This is truly a wonderful, no-canning skills needed recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles.
Watch the video showing you how to make these Bread and Butter Pickles, then scroll to the bottom of this post so you can print out the recipe and make them at home.
This Bread and Butter Pickles recipe is one that I love with all of my heart.
When I was little (old enough to stay by myself), I’d sometimes hang out at my Dad’s house in the summers while he he went off to work. Lunchtime would roll around and I’d open his refrigerator to see what sorts of things a Dad keeps in there. Sweet pickles and American cheese were always to be found. Yes, I like all varieties of pickles, and (gasp!) I like American cheese too. I discovered the joy of eating them together.
But before I gross you out too much, I must share with you my first experience with pickling: Bread and Butter Pickles
Although sweet pickles are my favorite, bread and butter pickles run a close second. Their sweet and tangy crunch are pretty irresistible.
How to Make Bread and Butter Pickles:
Start with buying some pickling cucumbers. They’re smaller than a salad cucumber. Your market should carry them, and in the summer months you’ll find them at farmer’s markets too.
Slice them up. Good, thick slices that will still allow the pickle to yield a crunch when you bite into it.
If you have one of these fancy doo-dads, you can make fancy pickles with ridges.
The pickles get a good dose of Kosher salt, then they can sit in the fridge for an hour. Then those pickles get rinsed off in the sink. Just rinse all of that salt off really well so that salty flavor won’t follow the pickles into the pickling liquid.
Make the pickling liquid. Combine the sugar…
…with white vinegar,
cider vinegar,
brown sugar,
mustard seeds,
celery seeds,
and turmeric. Bring that all to a boil.
Meanwhile, add some sliced sweet onion to your sliced cucumbers.
Pour the hot pickling liquid over the cucumbers and onion.
Let it sit there at room temperature for an hour or so.
Move those cucumbers and onions to the cutest jar you have, and refrigerate them for 24 hours. This is when the magic process of pickling is going to happen.
If you’re impatient like me, you won’t wait 24 hours. I tried my Bread and Butter Pickles after just a few hours and they tasted perfectly pickled to me. So sweet and crunchy and incredibly tangy.
If you’re a pickle fan (and you should be), you probably will enjoy these. They are so simple to make, and how cool would it be to be able to share homemade Bread and Butter Pickles at a summer barbecue?! And I promise that you don’t have to eat them with American cheese (but you’re tempted to try it now, aren’t you?)
If you are looking for more recipes using cucumbers, you might also enjoy my Tomato, Cucumber and Basil Salad or this Cucumber- Gin Fizz Cocktail. Cucumber Sorbet, Cucumber Salad, and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are also great recipes starring cucumbers!
Bread and Butter Pickles
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 5½ cups (1½ pounds) thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
- 1½ tablespoons Kosher salt
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Combine the cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1½ hours. Move the cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return the cucumbers to bowl. Add the onion to the bowl.
- Combine the sugar and the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Don't cut the cucumbers too terribly thin. You want them to have a little bit of crunch to them!
- You may find that your cucumbers are already ready to sample within just a few hours of marinating in the pickling liquid (rather than waiting an entire 24 hours!)
I can’t even tell you how much I LOVE these pickles! It is by far the best recipe ever! When I make them using my organic cucumbers from my garden my friends are fighting over them! I have made them probably 6 times this summer and I package them in little mason jars. Love them! Thank you thank you! Bless your heart!
Do you think these would hold up as a gift mailing them across country in August as I’d like to mke these and send to my mom in AZ.
Hmmm, I’m not sure if I’d mail them. I might be scared that they’d leak! Also, the temperatures are so high right now that I don’t know if that’s a good idea to mail.
Can you process this in a hot water bath to seal
I’m not familiar with traditional canning methods, but I think you probably can!
Does it have to be pickling cucumbers or do you think the smaller snacking cucumbers would be ok? I’m thinking about the cutecumbers from Costco
Pickling cucumbers are generally what are used for pickling. You can do some Googling to see if regular cucumbers are okay.
I came across this recipe 3 summers ago, and have followed it every summer since! I’ve also shared the recipe with everyone who has tasted our pickles- they’re always a hit and everyone wants to know how to make them! Thank you!
My son is allergic to white distilled vinegar (corn). Could this be done with only apple cider vinegar?
I’m not sure! You could always experiment 🙂
These are great pickles!
I’ve been using your bread and butter pickle recipe every summer when our cucumbers are ready,me, my family& friends are always happy when I make a big jar full.thankyou recipegirl.
These are perfect bread and butter pickles. Not too sweet and nice and crispy. All I can say is…. Make these!! ❤️
Hi, I am wondering if this recipe for pickles would work using Swerve or Lankato sweetener instead of sugar. We have cut sugar out of our diet. Thanks for your thoughts…
I have not tried any alternative sweeteners, so I’m not sure.
Are the onions essential?
I think the onions are pretty essential to the flavor outcome.
