Homemade Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles have an addictive sweet and tangy flavor. They make a fabulous addition to any meal but, particularly in the summer months when fresh cucumbers are in abundance. This particular recipe requires no canning, and they can be kept for up to one month when stored properly. The flavor becomes even more robust with each passing day.
Easy Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
How Did Bread and Butter Pickles Get Their Name? In short, it's widely believed these pickles got their name during the Great Depression. Cucumbers were easy to grow, and were served on sandwiches with bread and butter for an inexpensive meal. Cucumbers would grow all Summer than at the end of the season, they were pickled to last through the Winter months. Bread and butter pickles are still made today, for all of those same reasons but primarily, because they're simply delicious.
How to Make the Best Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
- Ingredients you'll need to make homemade Bread and Butter Pickles: 809 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers, 1 jumbo Vidalia onion or two medium, granulated sugar, salt, celery seed, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, fresh dill and garlic cloves.
- Kitchen gadgets you'll need: A large deep heavy bottomed pot or saucepan, sharp knife and cutting board or a food processor to prep the cucumbers and onion, measuring cups and spoons, a large non reactive bowl for storing in the refrigerator and a plate to weigh the pickles down keeping them covered with the brine at all times.
- You'll note that refrigerator pickles, don't go through the classic canning process. They can be stored for several weeks tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Emphasis on "tightly sealed."
- A nonreactive bowl in this instance refers to a glass bowl or a stainless steel bowl. Copper wouldn't be suitable for this bread and butter pickles recipe.
- Traditionalists may insist that cucumbers should be soaked for 24 hours prior to pickling in cold water with a crisping agent such as pickling lime. It's been my experience, that if the cucumbers are super fresh, this step isn't necessary.
- I use my food processor to slice the cucumbers uber thin, which is our preference, but you can adjust the thickness and slice them to the size that you like.
- They're delicious served on their own as a side dish or on sandwiches, subs, burgers, or as the name states, with bread and butter.
- Store Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles chilled in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
More Southern Style Condiments and Pickle Recipes to Make
- Fried Dill Pickles with a Creole Dipping Sauce is a fantastic appetize4r for casual parties and game day snacking.
- Whip up a batch of Southern Chow Chow to serve on hot dogs, with pinto beans or on barbecue.
- Hillbilly Cole Slaw is soaked with a sweet and tangy vinegar based dressing. Serve it as a side dish or a topping.
- Use Comeback Sauce or dipping chicken or drizzled on burgers and sandwiches as a condiment.
- If you're a die hard pickle enthusiast, you may like to try this Dill Pickle Dip from Noble Pig and Easy Ham and Dill Pickle Bites from Kalyn's Kitchen.
Thanks for visiting come back soon!
Disclosure ~ If a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
Helpful Kitchen Items:
Bread And Butter Refrigerator Pickles
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 292kcal
Ingredients
- 8-9 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
- 1 jumbo Vidalia onion quartered & thinly sliced
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups white distilled vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes [more or less to your taste]
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean and trim the ends of the cucumbers then slice. [¼" or thinner]
- Layer the cucumbers and sliced Vidalia onion in a large glass, stoneware or stainless steel bowl.
- On the stovetop combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers and onions.
- Place a plate on top and press to weigh down the cucumbers keeping them covered with the brine. Cover tightly.
- Chill for 24 hours, then stir. Keep chilled, and gently stir once per day for 1 week. The pickles become more flavorful the longer they sit.
- Store in tightly sealed jars in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Notes
The longer these pickles sit in the brine the more flavor they absorb. Slice them to your preference, but keep in mind, the thinner the pickle, the more quickly it will absorb the flavors of the brine.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 890mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
My name is Melissa and I'm the Creator of Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen. Cooking, baking, developing recipes and kitchen tips is my passion. I love sharing my dishes and connecting with people through the food that I create.
>
Louise DeVries
Made a batch of these pickles and had to make a second one the next day. Can’t wait to share them with my neighbors. Make them with fresh cucumbers from my neighbors garden.
Delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Melissa
Wonderful, I'm so happy you loved them!
Sarah
I've had these in my fridge for a few days and they are going FAST. My kids are eating them as snacks!
Melissa
Smart kids, thank you!
Donna Tew
Te only difference to can them is sterilize the jars...15 min. in boiling water and then 15 min hot water bath. I pull the jars out of the sterilizing water fill, put on the lids and put them right back in for 15 min.
Sharon
I love making bread and butter pickles. This recipe seems super easy except for one step. Instead of keeping the cucumbers in the brine mixture in a large bowl in the fridge for 24 hrs why not put them in jars right away covered with the brine mixture?
Melissa
The cucumbers reduce a bit while they brine. That said, you can do so, if you want.
Janet
Cannot wait to try this recipe. So tired of the bottled store bought jars.
Melissa
Hope you love these as much as we do!
Sherrie
Bread and butter pickles are a staple in my house, especially in the summer
Melissa
Ours, too!
Melissa
There's a print function in the recipe template. No idea why you missed it but, it's there.
Melissa
I haven't tested them longer than one month.
Melissa
Thanks Kalyn, I'm certain you could nail it!