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msafirstein

Bread and Butter Pickles ***Carol (readinglady)

msafirstein
12 years ago

I've made Carol's Bread and Butter pickles several times and I just recently sent the recipe to a friend of mine. He asked me how many lbs 4 qts cukes is(was).

I always just use 4 qts and never though to weigh them. Any input is appreciated.

Here's the ingredient list for reference:

4 quarts sliced medium-sized cucumbers, unpeeled and sliced thin

6 medium white onions, sliced

2 green bell peppers, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup salt

5 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

2 tablespoons mustard seed

3 cups vinegar, 5% acidity

Comments (14)

  • readinglady
    12 years ago

    Hmmn, well that's not the Bread and Butter Pickle recipe I use. The green pepper wouldn't go over well with my spouse. Maybe I commented on it in a previous thread or posted the recipe in response to a request for particular ingredients.

    My recipe is by weight.

    But to answer your question, 6 pounds medium cucumbers would yield approx. 4 quarts sliced.

    Carol

  • msafirstein
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I pretty sure I copied this recipe from this forum. But now I'm not sure who posted it. I always thought it was you, Carol!!

    Using your calculations of 6 lbs of medium cucumbers = approx. 4 quarts sliced, how many pints of Bread and Butter Pickles would this yield?

    Could you post your Bread and Butter Pickle recipe too?

  • msafirstein
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks so much Carol!

    Just one more question, can you reduce the salt?

    Michelle

  • readinglady
    12 years ago

    I wouldn't reduce the salt. It's leaching out juices (and potential bitterness). However, you could rinse the slices then drain once the brining period has elapsed. I don't think you're going to find the pickles are salty in flavor but if you have dietary concerns about sodium level, that would be a good way to reduce it.

    As you can see, the recipe I posted, with approximately 18 cups of product yields 7 pints. The recipe you posted has about 50% more than that (more onions and the green pepper) so I'd guess you'd end up with about a dozen pints, give or take.

    One concern I have with the recipe you posted is that it has more veggies but the same amount of syrup as the one I posted. If I were making it, I'd double the syrup. I keep thinking as written it has the potential to tend to the dense and drier end.

    I hope this helps.

    Carol

  • msafirstein
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Carol.

    The salt is a dietary problem. But I was thinking that if you rinsed the cucumber mix, it would remove some of the salt.

    The 4 quarts of cucumbers in the recipe I posted, is 4 quarts of whole pickling cucumbers, not 4 quarts of sliced cucumbers.

    I've made my recipe twice now and both times it made exactly 4 pints of pickles. The recipe says it yields "about 4 pints".

    Michelle

  • digdirt2
    12 years ago

    Interesting. Never heard of or seen B&B pickles made with whole cukes before.

    Dave

  • msafirstein
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    This is getting so confusing it's funny to read.

    The Bread and Butter pickles are not made with whole cucumbers.

    In the ingredient list the "4 quarts of cucumbers" means 4 quarts of whole cucumbers. So you take a quart basket and fill it with cucumbers. Then the cucumbers are sliced into 1/8-1/4" slices.

    Michelle

  • readinglady
    12 years ago

    But it says 4 quarts sliced medium-sized cucumbers, unpeeled and sliced thin.

    It goes against all recipe conventions to read that as 4 quarts of whole cucumbers, sliced (which would say just that). As I read it, the intent of the recipe is a total of 4 quarts of cucumber slices. But if you used 4 quarts of medium cucumbers, sliced, that certainly would reduce the volume of the recipe. In fact, it would probably be bread-and-butter onions as much as anything.

    Carol

  • digdirt2
    12 years ago

    Sorry for screwing this discussion up. I read The 4 quarts of cucumbers in the recipe I posted, is 4 quarts of whole pickling cucumbers, not 4 quarts of sliced cucumbers. and took it literally. At my age I should know better.

    Dave

  • Fred Smith
    4 years ago

    thatis the recipe i've used for years - best bread and butter pickles ever


  • HU-239958424
    2 years ago

    Ive used this recipe for many years, just the best

  • HU-358594166
    9 months ago

    This us the same recipe (with the exception of 4 peppers, 4 onions & 6qrts cucombers) & it would yield 6-8 quarts pickles

  • canfan
    8 months ago

    HU-358594166 - How much additional brine did you make? I'm thinking that it would need to be increased by 1/3 since you added 2 more quarts of cucumbers. Also, you canned in pints since there were no processing times listed for quarts, right?