We are up to our elbows in tomatoes. Dad picked 50 ripe ones on Wednesday and added them to the already heaping countertops of about 75-100 already ripened tomatoes. However, what we aren’t seeing loads of this year is a bumper crop of cucumbers. Usually, mom can’t make batches of pickles fast enough. This year they are few and far between.

And we are Bread & Butter Pickle people. We eat them on burgers, sandwiches, and on a fork. We chop them up for potato salad, chicken salad, and deviled eggs. Mom keeps jars and jars of relish she’s processed from the pickles in our pantry for use throughout the year.

So, in hopes that pickling cucumbers will magically appear on our door step, here is our recipe for this delicacy.

Bread & Butter Pickles

4 quarts medium cucumbers, sliced

6 medium white onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup salt

5 cups sugar

3 cups cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

2 teaspoons mustard seed

Do not peel cucumbers; slice thin. Add onions, garlic cloves, and salt. Cover with cracked ice; mix thoroughly. Let stand for 3 hours. Drain well. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers. Heat just to a boil. Seal in hot, sterilized jars. Yield: 8 pints.