Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

Making Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles couldn’t be easier—with just a handful of ingredients! They taste delicious and are ready to enjoy in just four days—no special equipment is required.

If you’ve ever wanted to make homemade pickles, start with this recipe. After following four simple steps, you’ll have tasty, zesty pickles ready for snacking. The simple brine is bursting with lip-smacking flavors. 

After you make this bread and butter pickles recipe once, you’ll want to make it again! The original recipe comes from the Great Depression. Bread and butter refrigerator pickles are made with simple ingredients and are surprisingly good for you, too. 

Why You’ll Love Them

• Tastes better than the kind you buy at grocery stores. The cucumbers are crispier, and the flavors are more pronounced. 
• Simple recipe. This is such an easy recipe that you’ll wonder why you didn’t make your pickles before. 
• No hot water bath is needed. Just boil the ingredients in a medium saucepan and add them to the mason jars with the cucumbers. That’s it! 
• Makes a perfect gift. A few jars of pickles are the perfect thing to give a hostess. 

Ingredients

The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

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I only used simple ingredients to make this bread and butter pickle recipe.

• Cucumbers – These are the main ingredients. 
• Sweet Onion – Thin onion slices add aroma and a bold flavor to the cucumbers.  
• White Vinegar – This makes up the base of the brine ingredients. 
• Sugar – Granulated sugar minimizes the tanginess of the pickling liquid. 
• Salt – This enhances all the flavors.
• Mustard Seeds – These add earthiness to the pickles. 
• Celery Salt  – You could use celery seed and then add more salt. 
• Turmeric – This herb has notes of ginger and pepper and adds natural sweetness to the salty pickles. 
• Red Pepper Flakes – These bring the spice, so be careful with how many flakes you add. 
• Pepper – This rounds out all the other flavors. 
• Garlic Cloves – Fresh garlic is aromatic and pungent. 

How to Make Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

This simple recipe has just four simple steps. Here’s how to make a small batch of fresh pickles.

• Step One: Divide sliced cucumbers into two mason jars and top with sliced onion. 

• Step Two: In a pot on the stove, bring vinegar and the rest of the ingredients to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
• Step Three: Evenly pour the vinegar mixture into each mason jar. Let it cool with the lid off until it reaches room temperature.
• Step Four: Place the lids on the mason jars and refrigerate for four days before enjoying. They can be stored in the fridge for up to one month.

Equipment Needed

If you want the best results possible when making the pickles, I suggest grabbing a few key pieces of equipment.

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• Cutting board
• Saucepan
• Mason jars

What to Serve with Them

These little pickles are the perfect snack or a fun addition to a sandwich. Here’s what I suggest eating with the jar of pickles. 

• Homemade bread
• Egg Salad Sandwich
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Parmesan Crisps

Variations and Substitutions

• Make it with apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. 
• Add brown sugar instead of white sugar. 
• Make them spicier. Add jalapeno slices. 
• Add more vegetables. Stir in some sliced red bell peppers. 

Storage Instructions 

Store the homemade pickles in a jar with an airtight and spillproof lid. They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one month. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Slice the pickles however you want. Either use a sharp knife or use a crinkle cutter. 
• Use fresh cucumber slices. If you use fresh cucumbers, they will have the best taste and texture. 
• For the salt, use a high-quality kosher salt. It will have a larger grain. 
• Keep stirring the liquid until the sugar dissolves completely. 

Why Are They Called Bread and Butter Pickles?  

There’s a story behind the name of these pickles that dates back to before the Great Depression.

In the early 1920s, Omar and Cora Fanning from Illinois had a trademark for a family recipe for sweet and sour pickles. Sadly, they fell on hard times, and Mr. Fanning decided to try to barter with the local grocer, exchanging the pickles for bread and butter.

So, these pickles got the nickname bread and butter pickles because they were so good that the Fannings could get bread and butter for them. 

Are Bread and Butter Pickles Sweet?

They don’t taste super sweet. The sugar in the pickles rounds out the flavors, cutting down the sourness of the vinegar. 

What is the Difference Between Quick Pickles and Regular Pickles?

The type of acid that pickles the cucumbers is the main difference between the two pickles. Quick pickles use acetic acid from vinegar. Regular pickles use lactic acid that comes from fermentation. 

What is the Difference Between Dill Pickles and Bread and Butter Pickles

The most significant difference is that dill pickles have fewer ingredients and one simple flavor. They taste like vinegar and dill. Bread and butter pickles have a complex flavor, sweetness, spice, and a full body from the herbs and vegetables. 

What Kind of Cucumber Should You Use? 

This recipe works perfectly with any cucumber. It’s the perfect way to use fresh cucumbers from the Farmer’s market. Try it with Kirby cucumbers and English cucumbers. 

What Size of Jar Should I Use?

This is the perfect recipe to reuse an old pickle jar. Honestly, the size of the jar isn’t as important. Try it with both pint jars and canning jars. But if you’re going to use a half-gallon jar, you will have to use more vinegar and ingredients because the liquid should fill up to the top of the jar. 

Do You Need a Canning Pot? 

No, you don’t need pot or canning skills to make the best-tasting pickles you’ve ever had. 

Pickle Recipes            

• Dill Pickle Dip 
• Crockpot Pickle Chicken
• Dill Pickle Roast Beef
• Slow Cooker Dill Pickle Soup
• Air Fryer Fried Pickles

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