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’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…