Everyone loves them!!!! Making another batch!!
I’m sorry I maybe am I little blind but I don’t see how much water I should put 😫😫
No water… just use the pickling liquid.
Can I boil these after preparing, rather than put into refrigerator, in order to have them last longer?
I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure.
I made the bread & butter, and the cauliflower ones Saturday . Really came out beautifully! Wondering about the sugar content listed on the nutrition list. After they age some in the fridge, and you drain off all but a quarter of the liquid …. Will that lower the sweetness?
It’s difficult to know!
I am not sure in the difference of pickling cucumbers and slicing ones !
At the market, they sell cucumbers that are labeled “pickling cucumbers!” They are sturdy enough to take on the marinating.
Wow, great recipe. They were crisp and tasty. Nice job.
Can you can the Bread and Butter Pickles
This is meant to be a refrigerator pickle, but if you are familiar with traditional canning then you may be able to figure out how to adapt the recipe.
I would not. Sugar/vinegar ratio is essential to safe canning, also the acidity of the vinegar. I would absolutely recommend finding a recipe specific to canning.
I followed the recipe except replaced sugar with Erythritol….Delicious! Definately making again-Thanks for sharing
I noticed using erythritol that if left in fridge for a few days, the sugar crystallizes.
I think I’ve found my favorite pickle recipe! I skipped the salting step and they turned out great! I know you (Lori) won’t know the answer, but does anyone else know if the salting is necessary for waterbath canning?
We love this recipe. This is the 1st year we have tried pickling cucumbers in our garden. We have already made pickles 3 times and everytime we have used this recipe. Even my nieces and nephews liked the pickles and they are picky eaters. Thank you for posting this recipe online.
My family loves this recipe!
Would this work using zucchini?
No, not the same!
Yes!
Never done anything like this before,, so this may be a dumb question. I read they are good in the fridge for two weeks after being done. Does that mean they go bad after that 2 week period?
They’re probably on the downswing after that date… just like any expiration date.
I just made my second bath for this summer. We love them so much. I wonder if you water bath them they so can last longer do they stay crispy ?
I’m not sure!
Yes you can and I do!
First timer! Can I reheat the brine after I eat the delicious pickles and use it for another batch?
I’m not sure about that!
I wouldn’t reheat and use again but can add more cucumber but don t reheat the brine.
Forgot to mention I had to triple the brine recipe
I used this pickle brine for pickled eggs. Used half cup less white sugar. Added 1 tbs thinly sliced ginger root. 3 dozen eggs didn’t last very long. They were great.
I like the recipe a lot! Just wondering, will they last more than two weeks ?
They might last a little longer. That’s the time I give them to be safe!
Just made these bread and butter pickles this morning, after picking my cucumbers. It is fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
Love the recipe…..simple even for a man…..lol
Do the pickles always have to be refrigerated after the initial 24 hours / for storage reasons
Yes, because they are not canned in the traditional way.
Can these be processed in the water method
I’m not familiar with the water method, so I’m not sure.
I
I could only find mustard powder, not mustard seed. Is that OK?
I’m not sure that would be the same…
Your instructions say to cut the cucumbers into thick slices but the actual recipe calls for thinly sliced cucumbers. Please clarify which is better. Thx.
I cut mine a little thicker, but they will be fine either way.
So I don’t have celery seeds….do I need them? Any substitutes? I really want to make these!
They definitely add to the flavor!
Thank you SO much for posting this recipe! My husband loves bread and butter pickles! And you’re right about how easy they are to make!
Do you leave the liquid in the container?
yes
I love this recipe. I have adult kids that don’t like any type of sweet pickle or bread and butter pickle but they love this recipe. They say it isn’t like the ones in the store. I also compared this recipe with others that are canned and it appears that you could can this recipe. I am going to do that as now that I have kids that want more there isn’t enough room in the frig.
Canned some and they’re as fabulous as the quick pickle. The ph is high enough! Ciao!
Can this recipe also be canned?
I’m not familiar with traditional canning practices, so I’m not sure.
Can I substitute all apple cider vinegar for white vinegar?
I haven’t tried that!
Can you can this recipe?
This recipe is for refrigerator pickles. I’m not so familiar with traditional canning, so I’m not sure about trying to can this one.
Made these pickles earlier this week, I think I might’ve used cucumbers somewhat large for the intended kind (they were homegrown, so we wanted to use them) they turned out fine! Very tasty. Seemed to me that it should have some salt in it, but I didn’t add any, and they tasted great anyway!
Just made my bread & butter pickles . I only have to wait for them to do their thing.
Can you can these pickles?
These are meant to be a refrigerator pickle recipe. I’m not sure about canning.
How long will they keep?
All details are in the recipe- in the fridge for 2 weeks.
These pickles are so easy and so delicious! I love how crisp the cucumbers are!
Do you have to keep in refrigerator or can you leave them out
I’d keep them refrigerated.
Is there a way sugar can be substituted with stevia for diabetics
I have not tried this.
10
I made your pickles and they were delicious. Almost all gone now. I shared with a couple of family members. The only thing I wanted to say is that when I made them I didn’t realize that I did not have mustard seed and brown sugar but I had already started the pickles so I left those two ingredients out and increased the white sugar by 1/2 cup. My local store is out of mustard seed. Well anyway I am making another batch because everyone liked them so well. I hope at some point I can find mustard seed somewhere. I did get the brown sugar and will include it in the next batch. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe. Regards.
How long will these pickles last in the refrigerator?
Thanks!
2 weeks
so easy and so good. Really tasty
Query: Can these be canned instead in waterbath for longer unrefrigerated storage?
Perhaps– but I’m not familiar with traditional canning practices, so I’m not sure.
These are fabulous. Has anyone tried to add a few jalapeño slices to them for a little extra kick?
I make these frequently, and the brine added to dressing for potatoes salad is amazing!!
I just ran onto your recipe and was wondering if kosher salt is the same as canning salt. I plan on trying this come summer time and I do have canning salt.
I’m not sure- you may have to do some Googling on that one!
Would the English Cukes available in the stores work for these please n thx.
No, you need to look for Pickling Cucumbers.
I’m excited to make these pickles. Does this recipe make 1 quart? Please advise. Thanks.
Yes, about one quart.
Can you can these?
I’m not familiar with traditional canning, so I’m not sure!
I also love that you reply to all your comments!
🙂
Yum these are the BEST bread and butter pickles ever…and yes it would be real easy to eat the whole jar!!
Thank you for sharing!?
I wrote down this recipe and have that they will be good for 30 days. Now I can’t find that! SO, HOW LONG ARE THEY GOOD AFTER COMPLETION??
Well, in the recipe it says to keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Did yours stay okay for 30 days?
I also wrote down 30 days as well and now it says 2 weeks? I swear it’s the same recipe but now stressed about how long they will be safe. I don’t want anyone to get sick but it’s hard to eat the amount of pickles we will have in 2 weeks. :/
I think they’ll be just fine for 30 days. Pickling allows them to be fine for longer.
Can I use this recipe for canning?
I have not tried it!
Hi this looks like a great recipe & I would love to try it. I have 2 questions: can I use regular cucumbers ( that’s what I have growing in my garden & what kind of mustard seeds do you use , yellow or brown? Thanks Joyce
I don’t think regular cucumbers are meant for pickling (but you can probably Google and research that possibility), and the type of mustard seeds do not matter. Enjoy!
Hi, can I take this recipe and can it ?
I’m not familiar with canning, so I’m not sure.
Great recipe, I cut down on sugar and still wonderful. Only had a quart of cucumbers but I am headed back to farmers market for more
Typically I never leave comments, but this recipe had to be an exception. These are the best bread and butter pickles I have ever eaten. They are quick and easy to make and ready in no time. The sweet onion gave them a little extra kick. I made 5 quarts, gave some to family and friends and they are asking for more. Thanks for the excellent recipe.
Happy you enjoyed!
All easy pickle recipes!
I could literally eat the entire jar! SO yummy!
I love these – just 100x better than store-bought bread and butter pickles.
These pickles are so delicious! Making a new batch right now!
This brings back memories of watching my mom and my aunt canning pickles when I was little. So good! Of course yours look even better in those cute jars! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! I love homemade pickles!
Can these be kept in the refrigerator longer than 2 weeks?
Maybe?
This is amazing!
So easy to make and great to have on hand all summer long!
I gotta try these, my Mom used to make these all of the time when I was growing up.
I will definitely try this!
This is pickles taken to the next level. SO good!
I love the idea of making these at home.
These bread and butter pickles are just like my mom used to make! I think I could easily eat a jar on my own!!
Making these is one of my absolute favorite things about garden season. Delicious!
These pickles are awesome! I made them last summer and canned them like I do with my dill pickles. They turned out just as good. I actually just opened my last jar this week and still just as good!
That’s great to hear. A lot of people ask if this recipe works with traditional canning methods, but I had never tried it. Glad to hear that it does!
I have been making these for 3 or 4 years now and everyone who tries them fall in love with them. These are the best pickles and so fun and easy to make. I so appreciate you sharing this recipe!
I double the sugar and other pickling ingredients and pour it over jalapeños. Sweet spicy and hot whats not to love?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love that there is a visual guide with the video you included as well – makes it so much easier to follow! Can’t wait to try this one at home!
These pickles are delicious, Lori, and so easy to make! My grandsons devoured them—along with their grilled cheese sandwiches. I’ve just made two more batches to restock and to give away. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!
I made this recipe last night for the THIRD time and definitely not my last! My son is visiting so I wanted to give him some to bring home when he leaves. These pickles are absolutely delicious!! So easy and inexpensive compared to store bought! They are great tasting and make such a sweet gift for a neighbor or friend. I double the recipe when I make it because they go quickly in my house!
