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
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.
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!)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.