Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
Delightfully crisp, sweet, and tangy, these refrigerator bread and butter pickles come together quickly and easily. No canning pots, hot water baths, or fancy tools are required for this recipe!
Foolproof Pickle Recipe
Years ago, I vowed to spend the summer learning to can fresh fruits and vegetables, pickles included. Summer was over in a blink, and my cans were still empty. I couldn't let the summer go by without an attempt to preserve anything, so I gave refrigerator pickles a try. I never looked back!
I never knew how easy making pickles at home could be. These bread and butter pickles are:
- Simple and quick
- Totally foolproof – no canning or fancy equipment is needed
- A little sweet and a little zesty
- Totally addictive
- A year-round staple in my fridge
Ingredients for Bread and Butter Pickles
There are two main components to these refrigerator pickles:
- Cucumbers: I recommend pickling cucumbers for this recipe, but small regular cucumbers work in a pinch.
- The Brine: This is where the classic sweet and tangy flavor comes from! Use a combination of vinegars (white vinegar and apple cider vinegar), sugars (granulated sugar and brown sugar), and spices like mustard seed, celery seed, and ground turmeric. For an extra kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
These bread and butter pickles couldn't be easier to make! Here's a quick overview of the process:
- Prepare the Cucumbers: Cut the cucumbers into ¼-inch thick slices – I like using a crinkle cutter for classic bread and butter pickles. Sprinkle them with salt, toss to combine, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for about 90 minutes.
- Rinse: After the cucumbers marinate with salt, rinse them with cold water, drain, and mix in the thinly sliced onion.
- Make the Brine: Combine the remaining ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour: Pour the brine over the cucumbers and onions. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about an hour.
- Transfer & Refrigerate: Transfer the pickle and onion mixture (including the liquid) into airtight containers. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Tools for Homemade Pickles
While refrigerator pickles don't require any specialty canning tools, I love using these two items for authentic bread and butter pickles:
- To Slice: This crinkle cutter is my favorite! But you can also use a knife or mandoline.
- To Store: – I adore this large 67.5-ounce jar, but you can also divide the pickles between traditional pint jars or use any airtight container you have at home.
What to Serve with Bread and Butter Pickles
Bread and butter pickles taste a little tangy, a little zesty, a little sweet, and wildly delicious. They add a welcome burst of flavor to:
- Burgers (like cast iron skillet cheeseburgers)
- BBQ sandwiches (I love this easy pulled pork recipe)
- Simple deli meat + cheese sandwiches
- Charcuterie boards
Try These Pickle Recipes Next
If you like this simple homemade pickle recipe, you’ll also love the following:
- Sweet and Spicy Zucchini Refrigerator Pickles
- Quick & Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
- Dill Sandwich Pickles
- And of course, you will LOVE this dill pickle dip!
Watch How to Make Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles:
If you make these pickles and love them, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you! ❤️️
Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
Ingredients
- 5½ cups (680 g) pickling cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick , about 1½ pounds
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) white vinegar
- ½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (53 g) light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1½ hours. Move cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion to the bowl and toss with the cucumbers.
- Combine the granulated sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and ground turmeric in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month.
Notes
- Cucumbers: Pickling cucumbers work best, but you can substitute small regular cucumbers if needed.
- Sugar: You can adjust the sugar quantities based on your preferences.
- Jars: You can store this entire recipe in one of these large Bormioli jars (I’ve loved these forever!) or you divide it up using regular pint-size jars.
- Storage: These pickles will keep in your refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Long-Term Storage: This pickle recipe is not meant for long-term storage, so you should not can it or store it at room temperature for any length of time.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on August 25, 2011.
This turns out the BEST pickles. I tripled the batch and gave some as gifts. Everyone LOVED them!
Thank you!
I was curious if I made these pickles, could I still preserve them to keep in dry storage for a period of time?
Nevermind. I saw the answer. Thanks!
These sound delicious. Could I triple recipe and do a canning processing in water to preserve them?
Hi Kathy, I cannot recommend canning these pickles, as I do not know if the acidity level is appropriate for long-term storage.
Am I doing something wrong? This wasn’t enough liquid to cover all cucumbers when I put them into mason jars!
I goofed and got celery salt, not seed….any thing I can replace celery seed with?
Nevermind….ran to town and got celery seed….
So worth the trip… these pickles are wonderful! I bought one of those little curvy slicer thingys Friday at BB&B. I doubled your recipe and doubled again! I made 2 quarts, 4 pints and 3 1/2 pints. My family and friends will be so happy!! Thank you so much for your recipe. Oh.. this is my first year gardening and canning…I love it!!! And I must say thanks to my friend for her help, advice and guidance!!
I’ve always loved Bread & Butter pickles. Of course, I grew up eating Mrs. Fanning’s Bread & Butter pickles — which were the only brand my mom would buy (we lived in Connecticut… don’t know if it’s a nationally distributed brand or just something regional).
I just tried making these today. They came out looking great and I can’t wait to sample them!
From one brown-eyed baker to another, Thank you!
I don’t understand why these pickles wouldn’t last more or less indefinitely in the refrigerator like store bought pickles. Doesn’t the salt and vinegar preserve them?
Quick question… dany chance thewey might last a month insteadf of 2 weeks in the refrigerator ? I have a refrigerator dill recipe & waa hoping they would last about the same time! love your recipes ! thank you!
Hi Margie, You could try keeping them longer, I would just pitch them if the liquid gets cloudy or the pickles start to discolor/have an off taste.
Hi I’m about to make these this weekend and I was wondering how these would do if you stored them in a cool dark place like a basement on a canning shelf? I would love to make these but I’d like to have them through out the year.
