I grew up with bread and butter pickles and love them! They are a type of pickled cucumber with the most delicious sweet and tangy flavor. These are seriously so good! I make them by adding sliced cucumbers to a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices. The result is a sweet, tangy, crisp, and colorful pickle! For more easy pickle recipes, see our delicious pickled beets, homemade dill pickles, or these easy pickled red onions.
Key Ingredients
Cucumbers: I recommend using Kirby cucumbers, Boston pickling cucumbers, or other pickling-specific varieties. They stay crisp in the brine and make delicious pickles. If these aren’t available, smaller Persian cucumbers are a good alternative. Vinegar: Look for distilled vinegar labeled with “5% acidity” on the bottle. Salt and Sugar: For bread and butter pickles, I use pickling salt or sea salt, and granulated sugar for sweetness. Spices: I’m a big fan of store-bought pickling spice, and my go-to is McCormick’s blend (you’ll spot it in almost any grocery store). It has cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, coriander, bay leaves, ginger, clove, red pepper, black pepper, cardamom, and mace. Then, I add some extra peppercorns and ground turmeric, adding color and flavor.
How to Make Bread and Butter Pickles
Just like my pickled beets or these easy dill pickles, these bread and butter pickles are refrigerator pickles and only require two simple steps: After that, let them cool to room temperature, refrigerate the jar, and enjoy your delicious homemade refrigerator pickles! The magic behind these pickles lies in their simple brine. You’ll need vinegar, salt, sugar, and a handful of spices to make them shine. To make the brine, bring everything to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar and salt dissolve. Then, while the brine is still hot, pour it over sliced cucumbers in a jar and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, secure the jar’s lid and refrigerate. I like to store my jar upside down in a bowl for the first night to ensure the turmeric color reaches every corner. 1 ½ cups (355ml) vinegar (5% acidity) 3/4 cup (150g) sugar 1 tablespoon pickling spice, see notes 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns 1 ½ tablespoons (23g) pickling salt or sea salt, recommend using weight, see notes 2Pack the sliced cucumbers into a 1-quart (1 liter) jar. 3Carefully pour the hot pickle brine over the cucumbers. Leave about 1/8-inch of space between the top of the brine and the lid of the jar. 4Allow the jar to cool down to room temperature. Then, securely tighten the lid with your fingers and place it in the refrigerator. 5Let the pickles sit undisturbed overnight before enjoying them. For the first night, position the jar upside down in a bowl and flip it right-side-up the next day. 6The pickles will last in the fridge for up to one month.
