Bring on the Pickles!

I finally found my recipe for freezer bread-and-butter pickles last night, still packed away in a box from the move with all the loose recipe sheets I never got organized. After looking over the recipe, I realized that the cucumbers I picked yesterday would not be enough for one batch of freezer bread-and-butter pickles.

So I headed back out to the garden this afternoon and found 11 more, for a total of 20 harvested, and promptly set out to clean and slice them. The recipe is very easy--my kind of recipe--and doesn't require any kind of canning. You can freeze them in canning jars designed for the freezer or in freezer bags, whichever you prefer. I've used freezer bags in the past, but this year, I'm going to freeze in canning jars. That way, I can give them away as gifts much easier and can reuse the jars. Plus, I don't have to worry about the mess I always make trying to transfer the pickles and juice from the bags to a jar for current use.

To show you just how easy this recipe is (and I can attest to its tastiness), I've provided the recipe below. As usual, I have made an adaptation, so I'll give you the recipe as it was given to me and then tell you how I change it.

EASY FROZEN PICKLES

16 c. cucumbers, sliced thin (not peeled)
1 c. onions, sliced thin (I leave this item out and substitute another cup of cucumbers)
3 Tbsp salt (I use sea salt)

Combine the above ingredients, then set aside for three hours. Rinse and drain. Meanwhile, mix together

2 c. white vinegar
4 c. sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. powdered alum
1 tsp. whole mustard seed

Set aside for three hours, stirring often to dissolve sugar. After three hours, pour over cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate for several days, then put in containers and freeze.

These pickles are crisp and very refreshing--I think you'll enjoy them!