BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES

Bread and butter pickles are my favorite cucumber pickle.
Ingredients:
4 pounds pickling cucumbers (15 cups sliced)
3 onions, quartered, sliced about 1/4-inch thickness
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 tablespoons mustard seeds
Preparation:
Wash cucumbers and cut off the ends. Slice crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.( I USE A CRINKLE CUT POTATO SLICER! CRISPER & LOOKS COOL!)
Toss in a large bowl with the salt and onion slices; cover with about 4 to 6 cups of ice cubes. Cover and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight.
(I USE AN ICE CHEST, MUCH EASIER TO DRAIN OUTSIDE AND RINSE!)
Prepare the boiling water bath. Add water to a large canner with rack and heat to about 180°. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above the filled jars.
Heat water in a small saucepan; put the lids in the saucepan and bring almost to the boil;
Sterilze jars. wash & dry, place on cookie sheet in 225 degree oven for 15 minutes.(turn oven off and leave the jars untill you need them.)
Drain the cucumber mixture.(i rinse it)
In a large pot (nonreactive) over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumber mixture and bring almost to a boil. do not boil.
With a slotted spoon, loosely pack the vegetables in prepared jars. Ladle the liquid into jars, dividing evenly among the jars. With a clean damp cloth (I keep a little bowl or cup of the boiled water handy for this step), wipe away any drips around the rims of the jars then cover with 2-piece jar lids. A lid lifter comes in handy to get the flat lids out of the water, or you could use tongs. Adjust the screw on rings firmly but do not over-tighten. Place filled in the prepared boiling water bath, adding more hot water as needed to bring the water up to about 1 inch above the jars. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and place on a rack to cool.Makes about 6 pints or 3 quarts.