Here’s a classic old-fashioned bread and butter pickle recipe—the sweet, tangy, slightly spiced kind that tastes like grandma’s pantry.
Old-Fashioned Bread & Butter Pickles
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs pickling cucumbers (about 6–8), thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pickling or kosher salt
Brine
- 1½ cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
Spices
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp celery seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp whole cloves (or a pinch ground)
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- Optional: 1 cinnamon stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Salt the cucumbers
- Toss cucumbers and onions with salt.
- Cover with ice water and let sit 2–3 hours.
- Drain well and rinse (this keeps them crisp).
- Make the brine
- In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, water, and spices.
- Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Add cucumbers
- Add cucumbers and onions to the hot brine.
- Simmer 5–7 minutes, just until cucumbers soften slightly (don’t overcook).
- Jar and cool
- Spoon pickles into clean jars and cover with brine.
- Cool to room temp, then refrigerate.
- Wait (the hard part)
- Best flavor after 24–48 hours.
- Keeps refrigerated for up to 2 months.
Old-School Tips
- Slice cucumbers ⅛–¼ inch thick for classic texture
- Don’t skip the ice soak—it’s key to crunch
- For extra nostalgia, add 1–2 allspice berries per jar
If you want, I can also give you:
- A canning-safe version
- A less-sweet or more-tangy adjustment
- A no-turmeric version (lighter color, milder taste)
Just tell me. 🥒
