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Bread and Butter Pickles

ByBrandie Skibinski
2 Reviews
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This recipe for Bread and Butter pickles require just a handful of ingredients, a couple tips and you’ll have delicious pickles in no time!

A SIMPLY DELICIOUS PICKLE RECIPE

Bread and butter pickles are a little sweet and a little sour. A delicious combination that makes them the perfect snack pickles!

cucumbers soaking in bread and butter brine.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLE MIX

So let me show you how simple this is. I’m making my favorite Bread and Butter Pickles. I make these a lot. And I’m gonna show you my little secret. This stuff right here; Ball’s Bread & Butter Pickle Mix. You don’t have to go out and buy all the individual spices and pickling salt. It is all right in this little container and it makes it so easy and it tastes great! You measure once – then you’re done.

Ball Canning Bread and Butter pickle seasoning.

TIPS FOR MAKING THESE PICKLES:

  • Many recipes for these will have you sprinkling the fresh cucumbers with salt and then letting it soak overnight to pull a lot of the liquid out of the cucumbers. If you prefer to do that, feel free, but I prefer not to do that because I think it takes away from the crispiness of the pickle. I like a good crunch with these!
  • If you can’t find the Ball Bread & Butter Pickle Mix, just make your own:
    • 2 Tablespoons mustard seed
    • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
    • 2 teaspoons celery seed
    • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
Easy Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles recipe.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • pickling cucumbers
  • white vinegar
  • granulated sugar
  • Ball Bread & Butter Pickle Mix
  • canning jars (pint-sized) and lids with bands
cucumbers, vinegar, bread and butter seasoning, sugar.

HOW TO MAKE BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES:

The first thing you need to do is wash your jars and lids in warm soapy water.

washing pint-sized mason jars.

And then give them a good, thorough rinse.

rinsing Ball mason jars

If you haven’t done so already, slice up your cucumbers. I’m using pickling cucumbers. They are a little smaller than average. But you can use regular ole cucumbers for this. Pickling cucumbers are usually smaller than your average salad cucumber. They are firmer and crisper and have a tender skin that is less bitter. They are unwaxed so the brine can penetrate the skin better. First thing you want to do is give them a good rinse under running water. Then trim off the ends and discard those.

sliced cucumbers on a cutting board.

Slice them up into 1/4-inch slices.

quarter inch cucumber slices with ridges.

I think Bread & Butter slices should be kinda thick. That’s how I like them. I also use this Crinkle Cutter that I got last year when I hosted a Pampered Chef party. It is not necessary at all. I just love those little ridges it makes when you slice the cucumbers.

sliced pickling cucumbers with ridges.

Now pack all those cucumbers into the pint jars. Not sure if you can tell from the below picture, but I try to stand the bottom layer of cucumbers on their side instead of flat. I think this helps to pack more in. But go with what works easiest for you.

layered cucumbers in the bottom of a mason jar.

Keep going until all your jars are full.

mason jars filled with sliced cucumbers.

In a stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar and bread & butter pickle mix.

bread and butter seasoning mix

Whisk to combine.

bread and butter seasoning mixed with vinegar

And bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

bread and butter seasoning mix, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan

Turn off heat and begin pouring hot brine over packed cucumbers.

pickling brine poured over sliced cucumbers in mason jars

The hot brine will start to soften the cucumbers.

cucumbers soaking in bread and butter brine

After it cools a bit, you’ll be able to push down some with your fingers to make sure all the cucumbers are immersed in the brine (using super clean fingers, of course.)

bread and butter pickles in canning jars

They will continue to settle as the brine does it’s job. You just want to make sure you leave about 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth or paper towel.

wiping the rim of a mason jar with a towel

Center the lids on the jars.

placing lids on Ball mason jars

Screw bands on until tight. Now, at this point, you really could just allow them to cool, then store in the fridge for up to 3 months. But if you want to preserve them, you gotta make sure there’s not gonna be any harmful bacteria that can grow while they are hanging out in your pantry for the next few months. So you gotta boil the jars for a few minutes.

Bread and Butter Pickles in jars

Bring water to gentle boil in a large stock pot. There needs to be enough water to cover the jars completely. Put your 3 jars into this handy dandy canning rack.

mason jars placed in rack

Then gently lower rack into boiling water.

canning rack lowered into boiling water

Then cover with a lid.

covered pot

Boil for 10 minutes. Remove lid. Wait 5 minutes. Then gently lift out jars. Allow them to cool. Then store.

cooling pickles in mason jars

You may hear the lids begin to make a popping sound as the jars cool and the lids seal. And that’s it! We just made pickles. These pickles will stay good in my pantry for up to a year. I’m definitely going to make more as I get more pickling cucumbers from my garden.

