Quick Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe

Sweet and sour, these quick pickles are a perfect lunchtime companion.

In just a few steps, you can make your own bread and butter pickles that will rival your favorite store-bought variety. Our step-by-step guide will show you how to turn humble cukes and onions into the ultimate picnic condiment.

Get the Recipe: Your Classic Bread-and-Butter Pickles

Trim Your Cucumbers

Trim and discard the blossom ends of the cucumbers. Usually this is the paler end, and sometimes there’s still a vestige of the blossom attached. If you don’t trim the end, your pickles may not get as crisp.

Cut Into Slices

Cut your cucumbers into 1/4” rounds. Then, peel the onions, cut them in half pole-to-pole, and cut those crosswise into 1/4” slices.

Toss With Salt

Put your cucumbers and onions in a nonreactive bowl, and add salt. Using your hands, toss them to distribute the salt thoroughly; toss gently so as not to crush the cucumbers or onions. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Drain and Rinse

The salt has done its job drawing out excess liquid, but you don’t want that much salt in your final pickle. Drain well, rinse, and drain again.

Pack Into Jars

Pack your cucumbers and onions loosely into pint- or quart-size mason jars.

Make the Brine

In a nonreactive pot, combine vinegar, brown sugar, celery seed, turmeric, mustard seed and allspice, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the brown sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour Brine Over Pickles

Pour the liquid over the cucumbers and onions. The cucumbers should be amply covered or slightly afloat. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. While they’ll taste fine as soon as they’ve cooled, their flavor will improve over a few days.

Get the Recipe: Your Classic Bread-and-Butter Pickles