Bread and butter pickles

Makes 5 pints

10	pickling cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick (enough to make 10 cups)
4	medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2	cup pickling salt (not iodized)
3	cups distilled white vinegar
2	cups sugar
2	tablespoons mustard seeds
1	tablespoon celery seeds
1	tablespoon ground turmeric

1. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, onions, and salt. Toss to coat the vegetables with salt. Cover with cold water and set aside for 2 hours. Rinse well and drain thoroughly.

2. Prepare canner, jars, and lids according to instructions: Refer to a reliable cookbook or pickling manual to make sure your pickles will be safe.

3. In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cucumber mixture and return to a boil.

4. Following the instructions, use a slotted spoon to fill the jars one at a time. Ladle hot pickling liquid into the jars, filling to 1/2 inch from top. Remove air bubbles by pressing with a spatula. Adjust the liquid, if necessary, to leave headspace at the top. Wipe the rims. Center lid on top of jar, then screw on band tightly.

5. Use a jar lifter to lower the jars one at a time into the pot. Cover with water and put lid on pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove lid from pot, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes. Transfer jars to a heat-proof surface, leave to cool, and store 4 to 6 weeks in a cool, dry dark place before eating. Adapted from "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving"