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Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Side Dish

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

Published: May 29, 2015 · Modified: Oct 4, 2022 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

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Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

If you love pickles but don’t know how to can you are going to love my 24-hour Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles recipe. This 5-star recipe requires absolutely no canning skills needed and is very easy to make.

Top view of two mason jars filled with pickles on a wood cutting board.

Get ready for the easiest most delicious Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles you’ve ever had. Sweet yet still a little tangy and perfect to eat by the forkful or top on burgers, dogs, and pulled pork sandwiches to name a few. Best of all this small batch recipe makes just 2 pint jars.

I’ve always loved pickles as long as I can remember. A few years back when Facebook was just starting to get popular a childhood friend found me on Facebook and asked if it was the Katie who would only eat a plain burger with tons of pickles on it. Yep, that’s me! And although I still load my burgers and just about any sandwich on this planet up with pickles— I do enjoy other toppings now, too. 

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
    • Canning Bread and Butter Pickles
  • FAQs
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Cucumber Recipes

Ingredients

Top view of a white basket filled with whole mini cucumbers on a wooden cutting board.
  • Cucumbers – I prefer to use mini cucumbers whenever making pickles!
  • Salt – You’ll want kosher salt for this recipe.
  • Sugar – I use a combination of white and brown sugar.
  • Vinegar – I have found that a combination of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar gives the best flavoring.
  • Seasonings – I use a combination of mustard seeds, celery seeds, and tumeric.
  • Onion – For the sake of time and slicing I like to use dried onion flakes for this recipe. You can use fresh onion slices if you desire.

How to Make Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

Handheld mandoline slicer with trimmed mini pickles on a wood cutting board.
  • In a large bowl, combine sliced cucumbers (I like to use the OXO Hand Held Mandoline Slicer (pictured above)) and salt. Mix well and then let sit for 1 hour.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine white and brown sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and dried onion flakes. Simmer over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring often.
  • Rinse salted cucumber slices and drain well.
  • Place the drained cucumbers in with the hot vinegar mixture. Stir and cover. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • Transfer cucumber mixture and brine to jars, pouring brine into jars until covered to the top. Cover with a lid and refrigerate. Pickles are ready to eat in 24 hours.

Canning Bread and Butter Pickles

I’ve never personally canned this recipe. However, I had a reader write-in sharing how she did it. THIS HAS NOT BEEN TESTED BY ME!

To Can Bread and Butter Pickles:

  • Soak whole cucumbers in a pickling Lyme solution (1 cup Lyme to 1 gallon of water) for 24 hours. (This soaking makes your pickles very crisp).
  • After 24 hours, remove the cucumbers and rinse them off thoroughly. Be sure to pour the Lyme water out, someplace outside. The Lyme isn’t good for your household drain pipes.
  • Slice the rinsed cucumbers and make the vinegar solution as written in the recipe. Fill clean canning jars with cucumber slices and pour the vinegar mixture to within one half inch of the tops of the jars. Clean off rims and adjust lids.
  • Processing a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes. Remove jars and cool on a dish towel.

FAQs

A stack of mini cucumbers on a wood cutting board with a mandoline and produce bin in the background.
How much does this bread and butter pickle recipe make?

This recipe uses 10 mini cucumbers and makes 2 pint mason jars full of bread and butter pickles.

What type of cucumbers work best for pickles?

The best type of cucumber for pickles are mini cucumbers. They are thinner and size and work perfect for pickling.

How long should refrigerator pickles sit?

Refrigerator pickles can sit refrigerated for at least 1 month. The longer they sit the less crunchy the pickle will be.

Two jars filled with Bread and Butter Pickles in glass mason jars on a wood countertop.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve found useful when making homemade bread and butter pickles.

  • Recipe yields – Recipe makes 2 pint canning jars worth.
  • Storage – These pickles can stay in a mason jar for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
  • Slicing – I like to use the OXO Hand Held Mandoline Slicer but you could also simply slice with a knife or use a wavy crinkle chopper. Both can be found on Amazon.

