If you want a sweet, tangy, and crunchy pickle, make the bread and butter pickles. Their vinegar brine contains a noticeable amount of sugar, along with spices like mustard seed, turmeric, and celery seed.
Regular dill pickles, on the other hand, are more sour, salty, and savory, usually flavored with dill, garlic, and pickling spices with little or no added sugar.
Table of Contents
Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe
Key Ingredients
Pickling cucumbers: Firm pickling cucumbers hold their crunch even after a full day soaking in a sweet brine. Regular waxed cucumbers from the produce aisle have too much water and turn soft and floppy instead of snappy.
Apple cider vinegar: The mellow, slightly fruity acidity balances the sugar without turning the brine sharp or one-note. I always reach for cider vinegar here because plain white vinegar tastes harsher against all that sweetness.
Sugar is what earns these pickles the “butter” in their name, giving the brine its signature sweet-tangy balance.
Tips to Make It Perfect
Salt and drain the cucumbers before pickling: This pulls out excess water so the finished pickles stay crisp instead of diluting the brine and going soft. I let mine sit in a colander for a full hour and pat them dry.
Slice the cucumbers an even thickness: Uniform rounds pickle at the same rate, so you don’t end up with thick pieces that are still crunchy-raw in the center. I aim for a quarter inch across the whole batch.
Wait at least 3 days before digging in: They’re technically ready after 24 hours, but the flavor is still shallow then. Wait until 3 days.
Here’s how to make the bread and butter pickles:
Bread and Butter Pickles
Sweet and tangy refrigerator pickles made with thinly sliced cucumbers, onion, and a warm vinegar brine spiced with mustard seed and turmeric. Ready to eat in 24 hours and even better after a few days.
Ingredients
- 4 mediumpickling cucumbers (sliced into ¼-inch rounds)
- 1 mediumyellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 tablespoonsalt
- 1 cupapple cider vinegar
- 1 cupgranulated sugar
- 1 teaspoonmustard seed
- ½ teaspooncelery seed
- ¼ teaspoonground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoonwhole black peppercorns
Instructions
- 1Toss the sliced cucumbers and onion with the salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit for 1 hour to draw out excess moisture, then rinse and pat dry.
- 2Pack the cucumbers and onion into a clean quart jar.
- 3In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- 4Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers and onion until fully submerged.
- 5Let cool to room temperature, then seal.
- 6Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating.
Nutrition per serving
📌 Notes
- Salting and draining the cucumbers first keeps them crisp instead of watery once pickled.
- The turmeric gives the brine its classic golden-yellow color.
- Flavor deepens over the first few days. Best after 3 days in the fridge.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
How to Pair
Bread and butter pickles taste sweet, tangy, and lightly spiced. Their crisp texture and sharp acidity complement rich, smoky, and savory dishes. You can:
- Serve them with cheeseburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, or grilled hot dogs to cut through the richness.
- Add them to tuna salad sandwiches, fried chicken sliders, or ham and cheese rolls for a bright crunch.
- Pair them with barbecue ribs, baked beans, and creamy coleslaw for a classic cookout plate.
- Enjoy them alongside sharp cheddar, buttery crackers, and cold lager on a casual snack board.
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