Hi Kalyn, I would not recommend that. These are meant to simply be refrigerator pickles and the recipe is not developed to be safe for long-term room temperature storage.
Boil your mixture for 10 minutes, pour over the slice cucumbers in mason jars, add a (new) lid and ring and you have canned B & B pickles for a long time—like forever; esp. when those cucumbers start coming in and you don’t know what to do with them.
I don’t add brown sugar, though.
I made these using English cucumbers or seedless ones that are available throughout the year at the store. It isn’t as good as making it with pickling cucumbers, but it is nice to be able to make some for a Christmas/New Year’s treat.
Thanks so much for the recipe…I made it three or four times in season and am now trying it out of season.
Thank you for this recipe, i made it and canned them, delicious!!! Didn’t have light brown sugar so i used dark, i ended up doing a double batch since i sliced a large amount of cucumbers! Definately a keeper!
Have you or anyone else tried to use a different sugar? Like Xylitol or Stevia? These sound amazing!!
Hi Kim, I haven’t used a sugar substitute in these, so I’m not sure how it might affect the recipe.
I do processed bread and butter pickles every year. This seemed like it would be easier. It was about the same amount of work, but since they weren’t processed they only keep for a short amount of time. If you just process the jars for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath you can keep them a lot longer
Great memory! I used to make these years ago. I used to slice up red and yellow bell peppers thin like the onions. They get just as sweet, and make such a pretty mix of colors. I used to make them for the holidays, (put a pretty bow around the jar) and bring them as a small host gift when visiting. Always a big hit!
I have added a small dry hot pepper to each jar of pickles and it really is fantastic
Made these this evening and they are simply FABULOUS! Definitely being put on my Tried It & Win Board! Thanks!!!
Great recipe
I’m years late but you’re never too late for a good thing. Anyways, question;
(and someone may have asked this already but), what if you don’t like sweet pickles? What if you like dill or garlic sours? Can you suggest the alternative ingredient or what to take out of yours? (i.e. brown sugar)
Hi Robert, I would probably use a recipe specific for dill pickles (or garlic), if that’s what you would prefer. It’s quite different than bread and butter, and isn’t really a matter of easily subtracting ingredients.
Hello! I LOVE bread and butter pickles!! Delicious! But my only question is… (I’ve never canned anything before) is there a way to freeze these so they last longer than 2 weeks? We love bread and butter pickles, but there’s no way we would eat the whole jar in 2 weeks! Its only 2 of us here! Lol. Thanks! :)
Nevermind! I just read a previous comment about storing them longer! :) sorry for a repeat question! I will still try this recipe and split them with the family!
I love bread & butter pickles. Even though I have never made them, this recipe looks easy enough for my first-time project! How long will the pickles last in the fridge?
Hi Janet, Per the recipe above, about 2 weeks for optimum freshness.
Ok I’m new to all this and found on Pinterest . I may sound stupid but it wouldn’t b the first time…LOL. Do I have to use canning cucs for this or can I just use what I can find at Wal Mart? What’s the diff between iodized salt and kosher salt and would the salt make a diff in this recipe? I’ve had gastric bypass surg and have lost 160 lbs and kept it off for almost 2 yrs. I get some great recipes ( and some really bad ones) from Pinterest then healthy them up. So my last ? Then I’ll leave I alone. Can I replace the sugar w Splenda since I can’t have the sugar anymore or would that mess w the process? Thanks and hope to hear back soon so my fam and I can try these out
Hi Anna, Pickling cucumbers are by far your best bet. If you can’t find them, you’ll want to find the smallest regular cucumbers you can. Kosher salt is much coarser than iodized salt, so they cannot be substituted 1:1 for each other. As for the Splenda in place of the sugar, I’m honestly not sure. I’ve never used Splenda so I’m not certain how it may alter this recipe. Enjoy!
Oh wow! These look wonderful and so easy. I can’t wait to grow some cucumbers in the garden so I can try them! I’ll be pinning. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I’ve been wanting to make B&B Pickles. I’m the only one in my family who would eat them…Is there a way to store these longer? Have you tried vacuum sealing them?
Thank you!
Hi Kimberly, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe for true canning purposes, as I know the acidic levels in those need to be precise to be safe. There really is no other way to extend the life of “refrigerator” jams, pickles, etc.
I made these this weekend. Awesome! Thanks for the recipe. I added a few sliced jalapenos for some heat to half the batch. Just to spice things up a bit.
You never disappoint me!! These were delicious and SO easy! :) THANK you for always posting such FABULOUS recipes! :-)
Made these today and LOVE them!! I did find it much easier to put the pickles and onions in my jars before pouring in the mixture. Thanks so much! Do you have a dill pickle recipe that you like??
Hi Tasha, So glad you enjoyed them as much as I did! I don’t have a dill pickle recipe yet but that’s next on my list!
Quick question- I am making these pickles today. In the first part, you say to let the pickles & salt sit out at room temperature for 1 1/2 hrs. In the recipe at the bottom, you say to cover & chill the salted cucumbers for 1/2 hrs. Which did you do?
I meant for 1 1/2 hrs, lol! Just curious if the pickles turn out better if you do the room temp or chill and cover?
Hi Carrie, My apologies for the typo – they are to be covered and chilled; I have corrected the error in the post. Thank you for catching that!
Thank you for the great blog post. I loved it so much I have listed on this week’s BBQ Grail’s 10 Posts Worth A Look: http://wp.me/pwBnV-1YT
Larry
thank you so much for the recipe! i made some this past weekend and they turned out great!