Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (2024)

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I’m a dill pickle girl. I have been since I was a little girl. Many years ago, when we were eating dinner at my parents’ house, my Mom offered us some homemade bread and butter pickles. I quickly declined. If it’s not dill, I don’t want it. (And I really dislike sweet pickles.)

But, when Eric had some, I decided to try a little taste. Then, I had to steal them off of his plate. Who knew? Those homemade bread and butter pickles were amazing!

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (1)

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So, just a few days later, I had to make my own batch. I was pleased at how easy they were to make. I also loved that I could make these homemade bread and butter pickles with no special canning equipment. Score!

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (2)

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

My Mom is pretty darn swell, so she picked up almost all of the ingredients I needed. (Mom for the win!)

The first step was to wash the pickling cucumbers that she had picked up for me. I forgot to count how many I started with. I think somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 – 16.

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (3)Next, I thinly sliced all of the pickling cucumbers. I ran out of room in the bowl I was putting them in, so you’ll see that I just stuck a cucumber’s worth in each of the big jars that I was getting ready to use.

I also chopped up the onion. And I cried. And I chopped some more, and I cried some more.

I am normally not crazy about onions, so I only used about half the amount in the recipe, but I decided that it was probably important to the recipe to actually put them in. (Plus, on the up side, the onions get pickled too, sothey just taste a lot like pickles in the end.)
Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (4)I filled up six jars with cucumber slices and chopped onions.

My Mom warned me many times to really jam the jars full of cucumbers and onions. I thought I had. Let me tell you — I definitely had not. Next time I make them, I am going to push much harder than this. They aren’t all that full, though they do look really full.

Update: Since I first shared this recipe in 2009, I have gotten much better at really packing things into the jars. Well, sometimes.

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (5)I combined oneteaspoon Celery seeds, onetsp mustard seeds, fourcups of sugar, twocups of white vinegar, and twotablespoons or salt.

(Quick note: If you don’t want to buy a whole container of the spices that you need for this, you should check if anywhere in your area sells spices by weight in bulk. I got some of mine at a local health food/natural living store.)

I boiled the mixture. I also got too close and sniffed just at the right moment, and it kind of burned my sinuses. Okay, maybe not really burnt them, but it was not pleasant.

Do you know what was less pleasant? When I did it again.

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (6)I’m funny about pouring boiling hot liquids. So, instead of pouring the boiling hot liquid from the pan straight into the jars, I used a super-sized mixing cup (okay, it’s really a bowl with measurements on the side).

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (7)Yummy! Hello pickles and onions and spices! You look so good.

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (8)So, here’s the proof that I did not pack in the jars full enough. See how each jar has quite a large area of liquid at the bottom? Yeah, you see it? Well, that’s the proof. (It got a little bit worse after this too!)

Printable: Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

Delicious Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (Quick and Easy)

Quick and Easy Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Canning and Preserving

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 large onion
  • pickling cucumbers

Instructions

  • Slice unpeeled cucumbers (thinly) and sliced onion into glass jars. Pack tightly.

  • Bring spices, sugar and vinegar to a boil.

  • Pour over cucumbers and onions.

  • Store in fridge. Mix occasionally. (Keeps for many months.)

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Enjoy!

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (10)

Other Recipes You May Love:

Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe was originally published on September 8, 2009. It was last updated in May 2017.

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Easy and Delicious Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What gives bread and butter pickles their flavor? ›

The key difference between these two types of pickles is their taste. Despite bread and butter pickles using the same cooking method as dill pickles, they use far different spices that make them sweeter. According to Wyse Guide, sugar is added to the bread and butter brine to help alleviate its sharp vinegary taste.

Are homemade bread and butter pickles good for you? ›

Pickles are fat-free and low in calories, but they are also low in most other nutrients, except for sodium. A 100-gram serving of bread and butter pickles contains 457 milligrams of sodium, or nearly 20% of the recommended daily limit. Most pickles are high in sodium, so it is important to limit consumption.