Thank you for the step by step photos and recipe. Made this last weekend and they turned out great! How long do they usually last in. last in the refrigerator?
one to two weeks…
I make these every year when our cucumbers ripen and they last until the next summer if kept refrigerated.. By the time I make them we have just finished last year’s batch. I put them in clean (dishwasher washed) canning jars and keep refrigerated. Use the crinkle cut blade of a mandolin to cut the cucumbers. We share some, but absolutely love the taste of summer with hot dogs and hamburgs during the winter.
These are great tasting bread and butter pickles. I love making these.
Do you add water to top off the jar?
Nope, just follow the instructions!
Can these be Canned in a jar?
If so, how long you processes them for?
Would you please let me know
I am not familiar at all with traditional canning methods, so I cannot help.
I made this recipe last year and it was the best! I hot water bathed them for 20 minutes and we have been eating them all year! They are so good. I canned some in pint jars & gave them out as gifts, but for myself, I definitely used bigger jars as these pickles are addictive!! Thx for sharing the recipe!
Second time making these with the same excellent result–deliciousness! Made exactly as recipe instructs. Easy recipe. Thanks!
I am so very happy to see a recipe for bread and butter pickles. Soooooooo, I am sending you a big hug and kiss and a BIG THANK YOU for making the easiest recipe I’ve been able to find.
I also them with American cheese. It’s a favorite midnight snack! Lol. I’m gonna try this recipe. Literally up to my ears in canning and vegetables right now!
Can the mixture be cooled off some before u put on slices?
Just wondering if that would have a crisper result in the pickles?
I make it as directed, so I’m not sure how that would affect the outcome. I think the warm mixture really helps get the flavors in the cucumber.
My aunt made the best. She cut up red peppers with the onions also. Sooooo good!!!
Are the onions a necessary part of the recipe for taste? I hate onions & would just throw them out anyhow. Can I just save that money?
All of the ingredients in the recipe add to the flavor. I don’t eat the onions. I supposed you can try leaving them out.
All of the ingredients in the recipe add to the flavor. I don’t eat the onions. I suppose you can try leaving them out.
I made this yesterday and they are PERFECT, thank you the recipe. Now I want other pickle dill ,garlic ect.
These were soooo good! I’ve made them twice already! I didn’t change the recipe a bit. I put one pint jar in the fridge and then hot water bathed the other ones and so I haven’t tried those yet to see how they taste but even if they don’t come out crunchy like the ones in the fridge, the taste is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
I grew up eating pickle and cheese sandwiches. Haven’t had one in a long time but you have made me hungry for one.
Can you make these without the onion? My hubs is allergic
I’m sure you can… it will just have a little bit of a different flavor than the original recipe.
My recipe is very similar, we use 100% REAL cider vinegar in ours.
My aunt used to add cauliflower to stretch the mixture…all tasted good.
great idea!
This recipe is FANTASTIC!!! The end product was great. I enjoyed the pickles with burgers, chopped up on tacos, and I even chopped them up and made tatar sauce to put on fish. Nice crunchy sweet texture with the onions. I will not buy bread and butter pickles again thanks to this recipe. I’ll pickle my own.
Excellent Presentation!!!! I am making pickles tomorrow and will make some using your receipe!!! MAY OUR PRECIOUS CREATOR OF LIFE bless you for sharing you receipe with Humanity!!! I love your short cut for drawing the extra water from the cucumbers. Putting them in the fridge for a short time is a fantastic idea!!!!
What a fabulous recipe! I made up my first batch today… They are SO delicious… I’ll be making more for sure!!
These were amazing! When I was growing up my best friend’s mom made refrigerator bread and butter pickles and they were always ready to eat. I could never find a recipe like hers. I have been looking for 40 years. I found yours on the internet and it sounded very close, so I tried it. And they were just like I remember. My husband consumed 2 jars in just 2 days! Making more tonight!
Excellent! Happy to hear it was a success for you!
You may find that your cucumbers are already ready to sample within just a few hours of marinating in the pickling liquid (rather than waiting an entire 24 hours!)
Just combined everything and am leaving to cool for an hour. So excited! Fingers crossed. Great easy-to-follow recipe, and the photos helped a lot. Now to find one of those crinkly-pickle cutters for next time!
I have never been a fan of bread & butter pickles. . . That is, until I made these pickles! I couldn’t stop eating them! My husband came home one day with a huge bag of regular cucumbers, not kirbys. I didn’t know what to do with them so I looked up pickle recipes. This recipe was perfect and SO easy. No cooking needed. And it worked well even with regular cucumbers. Tried kirby & English too. All good! Great tangy, tart, sweet flavor and the onions are delicious too. I cut both onions & cucumbers on the thick side.
I also save the liquid after pickles are gone & put new cucumber slices & other veggies in for totally different, lighter taste & texture.
I have already purchased a slew of quart-sized Mason jars – I know what everyone is getting for Christmas this year!
