Go Back
Easy Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe at Home

Easy Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe at Home

Classic sweet-and-tangy bread and butter pickles made with crisp cucumbers, onions, vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. This recipe makes about 4 to 6 pint jars for serving fresh or preserving with a tested boiling-water canning method.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vegetables
  • 4 lb Pickling cucumbers, preferably 3-5 inches long, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 lb Yellow or white onions, thinly sliced
Salting Mixture
  • 1/2 cup Pickling salt
  • As needed Ice
Brine
  • 4 cups White vinegar labeled 5% acidity
  • 4 cups Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 2 tablespoons Mustard seed
  • 1 tablespoon Celery seed
  • 1 tablespoon Ground turmeric
Optional Refrigerator Pickles
  • 1 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1-2 per jar Garlic cloves

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Wash the cucumbers carefully, trim away both ends, and be especially sure to remove the blossom ends. Slice the cucumbers into even 1/4-inch rounds, then thinly slice the onions.
  2. Combine the cucumber slices and onions in a large bowl or food-safe container. Sprinkle them with the pickling salt, cover generously with ice, and refrigerate or let stand for 1 to 3 hours.
  3. Drain the salted vegetables very thoroughly, then rinse them well under cold water to remove excess salt. Drain again, allowing as much liquid as possible to escape so the finished brine stays balanced.
  4. In a large stainless-steel or enamel pot, combine the 5% acidity white vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  5. Add the drained cucumbers and onions to the hot brine. Heat until the mixture returns to a boil, but do not keep it boiling for a long time because prolonged cooking can soften the vegetables.
  6. Pack the hot vegetables into clean, hot pint jars, then ladle in enough hot brine to cover them. Leave the headspace specified by the current tested canning recipe, commonly 1/2 inch, and remove trapped air bubbles.
  7. Wipe the jar rims, apply the prepared lids, and process the pint jars in a boiling-water canner for about 10 minutes, adjusting the time for altitude according to current USDA or Ball guidance. Keep the jars covered with water during processing.
  8. Remove the jars carefully and cool them undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check each seal, refrigerate any jar that has not sealed, and store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Use small, firm pickling cucumbers and remove the blossom ends for better texture. Do not reduce the vinegar, sugar, or pickling salt in a shelf-stable canning recipe. Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and follow a current tested procedure from the USDA or Ball, including altitude adjustments. For refrigerator-only pickles, optional crushed red pepper flakes and 1 to 2 garlic cloves per jar may be used, but those jars must remain refrigerated and should not be stored at room temperature.