Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe (Sweet, Crunchy & Easy Homemade Pickles)
This homemade bread and butter pickle recipe makes sweet, tangy, and wonderfully crisp pickles with fresh cucumbers, onions, and aromatic pickling spices. Perfect for refrigerator storage or water bath canning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings (3–5 pints)
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Canning
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
2½ pounds pickling cucumbers
¼ cup pickling salt
1 pound white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
1¼ cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon celery seeds
1 cinnamon stick
6 allspice berries
Pinch ground allspice
6 whole cloves
Pinch ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
1. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly, trim the ends, and slice into ¼-inch rounds.
2. Thinly slice the onions and combine with the cucumbers in a large bowl.
3. Sprinkle with pickling salt, toss well, cover with ice, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
4. Discard the ice, rinse the cucumber and onion mixture well, then drain completely.
5. In a large saucepan combine both vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.
6. Add the cucumber and onion mixture to the hot brine and return to a gentle boil.
7. Pack the hot cucumbers and onions into clean jars using a slotted spoon.
8. Pour the hot pickling syrup over the vegetables, leaving about ½-inch headspace.
9. Seal jars and refrigerate, or process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage.
10. Allow the pickles to cool completely and refrigerate after opening. For best flavor, let them rest for at least one week before serving.
Notes
Fresh pickling cucumbers produce the crispiest pickles.
Pickling salt is recommended because table salt may cloud the brine.
Refrigerator pickles keep for up to 3 months.
Properly canned jars can be stored in a cool pantry for up to 1 year.
The flavor improves after sitting for one to three weeks.