Bread and butter pickles are crisp, sweet-and-sour refrigerator pickles perfect for snacking or topping burgers and sandwiches. This easy bread and butter pickles recipe, complete with canning instructions, ensures a shelf-stable batch you can enjoy all year. Plus, with Mrs. Wages mix and Xtra Crunch granules, they stay irresistibly crunchy!
Making these pickles, you are going to want to check out one of the most popular recipes on my site: sweet and tangy pickled banana peppers or sweet pickle relish! Your sandwiches are going to thank you! And if you have never had pickled onions with your sous vide flank steak fajitas you don't know what you are missing!
Ingredients:
Recipe Card?
To find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions CLICK HERE to go to the recipe card.
Best cucumbers for pickling
Ask your farm stand or grocery if they carry Pickling Cucumbers when you want to make crunchy pickles. No matter what cucumber you choose, be sure they are small, firm, is blemish-free, and of a consistent size.
Substitutions
- Apple cider vinegar can be used in place of the white vinegar in making this recipe as long as the ACV has 5% acidity.
- Add a ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or additional celery seed or mustard seeds, if you wish.
Making Bread and Butter Pickles
Prep the Canner & Jars
- Fill canner halfway with water; bring to a simmer (180°F).
- Wash jars and lids in hot soapy water. Keep lids warm in a separate pot of simmering water (do not boil).
Prepare Cucumbers
- Rinse cucumbers and drain. Trim ⅛" off the blossom end (to prevent softening).
- Slice into ¼"-thick rounds or spears; place in a large bowl.
Make the Brine
- In a large pot, combine vinegar, Mrs. Wages mix, and sugar per package instructions.
- Bring to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat.
Pack the Jars
- Using tongs, remove a hot jar from simmering water.
- Pack with cucumbers, leaving ½" headspace.
- Ladle hot brine over cucumbers, maintaining ½" headspace.
- Add Xtra Crunch granules (¼ teaspoon per quart jar; ⅛ teaspoon per pint).
Seal the Jars
- Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel to ensure a clean seal.
- Place lids and screw bands on; tighten to fingertip-tight (do not overtighten).
Process in Canner
- Lower jars into the canner with a jar lifter. Water should cover jars by 1-2".
- Bring to a rolling boil (212°F).
- Process:
- 10 minutes for pints
- 20 minutes for quarts
- Turn off heat; let jars sit in canner for 5 minutes before removing.
Cool & Store
- Place jars on a towel-lined counter. Listen for the "pop" of sealing (within 24 hours).
- After 24 hours, check seals by pressing lids. Refrigerate any unsealed jars.
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
Check for seal
After 24 hours, double-check the top lid has been sealed by lightly pressing. There shouldn't be any give when pressed. Remove the band and store the jars in your pantry or cupboard for up to one year.
Storage Tips
- Do not stack canned pickle jars, if there is any leakage, the weight of a jar on the lid may prevent you from realizing it.
- Remember to label your lids. If you have extra pickling spice you can store it in the refrigerator for 1 week. Heat it up straight out of the jar and make more bread and butter pickles.
- For best flavor, wait 4-8 weeks before opening. The brine fully penetrates the cucumbers over time, creating a balanced sweet-tangy crunch!
Chef Tip
I am not a fan of thinly sliced cucumbers for these sweet pickles. I think the sliced need to be at least ¼" thick to maintain the proper crunch. But experiment with the thickness that you like.
5 Days To Canning Confidence
Homemade Pickles Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
The short answer is no. There is way too much white sugar in these pickles for them to be keto or low carb. If you are looking for a low-carb pickle option I would point you to my cucumber and onion salad recipe. Just be sure to omit the sugar.
I was always told that the pickles we know today as bread and butter pickles were made to go between slices of bread and butter in the depression era. Another story I have been told is that farmers would use the end of the season, small cucumbers to make pickles and barter for bread and butter. I am sure the truth is somewhere in there.
Yes, you can use kosher dill pickles as a substitute for bread and butter pickles in the recipe. The flavor profile may be slightly different, but it should still work well.
The recipes for both pickles use vinegar, salt, mustard seeds, onions, and ground turmeric. Bread and butter pickles add sugar to give them their extra sweet taste, while dill pickles add dill weed, peppercorns, and dill and sometimes garlic to give them an extra kick.
Ingredients
- 25 (25) pickling cucumbers
- Mrs. Wages Pickle Mix: Bread & Butter Mix
- Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch Granules
- 6.75 Cups (1 ⅗ l) White Distilled Vinegar 5% acidity
- 7 Cups (1 ⅖ kg) Sugar
Instructions
Prep the Canner & Jars
- Fill canner halfway with water; bring to a simmer (180°F).
- Wash jars and lids in hot soapy water. Keep lids warm in a separate pot of simmering water (do not boil).
Prepare Cucumbers
- Rinse cucumbers and drain. Trim ⅛" off the blossom end (to prevent softening).25 pickling cucumbers
- Slice into ¼"-thick rounds or spears; place in a large bowl.
Make the Brine
- In a large pot, combine vinegar, Mrs. Wages mix, and sugar per package instructions.Mrs. Wages Pickle Mix: Bread & Butter Mix, 6.75 Cups (1 ⅗ l) White Distilled Vinegar, 7 Cups (1 ⅖ kg) Sugar
- Bring to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat.
Pack the Jars
- Using tongs, remove a hot jar from simmering water.
- Pack with cucumbers, leaving ½" headspace.
- Ladle hot brine over cucumbers, maintaining ½" headspace.
- Add Xtra Crunch granules (¼ teaspoon per quart jar; ⅛ teaspoon per pint).Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch Granules
Seal the Jars
- Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel to ensure a clean seal.
- Place lids and screw bands on; tighten to fingertip-tight (do not overtighten).
Process in Canner
- Lower jars into the canner with a jar lifter. Water should cover jars by 1-2".
- Bring to a rolling boil (212°F). Process:
- 10 minutes for pints
- 20 minutes for quarts
- Turn off heat; let jars sit in canner for 5 minutes before removing.
Cool & Store
- Place jars on a towel-lined counter. Listen for the "pop" of sealing (within 24 hours).
- After 24 hours, check seals by pressing lids. Refrigerate any unsealed jars.
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
Nutrition
Notes
originally published July 2011.
I am Sarah Mock. Welcome!
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 16 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Anne says
Bread and butter pickles are my favorite too, so much tastier than dill!
Glenda says
I would have to hide these from my husband and son-in-law! They could polish off a whole jar just between the two of them. They're so good!
Jane V says
This looks amazing. We go through so many pickles here and am always looking for variations for our canning. Thanks!
Jac Bagis says
I wonder what kinds of seasoning has this bag, here in Brazil does not.
Joffre Vincent Narron says
Sarah - I tell you what......you are great at giving directions. Plus, your enthusiasm is contagious. I love bread & butter pickles. However, Vince is afraid I am "forgetting my way to the kitchen." But, I actually DO still know where the, uh, the.....you know.....the stove is.
Sending love to all the Mocks!
Martha
Stephen Belyea says
I love bread and butter pickles, but I've never tried making them. The only ones I've tried are Lady Ashburnham mustard pickles... but surely if I can master those, then I should really stop buying bread and butters and at least TRY to make them!
Thanks for posting a great "how to"
Happy Pickling :-)
Anonymous says
These really are simple! I hope you find that they are as well. Thanks for the comment!