Classic Bread And Butter Pickles Recipe

If you're a pickle lover you've got lots of options. You can buy them whole or as spears, chips, and slices in either classic dill pickle styles or sweet versions. If you love tangy and slightly sweet pickles with a hint of spice, then you're in for a treat with this easy recipe for bread and butter pickles. First off, are you wondering why they are called bread and butter pickles? Purportedly, a couple back in the 1920s got creative when their budget was tight and traded these pickles for basic necessities like bread and butter, and the name stuck! 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I love pickling all kinds of things in my kitchen because it's super handy to have a variety of condiments to add to sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and more. Making them from scratch is surprisingly easy and incredibly rewarding."

To make this recipe, we're going to use small pickling cucumbers. "This type has thinner skin and smaller seeds making them the best choice for pickling," Hahn shares. While in the produce aisle, pick up a sweet onion as well. Then some pickling basics like white sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seed, turmeric, and salt. "The nice thing about making your own pickles is you can control the ingredients for your lifestyle. If you are on a reduced sugar diet, you can just add a tablespoon of sugar for just a hint of sweet," Hahn remarks.

To get our cucumbers ready for pickling we need to slice them up crosswise into chips. You can do this by hand or if you have a mandolin, pull that out to make this step go faster. "I bought a mandolin years ago and it is really such a time saver. If you have one, use the ¼-inch setting. I always use a protective glove because the blade is very sharp," Hahn explains. Put the cucumbers into a large bowl and add the salt. Then put the bowl into the fridge for an hour to release extra water. After they have been in the fridge for an hour, rinse them well and let them sit in a colander in the sink for a few minutes to drain, then transfer them to a large bowl. Slice the onion and add it to the bowl with the cucumbers.

The brine is quick and easy to make. Pull out a medium pot and combine the sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. "You'll want to stir a few times to make sure the sugar is dissolving," Hahn remarks.

Now we are ready to fill the jars. "You can use any sort of glass container with a lid. I like using two 32-ounce, wide mouth mason jars. I use mason jars for many different things and usually discard the metal canning lids that they come with and swap them for plastic lids. This makes them easier to get in and out of and there is no chance of rust," Hahn explains.

Start by filling up the jars with the cucumber and onion mixture. Then pour the brine into the jars. Let the jars cool for about an hour, then put the lids on and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Your next sandwich or wrap just got a little tastier! Now that you know how easy it is, we think you'll always want a batch ready to go in your fridge —right?