Growing up I couldn’t eat a grilled cheese without bread and butter pickles. The best were the years that my mom made her own bread and butters! My husband and kids think I’m nuts and instead opt for a tomato on their cheezies. I think your combo sounds delightful (and yes, gasp, I sometimes enjoy a good slice of american as well!) Thanks for this recipe, pulled 10 pickling cucumbers out of my garden yesterday, I’m going to make at least 5 of them bread and butter pickles even though I’m the only one in my family to eat them!!
I made your recipe but omitted the salting process and they turned out fabulous. Our whole neighborhood wanted the recipe as we have a community garden.
I made these pickles and put them on spicy pulled pork sandwiches and they were amazing! It was my first time making pickles and it was super fun and super easy! Thanks.
Terrible recipe! Came out tasting like the apple cider vinegar. What a waste of money, time, and resources.
Yours is the only negative review I have seen.. It only calls for a half cup of apple cider vinegar. Is it possible you added too much and did you carefully measure all the other ingredients? This is one recipe that I do not deviate from the exact measurements and everyone has really enjoyed them.
So, I was looking up canning these types of pickles because I was eating some and wanted to know how to to it myself and I found this article. But the I read the part about the American cheese and had to try it! ( You caught me, I was curious!) And….it’s sooo good. I’ll have to behave and not eat too many, but they are delicious! Can’t wait to try your pickling recipe! Thanks!
easy and tasty , and you were right , I was eating them before they were even in the jar . fantastic!!! thanks for sharing the recipe.
I don’t seem to see any reference to how long these might keep in my fridge?? Also, due to VERY strict diet limitations I would have to use a substitute for the vinegar and sugar. Yes, I know, they are two of the most important ingredients…however, I am planning to try them with organic cider vinegar (The one that has the “mother” in it) and a combination of stevia and Xyletol . I will let you know how they turn out.
Just wanted to add for those that were asking you CAN use regular pickles…that’s all I ever use and they turn out great. 🙂
wow, okay- good to know!
This was my first attempt at making pickles – and it was super fun and easy!! I made 3 batches and shared them with family – they were a big hit!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
WHOA. These are so good. I made them last night (finished about midnight) and tried them this morning (8am or so, what, perfectly acceptable breakfast side!). They are so good. And easy. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
My mom always made what she called Cucumbers and Sour Cream. It was sliced or chunked cucumbers, sour cream and garlic salt. Maybe some black pepper too. You mix the sour cream and garlic together, then add the cucumber. It needs to sit in tge fridge for awhile for the flavors to come together. That is the hardest part about making it…..waiting to get to eat it!
Fantastic flavor. Husband is crazy about them
Great recipe easy and delisious.
I know this post is 2+ years old but that doesn’t stop me from wishing I had a huge jar of these. Gorgeous, Lori. Pinned!
Hi, When I put these in jars, there’s hardly enough liquid to get 1/4 way up the jar and I would think they should be covered by liquid. Have I done something wrong?
Thanks!
Hmmm, yes the liquid should definitely fill up the jar!
Easy and delicious.
These were easy and delicious; I used regular cucumbers and sliced with a wavy cut on the mandolin; I added Ball Pickle Crisp to the liquid (1/4 tsp per quart) to keep the pickles crunchy.
stupid question but i have never done home made pickles and i was wondering if you could USE regular cucumbers or do they have to be pickle ones? i have a ton of regular that i have nothing to do with 🙂
I don’t think you can use regular cucumbers vs. pickling for pickles.
According to several commenters here, regular cucumbers have worked fine. I’ve done both in the same batch because sometimes my garden gets overgrown and I’m not sure which plant is which, lol. I’ve never had a bad batch with this recipe
I have just made my second batch and they are awesome. I did add a few pinches of pickling spices but I don’t think it even needed that. Lots of compliments. Enjoy!!!
We are very excited to try these – as I comment, they are sitting in a large pyrex bowl on the countertop cooling. These will be the second pickles I’ve made this year – the first ones were dill & garlic pickles. This may be a helpful tip – when you stick them in a bowl to marinate, make sure the bowl is large enough to hold it, but take a 1Gal freezer bag and fill 1/3 – 1/2 way with water. Place the freezer bag over the bowl which will force the cukes down into the marinade and ensure that they get fully covered.
I’m using fresh Boston Pickling cucumbers and Georgia sweet onions straight from my garden this year!
Searched the internet this noon for a bread and butter pickle recipe, found this one, checked the kitchen larder, found I had everything needed and proceded to use some of the cucumbers from our garden. They are just regular cukes but worked just fine. I was afraid of all the salt, so I only soaked the slices for 20-30 minutes. I used Splenda instead of white sugar and we had them on toasted hot dog buns stuffed with american cheese to go with our butterbean and pork supper. It was delicious and plan to make more as soon as I buy more ingredients. Cucumbers are growing like wildfire from all the rain and hot weather. Just a delicious top off for a Sunday supper!!
