How to Make Pickles

Linton Hopkins has endless uses for these sweet and tangy pickles—he even deep-fries them to make pickle chips. Brining before pickling helps the cucumbers stay crunchy.

To make the bread-and-butter pickles, in a very large bowl or pot, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the cucumbers, cover and soak overnight in the refrigerator.

In a large, heavy pot, combine the vinegar and sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Drain the cucumbers and add them to the pot. Stir gently and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.

Place lids on top and screw on rings to secure, leaving an inch of space at the top. Close with the lids and rings.

To process, boil the jars for 10 minutes.

Cool the pickles to room temperature and serve immediately or store them in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.

In a bowl, combine the salt with 4 cups of water. Add the sunchokes; let stand for 1 hour.

Drain the sunchokes and return them to the bowl. Add the onion and red pepper and toss.

In a small bowl, stir the dry mustard powder and flour with 1/2 cup of water to make a paste. In a large saucepan, combine all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Whisk in the mustard-flour paste until smooth. Simmer until thickened.

Transfer the vegetables to 2 heated, sterile, quart-size canning jars. Pour the hot liquid over the sunchokes and tap to release any air bubbles.

Cover the jars (not too tightly) and transfer them to a deep pot filled with very hot water. Boil the jars for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the jars from the water and let cool.