What's the difference between regular pickles and bread and butter pickles? ›

Bread and butter pickles usually have a few more inclusions than sweet pickles – none of them actually being bread and butter of course. These extra ingredients are usually onions, green or red peppers, and various seeds from coriander, mustard, and celery plants.

How to make pickles taste good? ›

13 Ways To Boost The Flavor Of Pickles
  1. Experiment with different vinegar types. ...
  2. Add sugar for a touch of sweetness. ...
  3. Combine fresh herbs and spices. ...
  4. Toast spices for added depth. ...
  5. Explore international pickling styles. ...
  6. Incorporate flavored salts. ...
  7. Add some heat with spicy peppers. ...
  8. Experiment with different pickling times.
Apr 13, 2023

What is the secret of pickles? ›

Here are 10 tips for crunchy pickles:
  • Choose Freshly Harvested Cucumbers. As soon as cucumbers are picked, the softening process begins. ...
  • Use the Right Cucumber Varieties. ...
  • Cut off the Ends of Cucumbers. ...
  • Soak Cucumbers in Ice Water. ...
  • Use Calcium Chloride. ...
  • Add a Source of Tannin. ...
  • Use Enough Salt. ...
  • Don't Add Bacteria.

What makes pickles delicious? ›

Dill Seeds: Dill seeds are a common ingredient in pickle recipes. They have a strong aroma and taste reminiscent of dill weed, but with a slightly stronger and more concentrated flavor. These seeds are often added to the pickling liquid or sprinkled over the cucumbers before pickling.

What to pair with bread and butter pickles? ›

Pop rich, mature cheddar on a cracker and top with a bread and butter pickle slice. Add them to your cheese platter, antipasto and canapes. Spanish Style Tapas: Bread and butter pickles are the perfect accompaniment to a tapas spread including olives, cheese, pulled pork, samosas, arancini and cold meats.

Can you eat too many bread and butter pickles? ›

Pickles should be enjoyed in moderation for this reason

If overeaten, the high sodium content in pickles can also lead to digestive issues. In some individuals, consuming too much sodium can cause upset stomach, bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and discomfort, according to LiveStrong.

Is it OK to eat bread and butter pickles? ›

There are MANY ways to use bread and butter pickles, or you can eat them all on their own as a delicious snack.

What is the 321 method of pickling? ›

Another ratio that is commonly followed is the 3:2:1 method, using three parts vinegar, two parts water, and 1 part sugar. Once you start making quick pickles, you can adjust the ratio according to your own taste.

Why are my bread and butter pickles mushy? ›

It may be a normal reaction during fermentation caused by bacteria. If the pickles are soft, they are spoiled from the yeast fermentation. Don't use them. Using too weak a salt brine or vinegar solution may cause soft or slippery pickles, as can using moldy garlic or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.

Why is vinegar used for pickling? ›

Vinegar is an acidic substance that functions as a preservative. Vinegar is a strong acid (acetic acid), and when used for pickling, it lowers the pH of preserved foods. Because just a few germs can thrive in a low pH environment, vinegar aids in preservation.

Why do my homemade pickles taste bad? ›

Why do pickles have a strong, bitter taste? This happens when you use old spices, cook too long in vinegar, or you use too much spice.

What ingredient gives flavor to the pickles? ›

The primary ingredient in pickles is cucumbers. Acetic acid, or vinegar, is added to the cucumbers. After water, vinegar makes up most of the pickle juice. It also adds to the pickles' sour taste.

What do you add to pickles to make them crisp? ›

Add one or two leaves to your crock if making old-fashioned fermented pickles or 1 leaf per quart jar when processing . Other products used to keep pickles crisp are oak leaves and black loose tea which all contain tannins, the natural substance which adds the crispness.

What flavor are bread and butter chips? ›

Our Bread & Butter Chips are mixed with cucumbers, vinegar, celery and mustard seeds, and onion flakes for a mouthful of flavor. These bold, crisp, classic cut pickle chips are a perfect side item for your turkey sandwich at lunch or the family BBQ on top your cheeseburger.

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