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Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles-Flashback Friday



I originally posted this recipe on August 3, 2008. That was during our first year of blogging. It's been interesting for each of us to go back and look at some of the first recipes we posted. Bringing them back to life with new photos and sometimes giving more details or making corrections. 

This recipe comes from my friend Jan. I like to make these with fresh young cucumbers, but I have also made them in winter using long English cucumbers. 

To begin, wash and then thinly slice enough cucumbers to fill an ice cream bucket.  Add 1-2 small onions cut into thin rings. I use the narrow blade of my mandolin. This time of year try to find sweet walla walla onions.

Brine:
  • 4 cups white sugar
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp pickling salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp mustard seed
  1. Measure brine ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Pour hot brine over sliced cucumbers and onions. 
  3. Stir and allow to cool on counter. Once cool, cover and place in refrigerator. 
  4. Stir every few days. They are best after they have had a chance to sit in the brine for about a week...but you can eat the almost a day or two after making.Several days after they have sat I like to transfer them into glass jars. I find they keep better in glass and it's also easier for storage and use. Like any pickles, these keep well for a long time. 

22 comments:

  1. OOOh, I could use some of these on my burgers today . .they looks awesome and I've never made them . .they look so good.

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  2. These sure are simple enough to make.. My mouth 'waters' at the thought of pickles..yum yum!

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  3. Kathy, thanks for your note this morning! These pickles sound good and I will be making them soon!

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  4. mmm, over some good european weiners, cooked on the end of a stick, yum. my friend karin makes these has brought them to weiner roasts..love em.

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  5. Kathy - these are our favourite. We seldom eat sandwiches without them. They keep all winter in the fridge. I usually have a small container in my kitchen fridge which I refill from the buckets in the fridge in our garage. Glad to see you had time to use the party barge this weekend. I bet it was perfect out there!

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  6. Oh my goodness...what fun this post is/was. I am so totally amazed. I had no idea I would be able to make my own pickles this easily ... consider it DONE!

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  7. I probably got some of the last of the little cucumbers and made a batch. They are so good! The best I've ever had.

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  8. If I don't want my pickles sweet...do I just omit the sugar, or does the brine recipe change?
    I'd love to make these, but I don't like sweet pickles.

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  9. Hi Bia, you asked about omitting the sugar. For this recipe you do need some sugar. You could try to cut the sugar down to 1 cup which would cut the sweet down. Why not try cutting the recipe in half and try it with about 1/4 cup of sugar and see if you like it. Good luck. Kathy

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  10. Thank you for this recipe!!! I'm new to canning, but this is sooo easy and fast! I made them last night and already the flavor is wonderful. Thank you again!

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  11. Chilliwack Al

    The brine for these is one I use with sliced zucchini when garden cucumbers aren't available.

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  12. Just what I have been looking for. Thank you!

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  13. Freda,Aug,2012
    When my daughter-in-law informed me she had been given cucumbers and didn't know what to do with them, I checked with google to see if they had any recipes that were fast,easy and good. Well I found this one and am very pleased to report that even my grandchildren love them. Thanks.They won't last long and I am so pleased with the results.

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  14. Thank you for this recipe...it sounds easy and delicious! I'm anxious to try it this week.
    What size is an ice cream bucket?? And, is it safe to celery seed instead of celery salt?

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  15. An ice cream bucket hold 4 litres or roughly 4 quarts.
    Jan's original recipe was meant to read celery seed, not celery salt and the correction was made in my copy of that old church cookbook. I've made this recipe for years now, at least 3 buckets every year using the celery seed.

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  16. I'm going to make these. Looks yummy. Do you use pickles that you would use for making dill pickles? Can you use Persian cukes?

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  17. I'm so happy to see this recipe. My husband loves bread and butter pickles and his favorite brand has gone away. I'm definitely going to make these for him.

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  18. Aww - pickling is on the schedule for next week. I've always loved Bread and Butter pickles and haven't made them for years!

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  19. Love these pickles. I did try using Persian cucumbers and they turned out delicious. Nice to know I can make these when pickling cucumbers are not in season. I did cut the sugar to 3 cups and they are still wonderful. So good on sandwiches. Yummy. :)

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  20. Is there no water in the brine recipe? I just made dills and it called for water... thank you.

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  21. That's right...no water in the brine. I've seen recipes that do call for water.

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  22. these are the best pickles. My husband and family love them . Made them last year and just finished making 2 batches.

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