I love these pickles! (and I don’t even like sugar in anything!) I did change two things though – I used celery salt instead of celery seed (because I didn’t have any seed) and I added a tsp of pickling spice. YUM!!! My garden is overflowing with cuces so I think I will be making a lot of these!
been doing cooking and growing for 40+ yrs. good and easy recipe. beats some pickles ive made in past. thanx for sharing.
I am going to try and add cloves and a small hot pepper. I will let you know how it turns out.
I just made this recipe with picking cucumbers from my garden and they were so delicious and so easy! Thanks so much for posting the recipe.
Made these today and they are awesome. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Just wanted to say a big thank you for the recipe! Made my first batch of pickles ever today using this recipe and it was awesome and so EASY! I’ve put them in a big lock-down lid jar and can’t wait to try them cold tomorrow night…yes I did taste them after about 8 hours and they were already great – anticipation is killing me!
Blessings!
I was wondering how long these are good for in the fridge? I made mine about a month ago(made a large batch as company was coming to stay for a week).
Not quite sure about a month- taste and see how they are?
my wife and i will be trying this next weekend !!! i do have question though, when i transfer the cuc’s to “the cutest jars i can find”, do the jars need to be sterilized first ??? thanks for your help !
I didn’t prepare them for “canning” (long term dry shelf life), so I didn’t sterilize my jar. Just used a clean jar.
I shared your recipe on my blog today! I used one of your awesome photos (and of course gave you credit) and I linked back here multiple times. 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe! My kids and I just love it!
Hi!! i did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everybody that tries them says they are a million times better then “store pickles”, and i had to inpravize cuz of kidney failure(only 24% function). i just left out the salt, used 1+1/4 cup of Splenda and 1tbsp of Salt-Free-Mrs.-Dash and did the rest like the recipe says to do. YOU R-O-C-K!!!!!!!!
was reading the comments and saw a post about koolickles. i have never eaten them but saw a food network show with them featured. if i remember right it is a dill pickle transferred to a quart jar of cherry koolaid. try it if you dare lol
I think this should be clarified. This is a recipe for refrigerator pickles which are, although an equally delicious pickle in some cases, not traditional pickling. True pickling involves canning, which preserves the pickle in mason jars so they don’t need to be refrigerated and can be enjoyed up to a year or two in the future.
If you add a few slices of jalapeno to the jar when you put it in the fridge it will make these even better. It doesn’t make them too hot, just gives it a little kick. This is a great recipe Lori! Thanks!
Good idea!
Hi Lori, I was wondering if white vinegar and white balsamic vinegar are the same thing. Thanks!
No, they are not.
I was just reading in the New York Times about peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, and he recommended bread-and-butter pickles. Since I’ve always been a dill pickle kind of gal, I looked up the b-and-b pickles and found your blog. I don’t like very sweet pickles at all, but I’d give your recipe a try and maybe cut back the sugar a bit. Great photos, and I love the line about putting them in your cutest jar. Here’s the NYT article if you’re interested: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/dining/making-a-meal-out-of-peanut-butter-and-pickles.html?hpw
I saw that article! Let me know if you try them…
I use a similar recipe…do not let the mixture boil and pack the pickles into hot jars and seal. They are then shelf stable for a long time.
Remember to adjust for altitude when canning! I am going to give these a whirl today, since I REALLY want B&B pickles, before making a big move to Alaska from Denver, thank for the recipe!
You can definitely can these pickles, just follow the instructions for canning from any reputable source (Blue Ball Book , etc.) I processed 10 minutes in boiling water. Do not pressure can pickles, it will ruin the taste. Use canning jars and seals, or else keep the pickles refrigerated. They will keep for a year.
Thanks for the canning tips!
I make pickles with a similar recipe and leave them out for 24 hours before refrigerating and they stay good for up to a year in the fridge. I also read on another wesite where you can give them a hot water bath for about 20 minutes and you can keep them a long time and don’t have to refrigerate them. Good luck!
These sound awsome but I really want to know if you can process these so they can have a longer shelf life??? DOES anyone know?
I think you can just follow proper “canning” techniques, these will be just fine on the shelf. Try googling, “how to can pickles?” I’m not so familiar with it myself.
this is a great pickle recipe! question: when you go to put your finished pickles into smaller jars and airtight containers should they be jarred with the liquid they were pickled in or without any liquid? the finishing instructions don’t indicate. thanks!!
yes, with their pickling liquid!
I can’t believe anyone in the world ate pickles with cheese!! That was what my bff and I ate before Every Single Basketball game in high school. It was our game-food. I want to make these just to give my kids the experience! LoL – Small World.
This is my first time making b&b pickles. love them and your recipe sounds easy. wish me luck!
Good luck!
Just made these last night and split them with a friend. They are a huge hit!!
I personally feel it’s the best pickle I’ve ever had.
