These are the finest bread-and-butter pickles in the South—and a far cry from those bland, limp, overpriced commercial ones found in supermarkets. Fail to allow the salted cucumber rounds to crisp a full 3 hours in ice, or allow them to cook a minute more than indicated, and you’ll end up with soggy pickles. And why so many onions? Because I love plenty of pickled onions. Guests eat these pickles like peanuts, so be sure to make them in quantity, as I do. For maximum flavor, I think the pickles need to be stored at least 2 months before serving, but not so long that they oversoften.
MAKES: eight 1-pint jars
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 pounds pickling cucumbers (Kirbys), scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 6 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup salt
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 3 cups cider vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large mixing bowl or baking pan, arrange alternate layers of cucumber rounds and sliced onions, sprinkling each layer with the salt. Cover the top of the mixture with ice cubes or crushed ice, mix the ice thoroughly with the cucumbers and onions, and let stand for 3 hours. Drain thoroughly.
- In a large stainless-steel or enameled pot, combine the sugar, turmeric, celery seeds, and vinegar and bring to a boil.
- Add the cucumbers and onions to the pot and return to a boil. Remove from the heat.
- Pack the cucumbers, onions, and hot liquid into eight 1-pint sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the tops, seal, and store for at least 2 months at room temperature before serving.
