Easy Bread and Butter Pickles
- PREP 15min
- COOK 5min
- TOTAL 20min
Simple homemade refrigerator bread and butter pickles made using vinegar, salt, sugar, and the perfect blend of pickling spices. These pickles have the most delightful balance of sweetness and tanginess!
You Will Need
1 pound (454g) pickling cucumbers, like Kirby, sliced into coins, 3 to 4 cucumbers
1 ½ cups (355ml) vinegar (5% acidity)
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice, see notes
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons (23g) pickling salt or sea salt, recommend using weight, see notes
Directions
Combine the vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, turmeric, peppercorns, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the mixture come to a simmer and continue cooking until the sugar and salt completely dissolve.
Pack the sliced cucumbers into a 1-quart (1 liter) jar.
Carefully pour the hot pickle brine over the cucumbers. Leave about 1/8-inch of space between the top of the brine and the lid of the jar.
Allow the jar to cool down to room temperature. Then, securely tighten the lid with your fingers and place it in the refrigerator.
Let the pickles sit undisturbed overnight before enjoying them. For the first night, position the jar upside down in a bowl and flip it right-side-up the next day.
The pickles will last in the fridge for up to one month.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Picking spice blend: There are quite a few brands that sell pickling spice blend, we use McCormick “Mixed Pickling Spice”
- Are these shelf stable? These pickles have been specifically designed for refrigeration storage. They are meant to be kept in the fridge at all times. However, if you’re experienced in canning, you could potentially adapt them for long-term shelf stability. This would involve using sanitized jars, new lids, and a pressure canner.
- Different salts can be used for pickling. Pickling salt is best, but you can also use Morton’s kosher salt or sea salt. Avoid table salt due to additives. If using Diamond Crystal salt, you may need to adjust quantity as it’s larger than pickling salt. We recommend measuring by weight for pickles. If you are measuring by volume (like tablespoons), you will need about 50% more Diamond Crystal salt.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. It is difficult to calculate how much salt and sugar are in the pickles, so we have included all of the brine in the calculations (which is why salt and sugar is higher).
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