No canning. No fuss. All you really need to do is make a brine and pour it into a jar of sliced cucumbers. I know you can do it. These have tons of flavor and are perfect next to your favorite barbecue dinner.
These are crisp and sweet, so they pair perfectly with so many dishes. I prefer to make them as thin slices, but you can absolutely do spears or halves if that’s what you prefer. Totally up to you.
What You’ll Need
Pickling cucumbers are best here because of their thinner skin and smaller seeds, but any cucumber will work. You can substitute mustard seeds for ground mustard if you have to, but only use 1 teaspoon of it. Don’t skip the turmeric though as it’s essential for the right flavor and color. And your salt has to be kosher or pickling salt. Regular table salt will make your pickles too salty.
This makes 4 pints from 2 pounds of cucumbers. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Equipment
- saucepan
- 4 Pint jars
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cucumbers sliced
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
How to Make
Step One: Make the Brine First
Toss all your brine ingredients (vinegar, brown sugar, water, salt, and spices) into a saucepan. Heat it up on medium and stir it around until that sugar dissolves completely. Let it simmer for about a minute, then turn off the heat and let it cool down while you mess with the cucumbers.
Step Two: Pack those Jars
Slice up your cucumbers and stuff them into your pint jars. Really pack them in there, don’t be shy about it. You want them tight so there’s room for the brine to actually cover everything.
Step Three: Pour and Cover
Once your brine isn’t hot anymore, pour it over the cucumbers. Make sure every single slice is covered. If some are sticking up, push them down.
Step Four: Wait (the hard part).
Seal up those jars and stick them in the fridge. For the best flavor, you really should wait 24 hours before eating them. They’ll stay fresh for about 3 month. Easy, right?!
Storing & Serving
These pickles are best stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. They will get soggy if frozen and since they aren’t processed, they must be refrigerated.
Serve these at an outside party with some of these favorites.
- Sourdough rolls with homemade pickles are the building blocks of a great sandwich.
- Barbecue beans in the crockpot go well with these too!
- Classic macaroni salad is a perfect side.
- And top everything off with homemade blackberry lemonade.
More Pickle Recipes
- Deep fry your pickles for a crispy and fun appetizer.
- If you don’t like bread and butter, I’ve got a refrigerator dill pickle recipe for you too!
- Use up that leftover pickle juice and make pickle juice chicken marinade.
- If you’d like to can your cucumbers, why not make this dill pickle relish.
Printable Recipe
Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
Equipment
- saucepan
- 4 Pint jars
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cucumbers sliced
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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Instructions
- Make the brine. Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, water, kosher salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves. Once simmering, cook for about one minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prep the jars. While the brine is cooling, tightly pack the sliced cucumbers into four pint-sized jars. Ensure the cucumbers are compacted well to leave room for enough brine to cover.
- Cover cucumbers with brine. Once the brine has cooled, pour it over the cucumbers in the jars, making sure they are completely submerged. Adjust the cucumbers as needed to ensure no air pockets and cucumbers are fully covered.
- Store. Seal the jars tightly and refrigerate. For best flavor development, let the pickles marinate for at least 24 hours before consuming. These pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Love,
My kettle has green stain on it. Any ideas how to clean it? They are new and like to keep them in good shape?
probably turmeric stain. use bar keepers friend, a paste with. a very small amount of water. will take it right out! 🙂
There is no mention of onions until Step 3 of the directions when you pour the brine into the jars. I suspect they should be thinly sliced, as many as preferredand mixed or layered with the cucumbers? Thank you. Sounds like a perfect summer time saver when cukes are plentiful!
Hey Peggy! Yes! I actually don’t always add them and intended the recipe to NOT have them, but I do occasionally add them thinly sliced with the cukes. I’m going to fix that up to make it more clear. Thanks!