Old-Fashioned Bread and Butter Pickles
Ingredients
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4 lbs pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced
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1½ lbs onions, thinly sliced
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¼ cup pickling or kosher salt
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Ice water (enough to cover)
For the brine:
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2 cups apple cider vinegar
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2 cups white vinegar
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3 cups sugar
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1 tbsp mustard seeds
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1 tsp celery seeds
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1 tsp turmeric
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½ tsp ground cloves (optional but very old-school)
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½ tsp allspice (optional)
Step 1: Salt the veggies
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Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl.
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Sprinkle with salt, cover with ice water, and let sit 2–3 hours.
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Drain well and rinse to remove excess salt.
Step 2: Make the brine
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In a large pot, combine vinegars, sugar, and all spices.
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Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved.
Step 3: Pickle time
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Add drained cucumbers and onions to the boiling brine.
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Simmer just 5 minutes—don’t overcook or they’ll lose their crunch.
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Pack into clean jars, covering completely with brine.
Step 4: Cool & wait (the hardest part)
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Let cool, then refrigerate.
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They’re good after 24 hours, but great after 3–5 days.