It’s such an easy and fun recipe!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. 🙂
One piece of advice for a first time maker….once the brine is heating, don’t stick your nose in and take a big whiff. It will knock your socks off.
omg, yes! Inhaling all of that vinegar is probably not a good thing!
Curious do they only last 2 weeks in the fridge? Or can I preserve them, and keep them for longer? I just made 2 jars of them, but have a lot more cucumbers that I could use from the garden. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I don’t have any canning advice since I don’t usually do that sort of thing, but I’m sure they’d probably last a little longer than 2 weeks.
In the mid to late 1940’s my mother made B & B pickles very similar in recipe to your recipe. Her unclear directions said ‘bring to boil but not too long.’ Boiling probably makes them less crisp. But I am aslo sure that she used a water bath to preserve them. The water bath would also cause some limpness in pickles. My 92 year old brother gave my recent attempt an A+++ but the last time he had them was in the 1940’s. Can you/anyone advise on best way to ‘can’ for long term. I want to be able to send to relatives and friends. Thanks. FRANK
I just discovered this recipe and am glad to see someone else likes to eat sweet pickles with cheese! I made some Lime Pickles (sweet) and my favorite way to eat them (the only way, actually) is with a small piece of cheese with each pickle slice. Thanks for this recipe – looks delicious! :od
My husband frowns at me every time…but I have been eating sweet or bread and butter pickles with my grilled cheese sandwiches since I was a little girl. I don’t put them on the sandwich, I just eat them with it….but I’m never without. The day I don’t have pickles with my sandwich is sad….its just not the same.
We are of like minds! When I was little, I was an EXTREMELY picky eater. My specialty was bread ‘n butter pickles, american cheese and mustard sandwiches! My absolute favorite lunch, and everyone thought it was gross… I say try it before you knock it folks!
I am definitely going to try these. I love them!
Yay!!! Someone else who enjoys bb pickles with American cheese. My husband thinks it’s pretty gross, but to me a perfect sandwich is mayo, cheese, and pickles! Yum O! I can not wait to try this recipe, it looks soo darn easy. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Yay!
Will this recipe work with whole pickles? Noone makes bread and butter pickles whole, like the really good fat dills.
Hi Ken,
I have not tried the recipe with whole pickles, so I’m not entirely sure.
Pickling pickles is a passion. Once bitten, you’ll never go back! I’ve pickled cases and cases of cukes, beans, asparagus, etc. to sell at craft and home shows for Christmas time. They literally fly out the door. Back to bread and butter – my husband’s favorite on sandwiches. He’ll will put them on any sandwich and has even made a sandwich out of the pickle itself! I’m actually doing up my first batch today (about 2 cases worth). I’ll do another as it’s CUCUMBER SEASON here in Minnesota! They make wonderful Christmas presents. No one says, “Ewww!” to a pickle. Oh, I don’t do the shows anymore, thank goodness. I’m too old to haul cases of pickles all over town. Yay for pickling!!
I just made these and am so excited to try them. I’ve been wanting to makes pickles for a while now and was intimidated. But they were so easy to make. As i poured the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and onions I was immediately transported back in time to my Grandma’s house by the smell. They smell exactly like her pickles which I haven’t had in at least 20 years. Can’t wait to try them. I will have to make a batch for my father as I think he would really enjoy them as well.
Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
What a fun message! I love that you were transported back in time. Hope you all enjoy them!
These are the best pickles! My 10 year old son is really getting into cooking so when I saw this recipe, I thought he would like to try it. It was simple enough for him to do, but still challenging because he did a double batch and had to figure out the adjustments. He had so much fun making them and then getting rave reviews from family declaring them to be EXCELLENT. And this was said even before they were told who made them….lol..These will definitely be made again. Thanks for the great recipe!
This makes me so happy! Does your son know about my 10 year old’s food blog- http://www.recipeboy.com? He might enjoy taking a peek 🙂
This will be have to be next on my canning/preserving adventures! Fantastic recipe!
A Kool-Aid soaked pickle 🙂 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09kool.html
That’s just CRAZY!
This looks so fun and you make it look so easy. I need to make these for the pickle lovers in my life 🙂 Have you ever made a Koolickle, Lori? xoxo
What the heck is a Koolickle?!
Beautiful pictures..thanks for the great post!
Lori…I found your great and simple way to make bread and butter pickles. I am not into the canning and stuff…and I have been making my own dill pickles the easy way with out adding the salt. They are great with out it. My wife and I do not like the salt added because of health reasons, and I wanted to know if I left the salt out how much it would change the end result. Does most of the salt wash away and out of the pickles or get absorbed into the mix. Can you tell me how much sodium will be in the end result if we do put it in? Thanks in advance if you can answer these for me.
Richard B. at laurichaa@aol.com
Hi Richard- I wish I knew how the chemical process worked. It’s my first time pickling, so I was just adapting a recipe that I had in my files. The salt must get absorbed somewhat, but it’s washed off well before pickling. They don’t taste salty, but I’m afraid I cannot tell you how much sodium is in there.