Bread and Butter Pickles in jars

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Bread and Butter Pickles recipe

Bread and Butter Pickles

This recipe for Bread and Butter pickles are incredibly easy. Just a handful of ingredients, a couple tips and you’ll have delicious pickles in no time!
2 Reviews
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Brandie Skibinski

Ingredients

  • 6 cups sliced cucumbers, trim off ends
  • 1 ¾ cups white vinegar
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons Ball Bread & Butter Pickle Mix
  • 3 pint-sized canning jars and lids with bands

Instructions

  • The first thing you need to do is wash your jars and lids in warm soapy water. And then give them a good, thorough rinse.
  • Slice cucumbers into 1/4-inch slices and pack them into the jars.
  • In a stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar and bread & butter pickle mix.
  • Whisk to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Turn off heat and begin pouring hot brine over packed cucumbers. The hot brine will start to soften the cucumbers.
  • After it cools a bit, you’ll be able to push down some with your fingers to make sure all the cucumbers are immersed in the brine (using super clean fingers, of course.)
  • They will continue to settle as the brine does it’s job.
  • You just want to make sure you leave about 1/2-inch head space.
  • Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth or paper towel.
  • Center the lids on the jars. Screw bands on until tight.
  • Now, at this point, you really could just allow them to cool, then store in the fridge for up to 3 months.
  • But if you want to preserve them, you gotta make sure there’s not gonna be any harmful bacteria that can grow while they are hanging out in your pantry for the next few months. So you gotta boil the jars for a few minutes.
  • Bring water to gentle boil in a large stock pot. There needs to be enough water to cover the jars completely.
  • Gently lower jars into boiling water using a canning rack or if you have those special rubber-tipped tongs used for canning. Then cover with a lid.
  • Boil jars for 10 minutes. Remove lid. Wait 5 minutes.
  • Then gently lift out jars. Allow them to cool. Then store.

Notes

  • These pickles will stay good in your pantry for up to a year if you properly can them.
  • Many recipes for these will have you sprinkling the fresh cucumbers with salt and then letting it soak overnight to pull a lot of the liquid out of the cucumbers. If you prefer to do that, feel free, but I prefer not to do that because I think it takes away from the crispiness of the pickle. I like a good crunch.
  • If you can’t find the Ball Bread & Butter Pickle Mix, just make your own:
    • 2 Tablespoons mustard seed
    • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
    • 2 teaspoons celery seed
    • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Sodium: 3mg | Sugar: 21g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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511 Comments

  3. I just spent this past weekend canning salsa. I try to can some every year. I've also got cucumbers growing. I am going to try the above bread & butter recipe. Would so love to win this.

    Amy
    Bear4family@ymail.com

    Reply

  5. I liked Ball on Facebook (I actually LOVE Ball canning supplies – but FB doesn't have a LOVE button – yet)

    Reply

  8. I grew up canning (my grandmother's root cellar was "legendary" – oh the stories I could tell) and continued to do so for years – always living near a relative (mainly my mother) where I could get-to-gether for "canning parties" as we jokingly called them. Most of my family are gone and I'm now miles and miles away and no longer have access to the family trove of canning supplies so this would be a great start to re-starting the tradition with my son…and grandson…and soon-to-be granddaughter this fall.

    Reply

  15. I would love to start canning green beans and tomatoes! Great giveaway!
    trheath at bellsouth dot net

    Reply

  16. I just spent the last weekend canning salsa. O have found a recipe the whole family loves! My cucumbers are growing fast and hopefully will be canning them soon. I am gonna try your bread and butter recipe. The jars would be very useful to me. As I will be making Apple butter soon als

    Bear4family@ymail.com

    Reply

  20. Canning is something I have always wanted to try.. After reading this article I would love to win 🙂 my husband and boys love pickles!! My email is mariaeq76@att.net. I also liked Ball canning on fb 🙂

    Reply

  23. I've canned tomatoes for years but would like to can beans this year and maybe some zucchini squash relish. Gotta find something to do with the over abundance of squash we seem to have.

    Reply

  24. My mom and grandma would make bread and butter pickles every year. Now that they are both gone it would be nice for one of us to pick up the tradition. I would love to try this canning kit, especially with my first attempt at them. Thanks!

    Reply

  25. I just spent this past weekend canning tomatoes and salsa. I usually can salsa every year. I have found a recipe that the whole family enjoys. My cucumber plants are growing. Do I am hoping to start canning them soon. I am going to try your recipe for bread & butter pickles. I would love to win this giveaway. I could really use the jars.

    Reply

  31. i have been wanting to can for 2 years but was scared to but this recipe you posted step by step instructions really look easy thank you

    Reply

  33. We can peppers and spaghetti sauce. This year I added strawberry jelly, it is delicious. Awesome giveaway!

    Reply

  35. This is a wonderful giveaway! I canned growing and am slowly starting back. I would love to can some salsa and jams 🙂 email: frommytinykitchen at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  36. I canned for the first time last year (salsa). Loved it and plan to can jalapenos and pickles this year in addition to trying my hand at some jellies!

    Reply

  38. I would like to learn to can peaches and green beans. I have like Ball Canning on Facbook also.

    Reply

  45. canning has always intimadated me, so I never tried. But this looks easy. I would like to can pickled okra!!

    Reply

  46. I just started canning last year..so far I've made pickles..lol I would like to get really good at it and be able to get jellies, jams and other canned yummys together to eat and give away! I've already like the FB page! Thanks
    Victoria.n.oconnor@gmail.com

    Reply