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.
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 🙂