bread and butter pickles canning

Bread and Butter Pickles Canning

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Canning

Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans).It provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under specific circumstances, it can be much longer. A freeze-dried canned product, such as canned dried lentils, could last as long as 30 years in an edible state.

In 1974, samples of canned food from the wreck of the Bertrand, a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1865, were tested by the National Food Processors Association. Although appearance, smell, and vitamin content had deteriorated, there was no trace of microbial growth and the 109-year-old food was determined to be still safe to eat.

Canning and economic recession

Canned goods and canning supplies sell particularly well in times of recession due to the tendency of financially stressed individuals to engage in cocooning, a term used by retail analysts to describe the phenomenon in which people choose to stay at home instead of adding expenditures to their budget by dining out and socializing outside the home.

Also, some people may become preppers and proceed to stockpile canned food. A “doomer” prepper would also be interested in stockpiling canned food upon learning about a recession.

In February 2009 during a recession, the United States saw an 11.5% rise in sales of canning-related items.

Some communities in the US have county canning centers which are available for teaching canning, or shared community kitchens which can be rented for canning one’s own foods.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES CANNING RECIPE

Every summer I make a huge batch of no sugar dill pickles with the tiniest cucumbers I can find.  I save the monster cucumbers that get lost on the vine for sweet dill pickle relish, but that leaves me a lot of dill in my canning pantry; and I searched for quite a while before stumbling across this bread and butter pickles canning recipe in my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

I think what got me excited the most is the history behind bread and butter pickles.  The story goes that a pair of Illinois cucumber farmers made it through the tough years by selling pickles to the local grocery in the 1920’s.  They became known as “bread and butter pickles” simply because the farmers traded them for their bread and butter.

This bread and butter pickle recipe is special because it turns oversized cucumbers into flavorful pickles without bitterness.  Generally, the best pickles come from the tiny sweet cucumbers, harvested before they’ve had time to fully develop seeds or bitterness.  But what’s a farmer to do with all the monster cucumbers that get lost on the vine?

This recipe leaches the bitterness from the cucumbers soaking the cucumber slices in salt and then straining the liquid before canning.  It’s the same process that’s used for removing the bitterness from other vegetables, like eggplant.

The actual canning brine is both sour and sweet.  Most pickle recipes use water and vinegar in the pickling brine, often in a 50/50 ratio.  Bread and butter pickles are all vinegar with no water in the brine, but that sourness is balanced out with a heavy helping of sugar.

Even with 2 cups of sugar spread out across 5 pints of pickles, these bread and butter pickles don’t come across as too sweet.  That’s because the sugar is balanced nicely by the vinegar, and any lasting bite the cucumbers still retain after a salt soak.

The spices are simple.  Just mustard seeds for a tiny bit of heat, celery seed for a little umami and turmeric for warmth and color.  Other recipe variations add horseradish and ginger to create spicy bread and butter pickles.  Or as the ball book of canning calls them “zesty.”

Tips for Canning Bread & Butter Pickles

These old-fashioned bread and butter pickles are made from cucumbers, onions and pickling spices. They are tangy, sweet, and crunchy—a perfect addition to any sandwich, hamburger, or hot dog. Here are tips for home canning bread and butter pickles:

Select crisp, freshly harvested pickling cucumbers

Pickling cucumbers are short, thin skinned cucumbers that are primarily used for processing or pickling. Skip the waxed cucumbers at the grocery store. The wax prevents the pickling liquid from penetrating the cucumber.

Use pickling salt

Table salt contains iodine and anti-caking agents that can darken pickles and cause cloudiness in your jars. Instead, use pickling salt, which is also called canning salt.

Use commercial vinegar with at least 5% acidity

• Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples. It will darken your pickles slightly, but adds a nice flavor.
• White vinegar is clear vinegar made by distilling corn and rye. Choose an organic brand to avoid genetically modified corn.

What makes a bread and butter pickle unique?

Ingredients