These bread and butter pickles start with firm pickling cucumbers, sliced thin and soaked in a sweet-tangy brine packed with warm spices. Every jar delivers that satisfying snap you expect from a great pickle — soft enough to layer on a sandwich, crunchy enough to eat straight from the jar.
This is a refrigerator pickle recipe, but if you want to stock the pantry for months, simply process the sealed jars in a boiling-water bath canner.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- That crunch is real — Salting the cucumbers first pulls out excess moisture, so they stay crisp even after soaking in brine.
- Sweet, tangy, and just a little heat — Red jalapeño rings add a gentle kick that plays beautifully against the sugar and vinegar.
- No special equipment needed — A saucepan, a bowl, and a couple of mason jars are all it takes.
- Ready faster than you think — A short brine soak is all the time they need before they’re fridge-ready.
- Totally customizable — Dial the sugar up or down, swap in apple cider vinegar, or toss in extra spices to make them your own.
- Great for gifting — A labeled jar of homemade pickles is one of the best things you can hand someone.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced
- ½ yellow onion, sliced
- 2 red jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced into rings
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tablespoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Step-By-Step Direction
Step 1: Toss the sliced cucumbers, onion, and jalapeños together in a large bowl. Sprinkle the kosher salt over everything and stir until every piece is coated. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and slide it into the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, giving it a stir once or twice along the way.
When time’s up, dump the mixture into a colander and rinse under cold running water for 3 to 4 minutes until all the salt is gone. Let it drain well.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, garlic, mustard seed, celery seeds, peppercorns, turmeric, and cloves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and let it cook for about 2 minutes so the flavors have a chance to bloom. Add the drained cucumber mixture to the brine and heat just until it’s about to boil — then pull it off the heat. Let everything cool completely before packing into jars and storing in the refrigerator.
Tips for the Best Results
Pick the right cucumbers — Pickling cucumbers (like Kirby) have thinner skins and firmer flesh than salad cucumbers. Using the wrong variety will give you mushy pickles.
Don’t rush the salt soak — This step isn’t optional. It pulls water out of the cucumbers and is what gives you that iconic crunch later.
Rinse thoroughly — Too much residual salt will throw off the brine’s balance. A good 3-minute rinse under cold water does the job.
Let them cool before sealing — Sealing warm pickles traps steam inside the jar, which softens the texture you worked hard to preserve.
Taste the brine before adding cucumbers — Adjust sweet or tangy to your preference at that stage; it’s much harder to fix once everything is combined.
Storage
Transfer the cooled pickles into clean, airtight glass jars and refrigerate. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks and honestly taste better after the first 24 hours once the flavors have had time to settle in. For shelf-stable storage, process the jars in a boiling water bath canner according to your canner’s instructions.
Bread and Butter Pickles
Instructions
Group: Prep the Cucumbers
- Toss the sliced cucumbers, onion, and jalapeños together in a large bowl. Sprinkle the kosher salt over everything and stir until every piece is fully coated.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, stirring once or twice during that time.
- Transfer the mixture to a colander and rinse under cold running water for 3 to 4 minutes until all the salt is washed away. Let it drain completely.
Group: Make the Brine
- In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, garlic, mustard seed, celery seeds, peppercorns, turmeric, and cloves.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Let it cook for about 2 minutes so the spices bloom and the flavors come together.
Group: Finish and Store
- Add the drained cucumber mixture to the brine and heat just until the liquid is about to boil — then immediately remove from heat.
- Let everything cool completely at room temperature before transferring to clean mason jars. Seal and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Crunch tip: Don’t skip the salt soak — it draws out excess moisture and is the key to that firm, crisp texture.
- Rinse well: Leftover salt will throw off the brine’s sweet-tangy balance, so rinse thoroughly.
- Storage: Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Flavor improves after the first 24 hours.
- For canning: Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath canner for shelf-stable storage of up to 1 year.
- Customize it: Reduce the sugar for a tangier pickle, or swap in apple cider vinegar for a slightly fruity depth.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 38
- Total Carbohydrates: 10g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 9g
- Protein: 0g
- Total Fat: 0g
- Vitamin C: 3mg
- Sodium: 361mg
- Calcium: 6mg
- Iron: 0mg
- Potassium: 40mg
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