This recipe adds a hint of real maple flavor to the classic sweet and sour crunch of bread and butter pickles. They disappear quickly at parties and are perfect with barbecued food. They are also delicious in the combination they were named for - a simple sandwich of thinly sliced bread, butter and pickles.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Salting time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Yield: 3 - 4 pint jars
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds small, firm cucumbers, unpeeled, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
- 3/4 pound onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup kosher or other non-iodized salt (iodized salt discolors pickles)
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
Preparation:
In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers and onions with the salt. Transfer the salted vegetables to a colander. Place the colander over a bowl or in the sink and leave to drain for 4 hours.
Rinse the cucumbers and onions under cold water to remove most of the salt. Put them into a large pot. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, maple syrup, mustard seeds and allspice.
Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the liquid reaches a boil, turn off the heat.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cucumbers and onions to sterilized canning jars (or any clean glass jar if you’re not planning to process them and are going to store them in the refrigerator). Pack them in tightly. Leave 3/4-inch head space between the top of the vegetables and the rims of the jars.
Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers. You want the vegetables to be completely covered by the brine but there should still be 1/2-inch head space. Gently press down on the pickles with the back of a spoon to release any air bubbles.
Any leftover brine can be saved in the refrigerator and reheated for future batches of bread and butter pickles.
Screw on the canning lids. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. For longer storage at room temperature, process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
Wait at least a week for the flavors to develop before sampling (they're even better after 2 weeks).
