Bread and butter pickles are a tasty way to preserve cucumbers. They're perfect for eating during the winter when cucumbers are not in season. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to start canning bread and butter pickles. This is a great way to make sure you have a supply of your favorite pickles all year long! We love canning recipes and have quite a few on the site. It is a great way to stock up.
How to Can Bread and Butter Pickles
With a few ingredients and a little patience, you'll have delicious pickles to enjoy all year long!
How long do canned pickles last?
Canned pickles will generally last for about two years. However, it is best to check the date on your lids. Also, remember to rotate stock as you can more.
What are the best cucumbers to use for canning pickles?
You can use any cucumbers you want really. Some say that the best cucumbers to use for canning pickles are the Kirby cucumbers. They have a nice firm texture and they are not as watery as some of the other varieties.
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What you need for Canning Bread and Butter Pickles
Pickling Cucumbers
Mrs. Wages Pickle Mix: Bread & Butter
Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch Granules
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Supplies
Cutting board and knife
How to make Canned Bread and Butter Pickles
Wash cucumbers and drain.
Fill your canner with water and turn it on high as it takes a while to boil.
In a large cooking pot, mix together Mrs. Wages's pickling mix, water, sugar, and vinegar according to package directions and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the brining mixture dissolves. Remove from heat.
Prepare your canning jars by washing them in hot soapy water. Use brand new lids, rings can be reused if they are not rusty and in good working condition. Fill large saucepan ¾ full of water and place on the stovetop. You'll place your clean canning jars upside down in the water, along with rings and lids. You may only be able to do 2-4 at a time. *Watch the water can suck up inside the jars and you may need to refill the saucepan as you go. You want to keep your jars hot during this process.
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Cut 1/16” slice off the blossom end of cucumbers ad discard. *I actually just cut a slice off both ends. *If there are any bad spots on the cucumbers, cut those off as well.
Cut cucumbers into pickles, you can do spears and slices as well. Set aside.
Using tongs, bring your hot jars and lids to your workspace. Fill the jars with cucumbers, leaving 1/2” headspace.
Place the funnel on top of the canning jar and fill with brining liquid up to 1/2” from the top.
Add the Xtra Crunch granules. For quart jars, add ¼ teaspoon and for pint jars, add 1/8 teaspoon.
Wipe the rim and jar threads with a paper towel to make sure there isn't any liquid or particles that would prevent a proper seal. Wipe the lids and bands so they are dry.
Place the lid and band on the jar and tighten. Not too tight. You'll be removing the bands in 24 hours.
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When the water in the canner is at a rolling boil. Use the tongs to place the sealed jars inside. It's important to do this process with the same size jars, do pints together, and quarts together. When the water comes to a rolling boil again, after placing the jars in the water, set the timer; 10 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.
Have a towel handy when you are ready to remove the jars so the water doesn't drip all over. Use the canning tongs to remove the jars. Place them on a cooling rack or countertop and listen for them to pop and ting…that's when you know they've sealed.
After 24 hours, double-check the top lid has been sealed by lightly pressing. There shouldn't be any give. Remove the band and store the jars in your pantry or cupboard for up to one year. *Do not stack jars, if there is any leakage, the weight of a jar on the lid may prevent you from realizing it. Remember to label your lids.
If you have extra brining liquid, you can store it in the refrigerator for 1 week. Heat it up and make more pickles.
Allow the pickles to set up for at least 4 weeks before eating. We typically wait at least 8 weeks.
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How to Can Bread and Butter Pickles
Canning Bread and Butter Pickles are a great way to make sure you have them all year long and especially for your favorite holidays.
Ingredients
- 9-11 lbs pickling cucumbers 25 large
- Mrs. Wages Pickle Mix: Bread & Butter
- Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch Granules
- 6 ¾ cups White Distilled Vinegar (5% acidity)
- 7 cups sugar
Supplies
- Canner
- Canning jars: regular or wide mouth, pint or quart
- Canning funnel and canning tongs
- Large saucepan
- Large cooking pot
- Paper towel
- Cutting board and knife
Instructions
- Wash cucumbers and drain.
- Fill your canner with water and turn it on high as it takes a while to boil.
- In a large cooking pot, mix together Mrs. Wages's pickling mix, water, sugar, and vinegar according to package directions and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the brining mixture dissolves. Remove from heat.
- Prepare your canning jars by washing them in hot soapy water. Use brand new lids, rings can be reused if they are not rusty and in good working condition. Fill large saucepan ¾ full of water and place on the stovetop. You'll place your clean canning jars upside down in the water, along with rings and lids. You may only be able to do 2-4 at a time. *Watch the water can suck up inside the jars and you may need to refill the saucepan as you go. You want to keep your jars hot during this process.
- Cut 1/16” slice off the blossom end of cucumbers ad discard. *I actually just cut a slice off both ends. *If there are any bad spots on the cucumbers, cut those off as well.
- Cut cucumbers into pickles, you can do spears and slices as well. Set aside.
- Using tongs, bring your hot jars and lids to your workspace. Fill the jars with cucumbers, leaving 1/2” headspace.
- Place the funnel on top of the canning jar and fill with brining liquid up to 1/2” from the top.
- Add the Xtra Crunch granules. For quart jars, add ¼ teaspoon and for pint jars, add 1/8 teaspoon.
- Wipe the rim and jar threads with a paper towel to make sure there isn't any liquid or particles that would prevent a proper seal. Wipe the lids and bands so they are dry.
- Place the lid and band on the jar and tighten. Not too tight. You'll be removing the bands in 24 hours.
- When the water in the canner is at a rolling boil. Use the tongs to place the sealed jars inside. It's important to do this process with the same size jars, do pints together, and quarts together. When the water comes to a rolling boil again, after placing the jars in the water, set the timer; 10 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.
- Have a towel handy when you are ready to remove the jars so the water doesn't drip all over. Use the canning tongs to remove the jars. Place them on a cooling rack or countertop and listen for them to pop and ting...that's when you know they've sealed.
- After 24 hours, double-check the top lid has been sealed by lightly pressing. There shouldn't be any give. Remove the band and store the jars in your pantry or cupboard for up to one year. *Do not stack jars, if there is any leakage, the weight of a jar on the lid may prevent you from realizing it. Remember to label your lids.
- If you have extra brining liquid, you can store it in the refrigerator for 1 week. Heat it up and make more pickles.
- Allow the pickles to set up for at least 4 weeks before eating. We typically wait at least 8 weeks.
Notes
Chicago Pickling Cucumbers make great crunchy pickles. If you want to pickle them whole, pick cucumbers when they are still quite small. I let them get about 6” long and can get quite a few pickles from them.
If you use pint and want spears, you may need to cut them in half to fit in the jars.
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If you are looking for a new way to preserve your cucumbers, give bread and butter pickles a try. They are easy to make and taste great on sandwiches or just eaten straight out of the jar. Who knows, maybe after trying this recipe you will be hooked on homemade pickles and want to start canning other types of fruits and vegetables too!
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