Bread and Butter Pickles

A crunchy, tasty snack that’s easy to make – perfect if you’re dipping your toe into making pickles.

Bread and Butter Pickles

This is an easy ‘refrigerator pickle’ recipe – quick to make and super flavorful!

Chop up some cucumbers, make a simple stovetop brine and submerge everything together.

I like to make a big jar so I always have something pickled to add to my meals.

Make sure to save some pickles (and pickle juice) for making chicken tenders and crispy chicken sandwiches!

Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe Video

Why Are They Called Bread & Butter Pickles?

I’m no pickle connoisseur, so I just thought pickles were.. pickles.

Some say the name came about during the Depression, when sandwiches were made with just bread, butter and these pickles.

Others say that Illinois farmers Omar and Cora Fanning traded this pickle for bread and butter and that’s how the name came about.

In any case, I think bread and butter pickles taste sweeter than your traditional sour pickle, thanks to the heaping amount of sugar and spices that go into the brine.

Cucumbers

You can use any cucumber to make this recipe, but I think pickling cucumbers work best.

Pickling cucumbers are smaller, shorter and more ‘squat’. They can look a little oddly shaped and have thinner, bumpier skin.

I grew this variety of pickling cucumber in my indoor hydroponic systems.

They came out great!

Read more: How to Grow Cucumbers Indoors

growing 2 types of cucumbers inside my apartment using my hydroponic gardens. the pickling cucumbers look more ‘warty’ and have prickly bumps on the skin.

Preventing Mushy Pickles

To get crunchy, not mushy pickles, you’ll want to:

• cut the cucumber ends
• make a brine with a high vinegar content
• let the brine cool slightly before pouring over your pickles

You can cut your cucumbers into any shape for pickling.

I went with round coins because my pickles were irregularly shaped, but long slices or even whole gherkin style pickles would also work.

It’s important to remove the cucumber ends. Typically, pickles you buy at the grocery store will be cleaned and the flowers already removed.

You’ll also want to fully submerge the cucumbers in the brine to prevent soggy pickles.

Vinegar is what sours and preserves the cucumbers, turning them into pickles. So make sure your liquid brine has enough vinegar in it.

Bring the liquid and spice mixture to a boil on the stove, so the spices and flavors can meld together.

But then turn off the heat and let the brine cool before pouring it over your cucumbers.

If the brine is too hot, it can accidentally cook the cucumbers or shatter your jar.

making a massive amount of bread and butter pickles

Mason Jar

Use a glass jar to store your pickles in the fridge.

I like Ball’s wide mouth mason jars and Weck canning jars.

Bread and butter pickles need at least an hour in the fridge to work their pickle magic, but will taste best if you can leave them alone for at least 12 hours.

making the vinegar and spice brine to give the cucumbers that signature ‘bread and butter’ flavor

The Brine

I recommend using distilled white vinegar.

Any vinegar will work, but some flavored vinegars like apple cider vinegar, can transfer color.

I also recommend using whole spices if you can.

They have a lot more flavor and are fresher than pre-ground spices.

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