Cucumber Recipes

Still craving cucumbers? Check out these other delicious recipes.

  • Greek Style Cucumber and Tomato Salad
  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Asian Cucumber Salad
  • Cucumber Gimlet
  • Chilled Cucumber and Dill Greek Yogurt Soup

If you make this bread and butter pickle recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

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Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

If you love pickles but don't know how to can you are going to love my 24-hour Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles recipe. This 5-star recipe requires absolutely no canning skills needed and is very easy to make.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Save Saved! Rate
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose
Prep Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Refrigeration Time: 1 day day
Total Time: 1 day day 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 40
Calories: 43kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Stove Top

Ingredients

  • 10 Mini Cucumbers sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • 1-½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric ground
  • 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine sliced cucumbers and salt. Mix well and then let sit for 1 hour.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine white and brown sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and dried onion flakes. Simmer over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring often.
  • Rinse salted cucumber slices and drain well.
  • Place the drained cucumbers in with the hot vinegar mixture. Stir and cover. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • Transfer cucumber mixture and brine to jars, pouring brine into jars until covered to the top. Cover with a lid and refrigerate. Pickles are ready to eat in 24 hours.

Notes

  • Recipe yields – Recipe makes 2 pint canning jars worth.
  • Storage – These pickles can stay in a mason jar for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
I’ve never personally canned this recipe. However, I had a reader write-in sharing how she did it. THIS HAS NOT BEEN TESTED BY ME!
To Can Bread and Butter Pickles:
Soak whole cucumbers in a pickling Lyme solution (1 cup Lyme to 1 gallon of water) for 24 hours. (This soaking makes your pickles very crisp).
After 24 hours, remove the cucumbers and rinse them off thoroughly. Be sure to pour the Lyme water out, someplace outside. The Lyme isn’t good for your household drain pipes. Slice the rinsed cucumbers and make the vinegar solution as written in the recipe. Fill clean canning jars with cucumber slices and pour the vinegar mixture to within one Half inch of the tops of the jars. Clean off rims and adjust lids. Processing a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes. Remove jars and cool on a dish towel.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 43kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!
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Disclosure: There are affiliate links present in this post. That means if you click on a link and purchase something. I will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support of Katie’s Cucina!

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About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 15 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Therese

    August 01, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    5 stars
    I tried them before placing them in the fridge and sooooo tasty! Cant wait for the 24 hours. I used light agave instead of white sugar (didnt have any) and brown sugar. Great easy recipe. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katie

      August 02, 2021 at 9:52 pm

      Hi Therese, So happy you are already excited about these pickles! Thanks for taking the time to leave a 5 star review!

  2. Tiffany

    July 13, 2020 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    This is now our go to recipe! Perfectly balanced and super quick to put together. I do just use two of the long English Cucumbers (fits one qt jar) and sometimes I use real Vidalia onion slices instead of the flakes because those are yummy to eat as well! This is definitely going on an index card and into my cherished recipe box. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Katie

      July 21, 2020 at 1:09 pm

      Hi Tiffany, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so happy you love this recipe! It’s one of my absolute favorites!

  3. Ruth

    April 29, 2020 at 11:59 pm

    How many jars will this recipe make? I’m just wondering how to preserve the extra jars if they have to stay in the refrigerator.

    Reply
    • Katie

      May 04, 2020 at 4:51 pm

      Hi Ruth, this recipe makes 2 pints and holds in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. I just added the canning directions in the notes section of the recipe. This was provided by a reader. I have not tested this method!

  4. Vicki

    April 28, 2020 at 7:48 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Katie

      April 29, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      Thank you Vicki for taking the time to leave a 5-star review!

  5. Delina

    March 31, 2020 at 12:37 am

    I’m pleased that I can help. I’ve taken advanced classes in canning and I’m VERY careful about it. This recipe has vinegar and sugar that are both natural preservatives. Your original recipe was just perfect. They taste wonderful months later!

