Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (2024)

Published December 26, 2019.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Skip the grocery store and learn how easy it is to jar up your own bread and butter pickles in under 90 minutes.

Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (1)

These are sweet, sour, and salty brined pickled cucumbers that are often cut into ridged chips and served on sandwiches. Try these out in my Southern Potato Salad or Southern Deviled Eggs.

Why Do they Call Them Bread and Butter Pickles?

Rumor has it they got their name during the great depression when people would make these sweet and sour pickles and serve them between buttered bread, hence the name bread and butter pickles.

What Are They Used For?

They can be eaten just like regular dill pickles and are fantastic on Burgers, Nachos, a regular lunch meat sandwich, or even a falafel sandwich. Its unique taste can really enhance the overall flavor of your food.

Can You Make Them With Regular Cucumbers?

Yes, you can absolutely use sliced cucumbers when making this, and here are the best pickles to use:

  • Kerby
  • Persian
  • Boston Pickling Cucumber
  • Bush Pickle
Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (2)

What’s the Difference Between These and Sweet Pickles

There is no difference between the two as they are the same but are simply called either bread and butter pickles or sweet pickles.

How to Make Bread and Butter Pickles

  1. Add your sliced cucumbers to a jar.
  2. Add the vinegar, sugar, onion, garlic, salt, mustard seeds, celery seed, turmeric, and cloves to a pot and bring to a boil or until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (3)
  1. Next, Pour the brine over the cucumbers in the jar and cool to room temperature.
  2. Label and date the jars.
Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (4)
  1. Keep cool in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks.

How to Seal Them

Once the brine has been poured over the top of the cucumbers, you will immediately screw on the lid and place it into a pot of boiling water with a rack in it, and boil for 10 minutes. Simply cool it to room temperature and keep it for up to 1 year. Pickles do not freeze well, so we advise against it.

You will know it has been sealed correctly if the lid on the jar will not move when pressing in the center of it, and you will hear a pop while it is boiling.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make these bread and butter pickles up to 2 weeks ahead of time.

How to Store: Keep the lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator under 40° for 4-6 weeks. Pickles do not freeze well, so as a result, we advise against it.

Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (5)

chef notes + tips

  • If you can’t find any pickling cucumber varieties, you can simply slice a regular or hothouse cucumber into spears or chips.

More Pickling Recipes

  • Pickled Beets
  • Pickled Green Beans
  • Pickled Cauliflower
  • Pickled Red Onions
  • Pickled Carrots

Be sure to follow me onFacebook,Youtube,Instagram,andPinterest,and if you’ve had a chance to make this, then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below.

Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (6)

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Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe

Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (7)

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5 from 6 votes

Skip the grocery store and learn how easy it is to jar up your bread and butter pickles in under 90 minutes.

Servings: 48

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 1 hour hour

Equipment

  • mason jars

Ingredients

  • 12 pickling cucumbers
  • 2 cups distilled vinegar
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 peeled thinly sliced yellow onion
  • 3 finely minced garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon celery seed
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 12-15 cloves

Instructions

Notes

How to Store: Keep the lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator under 40° for 4-6 weeks.

How to Freeze: Pickles do not freeze well, so we advise against it.

How to Seal: Once the brine has been poured over the top of the cucumbers, you will immediately screw on the lid and place it into a pot of boiling water with a rack in it and boil for 10 minutes. Simply cool it to room temperature and keep it for up to 1 year. You will know it has been sealed correctly if the lid on the jar will not move at all when pressing in the center of it.

If you can’t find any pickling cucumber varieties, you can simply slice a regular or hothouse cucumber into spears or chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 19kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 75mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 54IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg

Course: condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Chef Billy Parisi

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16 comments

    • David Davies Sr
    • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (8)

    One of my favorite pickles is Bread and Butter. This recipe is absolutely spot on with a great balance of sweet and sour. I’ll be make my pickles instead of buying

    • Reply
    • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (9)

        same!

        • Reply
      • Lisa Lidston

      Made these today, outstanding flavor! Just yum! Thanks Chef 😊

      • Reply
      • W Owens

      I love bread and butter pickles and I also love them sweet and spicy. Is there a one or two ingredient add that you think would add some heat?

      • Reply
      • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (10)

          red pepper flakes, sliced jalapeños.

          • Reply
        • Donna Clark

        These sound great and am definitely going to try them. However, when you canned some of them via water bath, I noticed that you filled the jar clear to the top. I have always been told to leave at least 1 inch of headspace to allow for expansion. Have you ever had any not seal or leak because you filled them too full?

        • Reply
        • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (11)

            Do what works best for you.

            • Reply
          • Paul Brezinski
          • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (12)

          Now I know where my extra cukes are going. Thanks Chef.

          • Reply
          • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (13)

              so good!!

              • Reply
            • Charlotte Freismuth
            • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (14)

            Getting ready to make these. Great recipe.

            • Reply
            • Melissa
            • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (15)

            These are delish!

            • Reply
            • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (16)

                so good!!

                • Reply
              • Patricia Gayle Foster

              Is there a minimum wait time before you should eat these pickles?

              • Reply
              • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (17)

                  I usually wait until they are cooled to at least room temp.

                  • Reply
                • Aimee Shugarman
                • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (18)

                I saved this recipe for summer when I have a ridiculous amount of cucumbers in my garden!!!

                • Reply
                • Julia Frey
                • Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (19)

                I grew up on dill pickles but my husband is all about bread and butter. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe and for the info on where the name came from. I always wondered!

                • Reply
              Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (2024)

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