Description

This recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles offers a delightful balance of sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy flavors. Featuring crisp cucumbers and onions pickled in a vinegar-sugar brine with traditional pickling spices, these homemade pickles are perfect for sandwiches, burgers, or snacking. The preparation involves salting and chilling the cucumbers to draw out excess moisture, then cooking them briefly in a spiced vinegar solution before canning.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Vegetables

2 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers, fresh from the market
1 pound white or yellow onions, thinly sliced

Salting

1/4 cup pickling salt

Vinegar & Sweeteners

1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
2 1/4 cups sugar

Pickling Spices

1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
6 allspice berries plus a pinch of ground allspice
6 whole cloves plus a pinch of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

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Instructions

Rinse and Slice the Cucumbers: Carefully rinse the cucumbers under cool water, scrubbing away any dirt stuck in the ribs. Trim off 1/8 inch from each end and discard. Slice each cucumber into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place the slices in a large bowl.
Salt, Chill, and Drain: Add the thinly sliced onions and the pickling salt to the bowl with the cucumbers. Stir well to distribute the salt evenly. Cover the mixture with a clean, thin tea towel and then top with a couple of inches of ice. Refrigerate for 4 hours to draw out excess moisture. After chilling, discard the ice, thoroughly rinse the salted cucumbers and onions to remove excess salt, then drain well. Rinse and drain again to ensure all salt is removed.
Prepare the Pickling Brine: In a large pot, combine the white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. Add all the pickling spices: mustard seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, celery seeds, cinnamon stick, allspice berries plus pinch of ground allspice, whole cloves plus pinch of ground cloves, and ground turmeric. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally so the sugar dissolves fully.
Cook the Cucumbers in the Brine: Add the drained cucumbers and onions to the boiling vinegar and spices mixture. Let them simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes just until they begin to soften slightly but remain crisp.
Fill and Heat the Jars: Using a slotted spoon, pack the cucumber and onion slices tightly into sterilized canning jars. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables to cover completely, leaving appropriate headspace. Remove air bubbles by pressing down gently with a knife or utensil. Wipe rims clean, seal jars with lids, and if planning to store outside refrigeration, process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes to ensure safe preservation.

Notes

Pickling salt is recommended as it does not contain additives that can cloud pickling brine.
If storing the pickles long term outside the refrigerator, ensure proper canning and sealing methods are followed, including boiling water bath processing.
The chilling step with salt and ice helps maintain cucumber crispness by drawing out water before pickling.
Adjust the spice quantities to your taste preference for mild or more spicy pickles.
Use fresh, firm pickling cucumbers typically labeled as such at markets for best results.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 cup (approximately 30g)
Calories: 50
Sugar: 12g
Sodium: 400mg
Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 13g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 0.3g
Cholesterol: 0mg