    Reply
  6. Delina

    March 24, 2020 at 2:29 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE this pickle recipe! I made these two years in a row. Then last fall I thought I would try canning them so that we could have them a year found. They turned out better than any canned pickle recipe I’ve ever made! Thanks so much for sharing.
    In case anyone wants to know how I canned these:
    Soak whole cucumbers in a pickling Lyme solution (1 cup Lyme to 1 gallon of water) for 24 hours. (This soaking makes your pickles very crisp).
    After 24 hours, remove the cucumbers and rinse them off thoroughly. Be sure to pour the Lyme water out, someplace outside. The Lyme isn’t good for your household drain pipes. Slice the rinsed cucumbers and make the vinegar solution as written in the recipe. Fill clean canning jars with cucumber slices and pour the vinegar mixture to within one Half inch of the tops of the jars. Clean off rims and adjust lids. Processing a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes. Remove jars and cool on a dish towel.
    I made these last fall and here it is the middle of March. We absolutely love theses on hamburgers, sandwiches and just right out of the jar! They still tastes fresh and crisp, even months later.

    Reply
    • Katie

      March 25, 2020 at 6:06 pm

      Delina, this makes my heart so happy! Thank you so much for adding the canned directions. If you are okay with it I would like to add your canned directions in my notes of the recipes for those who like to can?

  7. Mindy

    August 06, 2018 at 1:42 pm

    How many pounds of cucumber?  I have homegrown, that are different in size.  Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katie

      August 13, 2018 at 9:44 pm

      Hi Mindy–I used 10 mini cucumbers. So if you have larger cucumbers you could reduce the amount. Also–I found using a mandolin slicer was key to having consistently sliced pickles. The mini are the best to use since that’s the traditional size of a pickle!

  8. valerie whincup

    February 15, 2018 at 4:41 pm

    I am interested in trying this recipe, but I will never be able these in 3 week, as I’m the only one that’s going to be eating them. Is it possible to half the recipe? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Katie

      February 18, 2018 at 5:17 pm

      Hi Valerie, I would give some to your friends! I have no clue how to cut this recipe down. Sorry!

  9. Billy

    July 17, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    I have never used a mandolin slicer.. although I’ve only made pickles once. I definitely need to use that next time, it is so genius! I can’t believe I hand cut all those cucumbers the last time I made the batch. Next time I will definitely use your method. Thank you for sharing your recipe! Definitely trying your recipe too!

    Reply
  10. CiCi

    September 05, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    Delish! My first attempt at making homemade pickles & thanks to your recipe & advise I think it s perfection!
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Katie

      September 12, 2016 at 8:26 pm

      Cici, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I’m so glad you loved them!

  11. Brittany

    August 08, 2016 at 7:05 pm

    Would it be possible to just can these and keep in the cupboard?

    Reply
    • Katie

      August 09, 2016 at 12:11 pm

      Hi Brittany, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I have no canning experience what so ever. I’m sure it’s possible, but I do not feel comfortable giving canning advice!

  12. Carma Rogers

    August 08, 2016 at 9:49 am

    I was looking for a refrigerator recipe since I don’t can and found this on the Yummly app.
    Made this weekend and I have to say that these are almost as good as my Great-aunt Leona’s bread and butter pickles that she canned.
    I ended up having to make one small substitution for the celery seed. I was out, so I added dill seed from my herb garden and that worked well, but I do want to get celery seed to see the difference.
    I definitely will be making these again and browsing your other recipes as I get time. Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Katie

      August 09, 2016 at 12:12 pm

      Hi Carma, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so happy that you loved this recipe! This is one of my families favorite pickle recipes! Perfect for summertime (or year round)!

  13. Jim

    July 12, 2016 at 9:40 pm

    We made these and they turned out awesome. I’ll be making many more as the cucumber crop keeps growing.

    Reply
    • Katie

      July 14, 2016 at 3:10 pm

      Jim, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed them!

5 from 4 votes

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I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

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