Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs cucumbers
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
- 3/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Get Your Cucumbers Ready
Slice them into rounds about 1/4″ thick. Keep them all the same thickness so they pickle evenly. A mandoline makes this fast but a sharp knife works.
If you’re using a mandoline, watch your fingers – these things are sharp.
Pack Your Jars
You’ll need clean, dry jars – this makes about 3-4 pint jars worth.
If using onions, put a thin layer at the bottom of each jar.
Pack cucumber slices tight – really cram them in there up to the halfway mark. The tighter you pack, the less they’ll float around later.
Add another layer of onions, then pack more cucumbers right to the rim. Top with a few more onion slices.
Make the Brine
To a medium pot add all the vinegars, sugars, salt, and spices.
Heat over medium-high and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. This takes ~5 minutes – you’ll see small bubbles breaking the surface when it’s ready.
The turmeric gives them that classic yellow tint you see in store-bought bread and butter pickles.
Fill the Jars
Pour the hot brine into each jar, leaving about 1/2″ headspace at the top.
The cucumbers will soften and shrink down after a couple minutes – this is normal. Use a fork or spoon to press them down and make sure everything’s covered with brine.
If you need more brine to cover, just heat up a bit more vinegar with a pinch of salt and sugar.
Let Them Pickle
Cap your jars and stick them in the fridge.
They’re technically ready after ~3 hours, but they get way better after 24-48 hours. The cucumbers develop that perfect pickle snap and the flavors meld together.
These keep for months in the fridge, but they never last that long in my house.
Bread N’ Butter Pickles
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs cucumbers
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
- 3/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup yellow onion thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Slice cucumbers into 1/4″ thick rounds using mandoline or knife.
- Layer onions and tightly packed cucumber slices in clean pint jars.
- Combine vinegars, sugars, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in pot.
- Heat brine over medium-high, stirring until sugar dissolves and small bubbles form, about 5 minutes.
- Pour hot brine into jars leaving 1/2″ headspace.
- Press cucumbers down with fork to ensure they’re fully submerged.
- Seal jars and refrigerate.
- Let pickle minimum 3 hours, best after 24-48 hours.
- Keeps several months refrigerated.