These look so yummy! Love the photos–beautiful!
I cannot WAIT to try these! I have never tried canning and have been afraid to, but this is where I start!
YUM! How long will they stay good in the refrigerator? (in the slim chance that we don’t gobble them all up immediately)
A couple of weeks.
Like others, I had a grandmother who made bread and butter pickles This post takes me back to those childhood days and her delicious pickles. Bread & butters are one of my favorite pickles–I love their crispness. Yum
I just love canning bread and butter pickles in the summer. Yours look wonderful!!
Beautiful! I love your step-by-step directions. And even more, I love this idea. My grandmother made bread and butter pickles every year, using cucumbers from the garden my grandfather planted.
I don’t have a garden now but I do have an idea that I’d like to add to cucumber week. It’s a recipe straight from The Food Network Magazine itself, and a good one: Chicken with Pickle Sauce
Best, Charity
How do you say…AWESOME and these are my very favorite pickle to crunch and enjoy! YUM double YUM!!
Growing up my Granny used to always make a huge batch of bread and butter pickles every summer when her garden was full of cucumbers. I have never taken on the challenge myself and I am so glad you reminded me! I can not wait to try these this weekend when I pick up a bunch of cucumbers at the farmers market!
Pickles look great. We just made our first batch of pickles the other week and they turned out great 🙂 We were so surprised and happy!
Love this post of your pickles and was so glad I was there to watch you in action from start to finish. The photo’s and your story explained it all in living color. It is definitely a winner and will be appreciated by all your blogger friends for sure. LOVE
Recipe sounds yummy……question….does this recipe make a quart, pint???
Thanks
About 4 cups of pickles!
Well, I put pickles on almost every sandwich I make, so I am going to make these very soon! I love your recipes, Lori…and I miss you!
You have just hit my touch point! B&B pickles are my favorite and I either buy Famous Dave’s hot & spicy version or Bubbies. But I’m going to totally try your recipe with a little heat (hot peppers) added in. Thx for the post.
I’ve never made pickles. I want to try it! Yours look wonderful!
Some really beautiful clicks!
bread and butter pickles are the BEST!!! I’ve never made them but I totally need to try now 🙂
Bread and butter pickles are my absolute favorite, and one of my favorite sandwiches is… wait for it… Italian bread, bologna, American cheese, tomato, pickles & mayo. I know, such an advanced palate for a foodie, haha!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Canning is something I haven’t done yet but am dying to try, and these seems like an easy way to get my toes wet.
Your pickles look great! I make countertop pickles and ferment them on the countertop based on some raw uncooking tips I’ve learned. My grandma and mom make them like you do…they are soo good…YUM!
Yum I love pickles! This makes me want a burger.
I absolutely have to make these. When I was growing up, my mum would eat a few bread and butter pickles with her lunch each day and I would always have my share, too. Love these, Lori!
These look great, Lori!
Can these be canned in a hot water bath for longer shelf life? If so should I leave them in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then can them? Thanks!
Well, since this is my very first experience with pickling anything… and I’ve never canned anything, I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that one 🙁
Oh those look wonderful. I’ve got my grandmother’s bread and butter recipe but it requires traditional canning. I’m going to give these a try!
I’ve always wanted to make these! Thanks so much!
I have a soft spot in my heart to for BB pickles. This looks like the classic recipe. GREG
In Malaysia, I’ve never had pickled cucumbers before. It was always mangoes, chilies, etc. Ever since coming to US, i’ve been amazed at how tasty a burger is with cucumber pickles. And don’t get me started with jalapenos. So good 😀
Lori, you just brought back some wonderful memories of my grandmother and her bread and butter pickles!! They were awesome and you make it look so easy. I really think I’m going to have to give this a try. Thank you!
I have been looking for a good pickling recipe for my pickling cucumbers I bought, and I think this is the one I will use!
Great job on your pickles, Lori! I’ve been canning and pickling for, well, let’s just say quite a long time 🙂 The bread and butters have always been my favorite. Reminds me – I need to make some while the cucumbers are in season!
My favorite part of this post… ‘move them to the cutest jar you have’ lol And the ridges make these even better! 🙂
Bread and butter pickles are probably my very favorite! I had no idea it was so easy to make them for myself. Guess I’d better buy some cucumbers… 😉
omgosh! these look amazing! i love pickels so much! I used to hate bread & butter pickels but have grown to love them as i’ve gotten older! love your cute jar as well! 🙂
these look perfect, Lori! My grandmother used to make bread and butter pickles all the time in the summer. Good memories 🙂
Grilled cheese with pickles was(is!) a favorite weekend lunch for my wife and I. We take our plate of grilled cheese and pickles, sometimes with some chips on the side, sit on our little porch, and enjoy the cool summer breeze and birds.
Making my own pickles was always something I wanted to do but just never got around to. This post makes it look so easy and, more importantly, delicious. I think I’m going to have to try these soon!
These were my FAV growing up! They remind me of my grandmother.