Old-Fashioned Homemade Sweet Mustard Pickle Recipe

Start by washing and drying your pickling cucumbers. It's important to use pickling cucumbers for their firmness and size. Regular cucumbers will become too soft after the pickling process.

Slice cucumbers and onions into your preferred thickness. I like them a bit on the thicker side for a satisfying crunch. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for about 2 hours. This helps to pull out excess water and intensify the flavor.

Next, prepare the brine. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, and turmeric and bring to a boil. You can adjust the quantities to make the brine to your liking; my personal preference leans towards a stronger mustard flavor, so I tend to add a touch more mustard seeds.

Rinse the cucumber and onion slices thoroughly to remove excess salt. This is key to make sure your pickles are not overly salty.

Add your cucumber and onion slices to the boiling brine. Make sure they are fully submerged. Allow them to simmer for around 10 minutes.

As the cucumbers and onions are simmering, sterilize your jars, ensuring they are free from any bacteria. This is critical for long-term storage.

Finally, using a slotted spoon, transfer cucumber and onions into the jars, leaving about 1 inch from the top. Pour the hot brine over, ensuring the cucumbers and onions are completely covered.

Seal your jars and let them cool to room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator.