Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe - Belly Full (2024)

These homemade refrigerator bread and butter pickles are sweet, zesty, and crunchy. A perfect condiment for a burger or sandwich, or enjoy them as a snack on their own. This recipe is so easy and doesn’t require any canning skills!

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe - Belly Full (1)

We are a pickle loving family over here. 1000% if that was a thing. My pantry is never ever without dill pickle potato chips and my refrigerator is always stocked with pickled beets and pickled eggs. Not to mention that I have countless varieties of vinegar in my cupboard. Pucker up!

While dill pickles are #1 for us, bread and butter pickles are right on their heals. We’ve been known to polish off an entire jar of these in an afternoon.

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe - Belly Full (2)

Why are they called bread and butter pickles?

Some say they gained popularity during the Great Depression. Since they were a cheap kitchen staple, people would use them on buttered sandwich bread for an easy, inexpensive lunch.

Another story is that Omar and Cora Fanning, who were Illinois cucumber farmers back in the 1920’s, pickled and sold their small cucumbers and would also trade the pickles with their local grocer for essentials, like bread and butter. They ended up filing for a “Fanning’s Bread and Butter Pickles” trademark.

Are Bread and Butter Pickles Sweet?

Unlike dill pickles, they’re definitely on the sweeter side, but they’re also tart, with a slight kick. They’re infused with a sugar-vinegar brine and other spices that make them pretty irresistible and perfect on sandwiches!

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe - Belly Full (3)

Making homemade bread and butter pickles is so easy! There are only a few simple steps, some resting time (for the pickles and hopefully for you, too! HA), and then chilling in the fridge overnight to get the truest flavor. If you’re really impatient, though, they taste great after only a few hours!

Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe Ingredients

  • Pickling cucumbers – these pickles are made from a smaller cucumber than you use on a salad. They’re marketed as pickling cucumbers and can be found at most regular grocery stores. Use the freshest, unblemished ones you can find.
  • Onion – sweet onions pair perfectly with the tangy brine.
  • Vinegar – white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are both used.
  • Sugar – a combination of granulated and brown sugar.
  • Seasonings – mustard seeds, celery seeds, ground Turmeric, and Kosher salt

Recipe Tips

  • The cucumber slices should be about 1/4-inch thick. You want some crunch! Too thin and they can disintegrate when soaked with the hot brine. Too thick and they won’t soak up the brine enough.
  • I highly recommend using a mandolin, which ensures the slices are all the same size. It also makes the process so much easier and faster!
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Take these to a summer barbecue and make all the friends!

Looking for more cucumber recipes? Try my Cucumber Tomato Salad, Creamy Cucumber Salad, Beet and Cucumber Salad.

Watch the video for this Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onFacebook,Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTube!

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe - Belly Full (5)

Bread and Butter Pickles

5 from 49 Ratings

These easy homemade bread and butter pickles are sweet, zesty, and crunchy. Perfect for a burger or sandwich, or enjoy them as a snack on their own!

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Resting and Chill 1 day day 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 day day 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 (1/4 cup per serving) 4cups of pickles

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers , sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 5 1/2cups)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions

  • Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1 1/2 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. (If you’re really impatient, though, they taste great after only a few hours!)

  • Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

I have not tried this recipe with any sugar substitutes, so without further recipe testing, I can’t vouch for the results.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 658mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread and butter pickles, Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

Did you make this recipe?Snap a picture and mention @bellyfullblog!

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe - Belly Full (6)
Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe - Belly Full (2024)

FAQs

Are bread and butter pickles good for your gut? ›

Fermented pickles are considered a probiotic food, which means they contain beneficial strains of bacteria that, if consumed often, can contribute to the population and diversity of our gut microbiome.

How long does an open jar of bread and butter pickles last? ›

Properly canned bread and butter pickles can be stored in a cool, dark place (like a pantry) for up to 1 year. Store opened jars in the fridge and use within 3 months.

What gives bread and butter pickles their flavor? ›

Dill pickles have one main spice/herb that's used: dill. They're often on the sour side with a strong briny bite. In contrast, bread and butter pickles use a blend of turmeric, clove, celery seed, and red pepper flakes for a rounded-out flavor. None of the spices stand out, but all blend together for a richer taste.

Why do bread and butter pickles taste different? ›

Bread and butter pickles are best described as being a lot like sour dill pickles, but with sweet onion and sugar added to the pickling mix to give them their one-of-a-kind flavor.

Can you eat too many bread and butter pickles? ›

Eat bread-and-butter pickles in moderation to limit added sugars, and keep an eye out for sodium too—if you already eat out or eat foods high in sodium, a pickle spear or two per day could push you over the limit.

What is the best pickle for gut health? ›

However, if you're looking for a pickle to support gut health, you'll have to select from the pickles in the refrigerated aisle. “The pickles that are beneficial for your gut health are the fermented ones, made by brining them in salt rather than vinegar,” says Dr. Oppezzo.

Why are my bread and butter pickles mushy? ›

If the pickles are soft, they are spoiled from the yeast fermentation. Don't use them. Using too weak a salt brine or vinegar solution may cause soft or slippery pickles, as can using moldy garlic or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.

Are refrigerator pickles safe? ›

If you are in a high-risk group for food-borne illness, treat refrigerator pickles as fresh food and consume them within 3 days. Otherwise, you should consume only fermented or canned pickles.

How long do refrigerator pickles last in the fridge? ›

How long do refrigerator pickles last? Homemade refrigerated pickles last at least three to four weeks in the fridge, McClellan says. Any longer and the quality will start to decline. You'll notice the brine goes from clear to murky and cloudy, and the pickles start to lose their texture.

What is another name for bread and butter pickles? ›

Today, the term is well known as a sweet pickle, like my Bread & Butter Chips. These pickles are sweeter than my dills, but they still have that pungent garlic flavor.

Why am I craving bread and butter pickles? ›

Cravings for salty foods like pickles can sometimes indicate an electrolyte imbalance in the body. Electrolytes are essential for maintaining hydration and overall bodily functions.

What do you eat with bread and butter pickles? ›

You can dice them into the tuna salad or do what we do and just heap them on top of the tuna before closing the sandwich with a top slice of bread. Try adding them to a Juicy Grilled Bison Burger or Crispy Chicken Sandwich for a sweet & sour burst of flavor and crunch.

Are bread and butter pickles good for digestion? ›

Fermented pickles are probiotic-rich, so they may help improve digestion and prevent minor stomach issues.

What kind of pickles does Chick-fil-A use? ›

But Why Are Its Pickles So Good? It turns out that the pickles Chick-fil-A gets from Bay Valley are a little different from standard pickles. The company selects cucumbers specifically for size and texture, of course, but what really makes the difference is the brine.

Is sweet pickle relish the same as bread and butter pickles? ›

Sweet pickles are made in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, water, and spices. Bread and butter pickles are tangy and bright green, these pickles are the famous thinly-sliced chips, smooth or waffle-cut, that you'll often find on cheeseburgers at fast food places.

Are bread and butter pickles good? ›

These pickles are sweeter than my dills, but they still have that pungent garlic flavor. They're delicious as is, or in salads and burgers.

Why do I crave bread and butter pickles? ›

Your body may be low on sodium.

If you're not getting enough salt in your diet, or if you've depleted your sodium levels, you might experience intense cravings for pickles and other high-sodium foods.

Is bread good for gut bacteria? ›

However, both sourdough bread and rye bread are high in prebiotics, especially β-glucan. Prebiotics such as β-glucan nourishes our gut microbes (or healthy gut bacteria), helping to balance our gut microbiomes and improving digestion and metabolism.

Are bread and butter pickles acidic? ›

Bread and butter pickles have a sweeter taste, as they are made with sugar, vinegar, and spices. They may offer a different flavor profile but still contain the acidic properties of vinegar, potentially benefiting acid reflux symptoms.

References

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