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A bowl full of bread and butter pickles surrounded by jars of homemade bread and butter pickles in cans.
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Bread and Butter Pickles

A simple, time-honored bread and butter pickles recipe made with pickling cucumbers and a sweet vinegar brine. This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator or safely water bath canned for longer pantry storage.
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Keyword bread and butter pickles recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Additional 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 44 minutes
Servings 6 pints

Ingredients

Vegetables

  • 5 lbs pickling cucumbers (about 3 quarts or 6 pints)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion optional

Brine

  • 3 ½ cups pickling vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp pickling salt
  • 6 tsp pickling spice

Instructions

Step 1: Sterilize the Jars and Lids

  • Sterilize the canning jars, lids, and rings just before cooking the pickles. Boil jars, lids, and rings in hot water for 10 minutes, keeping them hot until ready to use.

Step 2: Prepare the Cucumbers (Day Before)

  • Scrub the cucumbers and slice them thinly, about 1/8 inch thick. Place slices in a large bowl. Dissolve the pickling salt in 1 cup of water and pour over the cucumbers. Add more water to cover, cover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.
    A large bowl of sliced cucumbers soaking in salt water.

Step 3: Rinse and Drain the Cucumbers

  • Drain the salt water. Rinse the cucumber slices well in clear water and drain again.

Step 4: Make the Pickling Brine

  • Combine the sugar, pickling vinegar, water, and pickling spice in a large pot. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
    A large pot full of bread and butter pickle brine.

Step 5: Cook the Pickles

  • Add the drained cucumbers to the brine. Add sliced onion if using. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes.
    A large pot filled with cooking bread and butter pickles

Step 6: Pack the Jars

  • Pack the hot pickles into hot jars, leaving appropriate headspace. Apply hot lids and rings and tighten to fingertip tight.
    Canning bread and butter pickles, and placing the hot pickles into sterilized jar.

Step 7: Choose Refrigerator or Canned Pickles

  • For refrigerator pickles, stop here and cool jars to room temperature, then refrigerate. For longer storage, continue to water bath canning.

Step 8: Water Bath Can the Pickles (Optional)

  • Place jars in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring they are fully submerged. Return to a full boil and process for 10 minutes.

Step 9: Processing and Sealing

  • Remove jars and cool completely. Listen for lids to pop. After 24 hours, check seals. Any jars that did not seal should be refrigerated and used within two months.