: from tops.  Wipe rims of jars; top with hot lids (I boil mine first – don’t even know why, my mother in law taught me to do it!).  Screw on bands.

Place jars on rack in canning kettle of hot water.  (I don’t have anything fancy, just a big black $5 Kmart special enamel kettle that allows for enough water to cover the jars…and truthfully, I don’t even have a rack!)  Add water if needed to bring water level to 1″ above tops of jars.  Bring water to a rolling boil, and boil for 15 minutes.  Remove jars carefully and cool on wire rack (or a folded up dish towel works nicely too).

Just got done making these - I ended up with 9 pints total and had to make a second batch of the honey vinegar liquid to take care of the rest (the original recipe said 7 pints).  My jars are popping, and that is a great sound!  Aren’t they pretty???

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