Bread & Butter Pickles

Bread & butter pickles became popular during the Great Depression when they were eaten in sandwiches with only butter because there was nothing else. But this year I decided to make these because they’re just so good! These pickles are sweet and crunchy with bursts of mustard & celery seeds. Underlying that are hints of peppercorns and cloves. Turmeric is what gives the brine that touch of gold. With enough jars of these around for winter, there will be no searching for what to elevate your sandwiches with and many a snack attack will be put to an end.

What Kind Of Cucumbers Are Best for Bread & Butter Pickles?

The best cucumbers for pickling are the small ones. They’re usually labelled as such at the farmer’s market, so you can’t miss them.  You can use large cucumbers as long as they are firm and not loaded with too many seeds.

Slice the cucumbers into ¼ inch coins–it’s better to make them too thick than too thin. If they are too thin, they might end up broken or with holes in them. If that does happen, oh well—they will still taste great!

Also slice three onions, a red bell pepper and some garlic. Originally bread & butter pickles were made with green bell peppers, but don’t you think a red one adds more color? These you can slice fairly thin because they are much more firm. You can either roughly chop the garlic, but slicing it is nice also.

What Kind Of Salt Is Best For Pickling?

You can’t just use regular table salt—use pickling salt. You can also use kosher salt. The same is true for my Fermented Dill Pickles and Kimchi. Do not use sea salt because it can make pickles darken, and don’t use rock salt. This is used in older ice cream makers and for melting ice on the sidewalk. It is not even meant for human consumption.

Mix in the salt—using your hands is the easiest way to do it. Make sure every piece of vegetable gets coated with salt.

Why Do I Need To Add Ice?

Adding ice ensures crispy pickles. For the amount I made I used two trays—one to mix in and one to cover on top. Place some plastic wrap over this and refrigerate for four hours.

Even though some of this liquid is from the ice that melted, a lot of it came from the cucumbers. Drain this and rinse the salt off VERY well (like for a few minutes).

What Spices Do I Use For Bread & Butter Pickles?

Mustard seeds, celery seeds, peppercorns, cloves and turmeric are the spices that make this brine. If you think there won’t be enough to cover your pickles, don’t worry, there will be!

Once the cucumbers are in the brine, keep them on the heat until they come to a boil. When they do, turn off the heat and leave the pot on the burner long enough to draw enough liquid out of the cucumbers to barely cover them.

At this point you can either transfer these into hot sterilized jars and process them in a water canner for ten minutes, or you can simply refrigerate them. Everything is cured and bathing in brine, so they will last almost indefinitely in the fridge. I decided to can them.

And that’s it, guys! Let these sit for at least 3-4 weeks before cracking into them to let the flavors mature. Now you can enjoy these crispy coins of goodness in sandwiches, burgers, as and accompaniment to any meal or just as a snack!

Bread & Butter Pickles

An old fashioned recipe for Great Depression classic. Amazing in sandwiches with butter or as a side dish for any meal.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 pint jars

Ingredients

  

• 18 pickling cucumbers washed
• 3 medium white onions
• 1 bell pepper green or red
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup pickling salt
• 2 trays ice
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups white or cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon tumeric

Instructions

 

• Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch slices and place in a large bowl.
• Thinly slice the onions and pepper and add to the cucumbers.
• Coarsely chop or thinly slice the garlic and add to vegetables.
• Sprinkle the pickling salt over vegetables and mix very well so everything is coated.
• Add one tray of ice and mix well to combine. Pour the second try of ice over everything so it is laying on top, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
• Drain the vegetables in a colander and rinse very well for a few minutes, removing every trace of the salt.
• For the brine, combine the sugar, vinegar, water and all the spices in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, stirring constantly until all the sugar dissolves. Allow to boil for 2 minutes.
• Add the cucumbers to the brine and allow the mixture to come back to a boil, stirring frequently. As soon as you see the first few bubbles, turn off the heat and allow the cucumbers to continue cooking until enough water is rendered to barely cover them.
• Remove from heat and transfer to hot sterilized jars for canning. Process for 10 minutes.
• If not canning, transfer them into clean jars and refrigerate almost indefinitely. Allow 3-4 weeks for flavors to mellow before consuming.

Keyword bread & butter, pickles