Bread and Butter Pickles
Crisp, sweet-and-sour cucumber and onion slices in a turmeric-gold brine with mustard and celery seed. Ready to eat in two days and good on burgers.
Bread and butter pickles are the sweet pickles of America, thin, crinkled slices of cucumber and onion in a golden brine that is sharp with vinegar, sweet with sugar and scented with mustard seed, celery seed and turmeric. They are the pickle that goes on the burger, the sandwich and the plate of cold chicken. The name is said to come from the 1920s, when a couple who farmed cucumbers in Illinois, the Fannings, are said to have sold the pickles to their neighbours during hard times, when the two things that could be counted on to fill a stomach were bread and butter. They kept on making them, and the name stuck. The main point in making them is the crunch. Cucumbers are more than nine tenths water, and salting the slices draws out a large part of it, so that the pickles stay firm in the brine. The slices are tossed with salt and left for an hour, then rinsed and drained. The brine is heated only until the sugar dissolves and the slices are warmed in it for a minute, no more, since boiling cooks them and turns them soft. The pickles are packed into jars with the hot brine and kept in the fridge, and they are ready to eat after a day or two, though they improve over a week. Use pickling cucumbers, which are small, firm and with few seeds, rather than the large watery kind.
Questions About Bread and Butter Pickles
How long does Bread and Butter Pickles take to make?
About 25 minutes of hands-on work — 20 minutes of preparation and 5 minutes of cooking — plus 1 hour of Salting, so allow 1 hour 25 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 16.
What are the key tips for making Bread and Butter Pickles?
Salt the slices for the full hour and drain them well. It is what keeps them crisp, and skipping it gives soft pickles. Do not boil the cucumbers in the brine. Bring the brine back just to a simmer, warm the slices through and take the pan off the heat. Choose small pickling cucumbers and slice them evenly. Large salad cucumbers are watery, and slices of different thickness soften at different speeds.
What should I serve with Bread and Butter Pickles?
Burgers; Cheddar sandwiches; Cold fried chicken.
Is Bread and Butter Pickles suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb and keto. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Bread and Butter Pickles?
About 40 kcal per serving, with 0 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate and 0 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
How to Make Bread and Butter Pickles
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Toss the cucumber and onion slices with the salt in a colander set over a bowl, and leave for 1 hour to draw out the water. Rinse well under cold water and drain thoroughly.
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Put the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric and peppercorns in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and bring just to the boil.
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Add the drained cucumbers and onion, stir and bring back to just under the boil. Take off the heat at once, so that the slices stay crisp.
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Pack the slices into the jars with tongs, and pour over the hot brine to cover them completely. Seal and cool, then keep in the fridge.
Tips That Matter
- Salt the slices for the full hour and drain them well. It is what keeps them crisp, and skipping it gives soft pickles.
- Do not boil the cucumbers in the brine. Bring the brine back just to a simmer, warm the slices through and take the pan off the heat.
- Choose small pickling cucumbers and slice them evenly. Large salad cucumbers are watery, and slices of different thickness soften at different speeds.
What to Serve With It
Burgers · Cheddar sandwiches · Cold fried chicken
Keeping and Reheating
Keep in the fridge for up to 2 months. They are ready to eat after 2 days and improve over a week.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.