Honeyed Bread & Butter Pickles
At Palmetto Bluff a little wildness is always close at hand, especially on the community farm that supplies the kitchens with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Chef Beth Cosgrove of the Palmetto Bluff Club often looks to the farm’s harvest for inspiration, working alongside fellow chefs and the farm team to plan what will be planted and how it will appear on the menu. One delicious way Cosgrove and Chef Rhy Waddington capture that just-picked flavor is through pickling. “Pickles add acid, crunch and sometimes sweetness to dishes,” Cosgrove says, creating a bright, puckery contrast that adds complexity to a plate. These classic bread-and-butter pickles highlight crisp cucumbers and onions in a sweet-tangy brine made with honey and warm spices. The result is a simple way to preserve the garden’s bounty while adding a little wild, seasonal zing to sandwiches, burgers and salads.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers
- 1 1/2 pounds onions
- 1/3 cup Morton’s pickling salt
- 2 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 1/4 cups honey
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 dried hot chili whole
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
Instructions
- Cut the ends off the cucumbers, and slice the cucumbers and onions into 1/4-inch rings using a mandolin or sharp knife.
- Cover the vegetables with salt and mix, pressing lightly to massage the salt into them. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Rinse the vegetables under cold running water to remove the salt, then drain well.
- In a large pot, combine the vinegar, water, honey, pickling spices and garlic. Bring to a boil, stirring until the honey dissolves.
- Place the rinsed vegetables into jars or containers for storage.
- Immediately pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables, and secure the lids. Let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.
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