Bread and Butter Pickles

Sweet and yellow bread and butter pickles are a relish-tray staple that contrasts with the big, sour flavors of dill pickles or giardiniera. The turmeric in the brine gives them their signature hue, while a combination of dry spices, including ground clove and whole mustard seeds, provides a distinctive sweet aroma.

This recipe is a good introduction to boiling water canning for beginners. If you’d prefer not to use a boiling water canner, you can pack the pickles into clean jars and store them in the fridge for quick usage and gifting. Make sure to instruct recipients to keep the unprocessed pickles refrigerated!

Ingredients for Bread and Butter Pickles

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• Cucumbers and onions: Fresh cucumbers and a little onion in the mix provide the crisp, crunchy texture and mild flavor that’s characteristic of bread and butter pickles.
• Canning salt: Canning salt helps draw out excess moisture from the cucumbers and onions, ensuring that the pickles are crisp and firm. Canning salt is similar to fine kosher salt and doesn’t contain iodine. You can replace it with kosher salt if that’s what you have on hand.
• Sugar: Plain white sugar provides the sweetness and balances the tartness of the vinegar.
• White vinegar: Distilled white vinegar acts as the main preservative, adding the tangy, acidic flavor that gives bread and butter pickles their distinctive taste.
• Mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric and cloves: These spices contribute to the complex and slightly sweet flavor profile of the pickles, as well as their hallmark yellow color.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the vegetables

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In a large container, combine the cucumbers, onions and salt. Cover them with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand for three hours. Drain the water, rinse the cucumbers and drain again.

Step 2: Make the brine

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In a Dutch oven, combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric and cloves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the cucumber and onion mixture and return the mixture to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat.

Step 3: Divide the pickles and brine into jars

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Carefully ladle the hot mixture into seven hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust the headspace if necessary by adding more hot brine. Wipe the rims. Center the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they’re fingertip tight.

Step 4: Process the jars

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Place the jars in a canner with simmering water, ensuring the jars are completely covered with water. Bring the water to a boil and process the jars for 15 minutes. Remove the jars and let them cool.

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Canning Altitude

The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add five minutes; for 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; for 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; for 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.

Recipe Variations

• Add more heat: If you want a batch with a sweet heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the brine seasonings, or a couple of sliced fresh jalapeno peppers to the cucumber-onion mixture.
• Experiment with spices: Customize the spice blend by adding different colors of mustard seed, bay leaves, allspice berries, coriander seeds or any other dry spices to create unique flavor profiles.

How to Store Bread and Butter Pickles

Once the jars of pickles have cooled completely, verify that the lids have formed a seal. Remove the canning rings, label and date the jars, and store them away from sunlight in a closed cabinet. It’s recommended to store the jars without canning rings so you can easily tell if a seal has failed in the future.

How long do bread and butter pickles last?

Canned pickles are quite stable. For the best texture, enjoy them within a year, but as long as the seals on the jars are in good condition, canned pickles are good for up to two years. Once opened, the jar should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within a few weeks.

Bread and Butter Pickles Tips

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What kind of cucumbers should you use?

Cucumbers are generally separated into two main categories: slicing (or salad) cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. Slicing cucumbers are larger, with delicate flesh and thinner skin, making them good for fresh eating. Pickling cucumbers are smaller, with denser flesh and thicker skin. For canned pickles, pickling cucumbers are preferred for a flavorful and crisp result.

Can you use other vegetables?

Yes, you can add other firm vegetables like carrots or cauliflower (measuring by weight) to create a variety of textures and flavors. Once you see how easy it is to pickle cucumbers, try other pickling recipes. The possibilities are endless!

How can you serve bread and butter pickles?

These pickles are best known as a sandwich pickle. Their milder flavor complements layered ingredients without overwhelming them. Their sweet-tangy flavor also makes them a great substitute for sweet pickles in salad recipes. Use bread and butter pickle slices and pickle juice instead of dill for a sweeter fried pickle. They pair well with rich, savory flavors, such as pimiento cheese.