Bread and Butter Pickles
Sweet bread and butter pickles are a delight on their own, next to or even inside a sandwich and perfect on a cheese board.
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Bread and Butter Pickles
- Prep Time: 20 m
- Cook Time: 10 m
- Total Time: 30 m
- Servings: 4pints
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds Kirby or Persian cucumbers washed carefully, ends trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 white onion thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper cut into very small dice
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick broken into pieces
- pinch ground allspice
- 6 whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Combine the cucumber, onion, red pepper and salt in a large bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and then layer ice cubes on top of the towel. The ice helps to make the pickles crisp. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. When you're ready to make the pickles, discard the ice and rinse the cucumber, onion and red pepper. Drain well and rinse again. Drain well.
- Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a stockpot, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once at a boil, add the cucumber, onion and red pepper to the pot and bring the brine back to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil again, start packing the pickles into clean glass jars. Leave about an inch of room in the top of each jar. Fill the jars with the remaining brine so that there is only 1/2 inch of room left. Cover with clean (and sterilized) jar tops and secure with the screw lids.
- Store the pickles in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks. If you want to store them at room temperature for longer, you can can these pickles using the water bath canning method.
Nutrition Facts
Bread and Butter Pickles
Amount Per Serving (1 pint)
Calories 465
Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Sodium 7088mg295%
Potassium 435mg12%
Carbohydrates 113g38%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 105g117%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 1157IU23%
Vitamin C 45mg55%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Can you use Splenda instead of sugar?
Hi Denise. I have not tried it, so can’t vouch for the flavor, but yes, you can use Splenda instead of sugar for bread and butter pickles. It won’t offer any preservative function, but it will add the sweetness that you need for bread and butter pickles. Use the guide on the package for any substitution quantities.
Making this with my dwarf cucumbers! Only thing I don’t have is tumeric! Will that be ok?
Sure. The turmeric does add that yellow color (and flavor too, of course), but you can make it without if you don’t have it.
ML
I can not believe how fabulous this recipe is! I think your ‘ice’ trick really does make the difference. My pickles are so crunchy and everyone loves them! I have pickled my entire crop of cukes! Thank you!
How Long would I cook pickles in the water bath for having them just on my shelf?
Hi Nancy. For a pint jar, boil them completely submerged in a water bath for 10 minutes. For a quart jar boil for 10 minutes, then cover the pot, turn of the heat and let the jars sit in the hot water bath for another 5 minutes. Let them sit for overnight. Refrigerate any jars where the lid did not seal properly.
So you can do this without a pressure cooker? How long is the shelf life?
You do not need a pressure cooker to make this recipe. The pickles will last for 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. If you want to can the pickles, you can use a water bath method to seal the jars. When properly sealed, the pickles will be shelf stable for one year. You can follow the instructions for canning in this recipe for Easy Dill Pickles: https://bluejeanchef.com/recipes/easy-dill-pickles/ .
How many pint jars will this make?
This makes 4 pints, but you can adjust the quantities to make more or less by clicking on the serving size “+” or “-“.
ML
Can these go in the freezer or are freezer pickles a different recipe entirely ? We can not eat them fast enough in fridge just the two of us! Love the cinnamon stick add!
Hi Paula. You can freeze these pickles. Just make sure you leave enough room in the jar for expansion and plastic lids are a good idea. You can find jars specifically for the freezer – they have no shoulder so that foods can slide out more easily if partially frozen – but you can also use regular jars, freezer safe containers or even zipper sealable plastic bags.
Hi Meredith:
I really like the mandoline slicer you used in the video. Can you share the product information?
Thank you
The item is a Cook’s Essentials electric mandolin that was sold on QVC quite a few years ago. You could check their website, but it probably is no longer available at this time.