Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles

I found this variation of Bread and Butter Pickles in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.  The only modification made from the original is the omission of onion as I am allergic to them.  These made a wonderful addition to my Potato Salad.  You can find lots of home preserving ideas and supplies at the Ball website.

  10 Cup Pickling Cucumbers                                                    2 Tbl Prepared Horseradish

  1/2 Cup Pickling Salt                                                              2 Tbl Gingerroot, Grated

  3 Cups White Vinegar                                                            2 Tbl Mustard Seed

  2 Cups Granulated Sugar                                                        

In a glass or stainless steel bowl or Pickle crock, combine cucumbers and salt.  Mix well, cover with cold water and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.  Transfer to a colander and rinse with cool running water.  Drain thoroughly.

Prepare canner, jars and lids while cucumbers sit.  

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, horseradish, gingeroot and mustard seed.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Stir in cucumbers and return to a boil.

Pack vegetables into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar.  Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.  Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary.  Wipe rim, center lid on jar.  Screw band down until resistance is met then increase to fingertip tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.  Remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars.  Cool, label and store.