Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
Crunchy, tangy and just a littles weet, these easy Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles are made with Kirby cucumbers, onions and a simple apple cider vinegar brine. No canning required!
Servings: 10 cups drained pickles
Equipment
- Glass Containers with Lids (optional)
- Glass Jars (optional)
Ingredients
- About 4 pounds Kirby cucumbers
- About 1½ pounds sweet or yellow onions very thinly sliced/julienne
- 6-8 cloves garlic peeled and smashed with the back of a knife
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- Crushed ice (enough to cover)
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar (24 fluid ounces)
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp ground tumeric
- 1½ tsp mustard seed
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Rinse the cucumbers, then cut off their ends and discard them. Then thinly slice each cucumber into rounds about ¼” thick each. Place the slices into a large bowl. (Peeling the cucumber is optional.) NOTE: I used a mandoline (with a cut glove to protect my hands) but you can also slice them with just a knife. The key is to slice them into pieces of even thickness.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)About 4 pounds Kirby cucumbers
- Add the sliced onions, crushed garlic and salt to the sliced cucumbers.About 1½ pounds sweet or yellow onions, 6-8 cloves garlic, ⅓ cup kosher salt
- Then, add enough crushed ice over the top surface of the mixture to cover it. Toss all together well. Set the bowl aside for two hours, tossing it 2-3 times while it sits.
- After two hours pour the mixture into a large colander to drain it well. Once it’s well-drained, return the mixture to the large bowl.
- Next, combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric and mustard seed in a pot over medium-low and heat just to a boil. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.3 cups apple cider vinegar, 1¼ cups granulated sugar, 1½ tsp ground tumeric, 1½ tsp mustard seed
- Then, remove mixture from heat and pour it over the drained cucumber mixture. Give the mixture a stir, then let it sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours to let it cool. Stir the mixture every 15 minutes or so.NOTE: Press the cucumber mixture down to immerse it in the brine.
- Once the mixture has cooled, transfer both the pickle/onion mixture and brine to glass jars or containers, making sure the pickles are mostly covered in brine. They will likely settle once in the jar for a bit.NOTE: Use as much brine as needed to fill the jars. You can discard any extra.
- Cover and store the pickles in the refrigerator. They are best after chilling about 24 hours and will last for at least one month under refrigeration. Use a slotted spoon or fork to remove them from jar or container as needed. That’s it! Buon Appetito!
Video
Notes
- Total recipe time above does not include cooling time after the pickles have been made fyi.
- This recipe yields about 10-11 cups drained pickles. They’re best after about 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- I did a straight cut on the cucumbers, but you can certainly do a crinkle cut if you have the tools and that’s what you prefer.
- Be sure to slice the cucumbers relatively thinly, about ¼” thick.
- While sweet or Vidalia onions are preferred, you can also use yellow/Spanish onions.
- If properly stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, the pickles will last for at least one month. They do not freeze well.
- *NOTE: This is not a canning recipe and the pickles must be stored in the refrigerator. They are NOT shelf-stable and should not be stored at room temperature.
