I don’t like cucumbers. At all. I always try to like them – I put them on sandwiches, I cover them in hummus, the usual – but I just can’t do it. So when my mom gave us a huge bag filled with huge cucumbers I wasn’t sure what to do with all of them.

I have to tell you, I thought I had solved all my problems when I stumbled on this recipe. Pickles done in the microwave? Heck yeah! I got all my stuff ready, even sliced the cucumber, only to remember that we don’t even have a microwave. Awesome, right?

Luckily, I found another recipe that didn’t require any intimidating canning techniques. I made them a few weeks ago and then my husband asked me to make them again when we made burgers last weekend. They’re sweet and sour and everything bread and butter pickles should be.

I do recommend using small cucumbers so the seeds aren’t tough. I also recommend removing the cloves before you put the pickles in jars. Why? Because if you don’t, you’ll see a big black thing floating around your pickles and you’ll freak out because it looks a lot like a dead bug.

Bread and Butter Pickles
from AllRecipes

25 cucumbers, thinly sliced
6 onions, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup salt

3 cups cider vinegar
5 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground turmeric

In a large bowl, mix together cucumbers, onions, green bell peppers, garlic and salt. Allow to stand approximately 3 hours.

In a large saucepan, mix the cider vinegar, white sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, whole cloves and turmeric. Bring to a boil.

Drain liquid from the cucumber mixture. Stir the mixture into the boiling vinegar mixture. Remove from heat shortly before the combined mixtures return to boil.

Transfer to sterile containers. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

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