Bread and Butter Pickles Tips
What kind of cucumbers should you use to make bread and butter pickles?
There are many varieties of cucumbers, but all of them are generally separated into two main categories—slicing (or salad) cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. Slicing cucumbers are larger and have a more delicate flesh and a thinner, smoother skin, making them good for eating fresh. Pickling cucumbers are smaller, with a denser flesh and thicker skin. If you’re making
refrigerator pickles with a quick curing time, a thinner skin is fine, but the denser pickling cucumber is the way to go to get a flavorful and crisp pickle when jarring the pickles. Since these bread and butter pickles are canned,
pickling cucumbers are the way to go.
How can you serve bread and butter pickles?
Bread and butter pickles are best known as a sandwich pickle. Because of their milder flavor, they complement the layered ingredients, where a stronger, more sour dill pickle might be overwhelming, and are usually served on the side. Because of their sweet-tangy flavor, they can stand in for sweet pickles in certain salad recipes too. If you like a sweeter
fried pickle, you can use bread and butter pickle slices and pickle juice instead of dill too!
How should you store bread and butter pickles?
If the jars have sealed correctly, these pickles can be stored at room temperature (out of the sunlight) for up to a year. Once opened, the jar should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within a few weeks. Once you see how easy it is to pickle cucumbers, try other
pickling recipes. The possibilities are endless!
—Hazel Wheaton, Taste of Home Book Editor
Canning Altitude
The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
1/4 cup: 35 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 175mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.