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A mason jar filled with bread and butter pickles, sitting on a wooden surface with fresh dill and cucumber slices nearby.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Sweet, tangy, and full of crunch, these classic Bread and Butter Pickles are the perfect way to preserve summer cucumbers. Made with onions, spices, and a vinegar-sugar brine, they're easy to can or store in the fridge. Great on sandwiches, burgers, or straight from the jar!
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Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 10 minutes
Canning 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 5 pints
Course: Preserves
Cuisine: American
Calories: 424
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 10 cups pickling cucumbers sliced and trimmed into ¼" slices
  • 3 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 4 medium onions sliced
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • ½ cup canning salt
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes optional

Equipment

  • Large pot (for boiling brine)
  • Colander
  • Large bowl
  • Paper towels
  • Paring knife
  • Cutting board
  • Water bath canner
  • Canning funnel
  • Wide mouth pint mason jars
  • Metal heat-resistant tongs (for placing lids)
  • Metal Ladle
  • Small saucepan
  • Oven gloves
  • Wide mouth mason jar lids
  • Canning lid rack (optional, but saves a lot of frustration)
  • Canning Jar Lifter Tongs
  • Plastic bubble remover

Method
 

  1. Wash and trim the cucumbers; slice them into coins. Use a crinkle cutter if you wish. Slice the onions thinly.
  2. Toss cucumbers and onions with canning salt in a big bowl. Cover the vegetables with ice and let them rest for 2 hours.
  3. After about an hour and a half, sterilize jars, lids, ladle, canning funnel, and tongs. Fill the water bath and bring it to the boil.
  4. Drain the vegetables in a colander, rinse well, and pat everything dry. Crisp is the goal.
  5. Make the brine: bring vinegar, sugar, and your spices to a gentle boil. Stir until the sugar melts. Add the vegetables to the saucepan and bring it back to a boil.
  6. Set a canning funnel on a hot, clean jar. Ladle the cucumber–onion mixture into the jars, leaving ½ inch headspace in each.
  7. Slide a clean chopstick or plastic knife down the sides to release air bubbles. Adjust headspace if needed.
  8. Wipe rims with a damp paper towel.
  9. Add two-piece lids. Screw bands on fingertip-tight.
  10. Process jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.
  11. Lift jars out and place on a towel. Let cool, undisturbed, for 12–24 hours.

Notes

  • You can also make this recipe as a refrigerator pickle—just skip the canning step and pop the jars straight into the fridge. It's best to halve or quarter the ingredients to make a smaller batch, as they only last a month.
  • Canned pickles will need at least a week to develop flavor, but they're even better after 4–5 weeks… if you can wait that long!
  • North American Variation: Swap the apple cider vinegar for 3 cups of white vinegar, and use 2 cups of granulated sugar instead of packed brown sugar.
  • Zesty Version: For a bolder flavor, replace the celery seeds with 2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish and the turmeric with 2 tablespoons of grated ginger.